Daytona Beach

Built in 1938, the Daytona Beach Boardwalk on North Ocean Avenu earned this name because of the width of the walkway and the fact that it was made of concrete and not wooden boards. Today most people simply call it the Boardwalk. It is lined with many bars, hotels, restaurants, shops, and the City Walk shopping and entertainment complex. Daytona Beach Boardwalk also features many forms of entertainment and attractions. There are arcades with games, indoor and outdoor amusement rides like a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, and many more. There is a bandshell on the boardwalk, and free concerts often take place here during the summer.

Address: 12 North Ocean Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118, 386-253-0254

With more than 30,000 objects, the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) is one of the largest museums in central Florida. Some of its exhibits include Cuban art, Chinese art, Early American furniture and art, displays related to Florida history, and a large collection of Americana including quilts, teddy bears, two private train cars, and many other pieces of memorabilia.

Opened in 2008, the Charles and Linda William’s Children’s Museum is a 9,000 square foot facility with many hands-on science exhibits. The museum offers many education outreach programs such as group tours and summer camps. If you are looking for fun things to do in Daytona Beach with kids, the museum also has a planetarium and auditorium.

Address: 352 South Nova Road, Daytona Beach, Florida, Phone: 386-255-0285

The Beach at Daytona is a 23-mile stretch of white sandy beach and one of the top places to visit. It is known for its hard-packed sand that allows cars to drive in certain restricted areas of the beach, and the beach was used for car and motorcycle racing as early as 1902. Starting in 1936, it became the location for the Daytona Beach Road Course; this ended in 1958 with the creation of the Daytona International Speedway.

Today, the beach is known for being family-friendly and having beachfront parks with picnic areas, pavilions, boardwalks, and restrooms. Some of the most popular beachfront parks include the Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park, the Lighthouse Point Park, and the Smyrna Dunes Park.

Take a tour of Daytona International Speedway, a world famous speedway, the home of the annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series motor race. There are many choices of tours that last from 30 minutes to three hours.

The Speedway Tour includes a ride through the speedway’s infield where visitors can take a close look at the famous speedway, while the VIP Tour includes a trip around the track and a visit to the International Speedway Corporation Archives and Research Center where guests can see the large collection of racing artifacts, trophies, race cars, driver memorabilia, and much more.

Address: 1801 West International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach, Florida, Phone: 800-748-7467

Lighthouse Point Park is a public park located on South Atlantic Avenue in Ponce Inlet just south of Daytona Beach and Daytona Beach Shores. It is a 52-acre park located at the southern tip of Ponce Inlet and has many appealing activities, amenities, and facilities such as swimming, fishing, pavilions, an observation deck, nature trails, and much more.

The park is known for its natural beauty and wildlife. If you are wondering what to do in Daytona Beach with active kids, this is a great spot. Visitors can see dolphins along the shoreline, and in the sandy areas there are many different kinds of animals such as armadillos, gopher tortoises, possums, raccoons, and several types of birds like birds of prey and shore birds.

Address: 5000 South Atlantic Avenue, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127

The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse & Museum is a historic lighthouse on the Ponce de Leon Inlet. Standing 175 feet (53 meters) high, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest in the United States. The first lighthouse was built in 1835 to prevent shipwrecks from taking place along the coast; the current lighthouse was completed in 1887 on what was then called Mosquito Inlet.

Abandoned in 1970, the lighthouse was restored to service in 1982. The museum consists of the lighthouse, three keepers’ dwellings, and several historic objects such as the 1867 lens installed in 1887.

Address: 4931 South Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127, 386-761-1821

The Marine Science Center features many interactive exhibits that help visitors learn about the marine habitat and marine wildlife. Some of the exhibits include a 5,000-gallon artificial reef aquarium, a stingray touch pool, the Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary, the Nature Trail, and a bird observation tower.

The seabird rehabilitation center has treated and cared for over 4,500 wounded and sick birds since it opened in 2004. If you are wondering what to see in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Marine Science Center is a great place to visit with the whole family. The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Department opened in 2002 and has cared for thousands of sea turtles, freshwater turtles, gopher tortoises, and other reptiles.

Address: Marine Science Center, 100 Lighthouse Drive, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127, 386-304-5545

Beach Street is a historic shopping street between Bay Street and Orange Avenue in the downtown area of Daytona Beach, and the nearby Halifax River gives the riverfront restaurants and shops a special atmosphere. The restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisines such as American, French, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and many others.

Shops sell antiques, art, books, clothes, jewelry, and much more. In addition to the restaurants and shops, there are many service providers such as salons, health care, and automotive services.

Beach Street is also an entertainment area with many attractions like the Cinematique Theater, the Halifax Harbor Marina, the Halifax History Museum, and theater performances at the News-Journal Center.

Three Brothers Boards is a paddleboard company located on South Beach Street in Daytona Beach. They sell handmade exotic wood stand-up paddleboards as well as paddleboard accessories. The company also offers a variety of Stand Up Paddle Board Tours in the Daytona Beach and Halifax River areas. Experienced professionals lead all of the tours, and only the best equipment is used.

The Dolphin and Manatee Adventure Tour starts with a lesson for beginning paddleboarders, and guests are able to have close up encounters with dolphins and manatees. The Three Brothers SUP Nature Tour leads guests through bird sanctuaries and mangrove forests to see wildlife like manatees and redfish.

Address: 212 South Beach Street #100, Daytona Beach, Florida, Phone: 386-310-4927

If you are looking for great Daytona Beach activities, Pure Life Surf School offers surfing lessons, surf camps and stand up paddleboard lessons. Private or group lessons are offered for any age group, and all instructors are professional, experienced, and trained and certified in CPR and first aid.

In addition to learning how to surf, guests are taught about the ocean and correct surfing etiquette. Surf camps are held for children and the company guarantees a ratio of no more than four students per instructor. The stand up paddleboard tours take place in the Halifax River so that guests can enjoy the mangrove trails and the wildlife.

Address: 2705 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118, 386-492-7873