Activities

Greater Daytona Area Activities

 As home to the “World’s Most Famous Beach” and Daytona International Speedway, “The World Center of Racing”, you probably know about some of the area’s activities. See our separate sections for those… but there’s a lot more to do than just racing and the beach.

Daytona Cubs
We are home to the Daytona Cubs, the 2004 Florida State League Champions. Minor League Baseball… with promotional nights, great action, an incredible setting on City Island… a night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a refreshing way to look at the game before it was filled with million dollar superstars. The ballpark remains much the same as it was on March 17, 1946 when Jackie Robinson played in the first integrated Major League Baseball spring training game

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
Visit Florida's tallest lighthouse…Visited by over 200,000 people each year, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The lighthouse tower and museum are located 10 miles south of Daytona Beach and are open to the public year round. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the second tallest lighthouse in the nation. Visitors who climb the 175 foot lighthouse tower are treated to a magnificent view of the Florida coastline and Halifax River from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach.

Ocean Center
The Ocean Center, just across from the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, is one of Florida’s most versatile facilities featuring everything from table settings and catering services to complete audio-visual set-up, Ticketmaster services and themed events. The arena is ideal for sports and entertainment events, as well as the sophisticated sounds of the London Symphony Orchestra, popular concerts and family shows. Our Convention Center is located in the heart of the Daytona Beach Resort Area and just 400 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. The Ocean Center is the area's convention, entertainment and sports complex… with arena football, Bethune Cookman basketball… boat shows, homes shows, bridal shows… there’s always something going on at the Ocean Center.

Ocean Walk Village
A new $400 million oceanside district – Ocean Walk Village – is leading an aggressive new revitalization effort. With an impressive collection of remarkable new resorts and surfside entertainment, Ocean Walk Village is creating a beach experience sure to lure new generations of visitors. Fondly remembered as the true icon of the original family beach vacation, Daytona Beach is focused on attracting nostalgic visitors, first-time vacationers and meetings by introducing Ocean Walk Village. Anchored by coquina landmarks along six-square blocks of Florida’s Atlantic shoreline, the massive project opens in phases through 2007 with more than 1,300 Atlantic-edged rooms and new family entertainment options. The Village currently houses 139,000 square-feet of meeting and exhibit space, but will offer 309,000 square-feet upon completion of the project. Ocean Walk Shoppes & Movies is a collection of upscale eateries, boutiques and 10-screen movie theater. Dining choices range from elegant seaside dining and fun family-themed eateries to casual snacks on the beach or pool deck; the restaurants at Ocean Walk Village offer dining options for every situation. There is even a pedestrian overpass between the parking facility and the oceanfront resorts and shops at Ocean Walk Village.

Museum of Arts and Sciences

The MOAS is a fascinating place with a number of permanent collections:  The Center for Florida History, Africa: Life and Ritual, The Helena and William Schulte Gallery of Chinese Art, Cuba - A History in Art", The Kenneth Worcester Dow and Mary Mohan Dow Gallery of American Arts, and The Root Family Museum. Just looking at one of these—The Root Family Museum—you’ll find such diverse items as Florida’s largest collection of stuffed Teddy Bears, and each Teddy Bear represents a different time period or theme and portrays everyday scenes such as “Teddy Bear Wedding,” complete with bridesmaids, groomsmen and a minister to the Coca-Cola Collection: one of the most historically important anthologies of the American soft drink on which their family fortune was founded. Through a selection of glass bottles representing the changing trends in bottling over the decades, this exhibit chronicles the transition of Root Family Glass Works into Associated Coca-Cola, the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the nation. Two railroad cars will also be displayed as part of the Museum’s newest permanent exhibit. The railroad cars “Dell Rapids” and the “Silver Holly” were used by the Root family to travel throughout the country. The Roots’ traveled in the “Silver Holly” between Chicago and Jacksonville in the 1960s, also taking it to the Indianapolis 500 and to Indiana to visit relatives. The “Dell Rapids,” which was built in 1948, is one of six cars of this type ever made by Milwaukee Railroad. This observation-parlor car features a “beaver-tail” observation lounge area with windows across the ceiling and down and around the car’s end.

The Marine Science Center at Lighthouse Point Park
Providing an innovative learning experience where visitors can discover, enjoy and appreciate the many wonders that embody the world of marine science in Volusia County. One of the main goals of the Marine Science Center is Sea Turtle Rehabilitation. Guests can overlook seven turtle hospital pools from the Turtle Terrace, located in front of the main facility. These pools house sick and injured sea turtles, hatchlings, and wash-backs under rehabilitation. The rehabilitating hatchlings, wash-backs (newly hatched baby sea turtles that are washed back to shore by rough seas) and sea turtles will be released upon full recovery. The MSC turtle rehabilitation area also includes care and treatment of freshwater turtles and land tortoises. Since the opening of the MSC in June 2002 until November 2004, the turtle rehabilitation area has received 144 Sea Turtles, over 3,000 hatchlings and wash backs, and 100 land and freshwater turtles!

The Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary at the Marine Science Center
The Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary, opened June 19, 2004, provides bird rehabilitation at the Marine Science Center. From June to November, the Sanctuary had over 300 birds come to the facility. This bird rehabilitation facility is fully equipped to care and treat injured and sick birds. Upon full recovery, a healthy bird will be released into its natural habitat. The project included a 3,000-square-foot rehabilitation center to provide a place for sick and injured birds. Some birds may become ambassadors for their species and are a part of education programs and the guest viewing area of the Marine Science Center. This rehabilitation center was named for Mary Keller, a longtime local bird rehabber who has dedicated more than 30 years to the care of sick and injured birds in Volusia County.

Southeast Museum of Photography
An outgrowth of Daytona Beach Community College's active photography program, the Southeast Museum is the only museum in the Southeast devoted entirely to photography. Opened in 1992, the handsome 10,000-square-foot facility hosts changing exhibits of historical and contemporary photography as well as lectures, symposia, children's programs, print viewing in its permanent collection and study in its extensive library. Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, and noon-4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens
Founded in 1946 as a War Memorial, the Museum now is home to a collection of paintings by Malcolm Fraser and changing monthly art exhibits in all media. Located on four acres of lush tropical gardens with native Florida plants, the Museum is an oasis in busy downtown Ormond Beach. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Located at 78 E. Granada Blvd in
Ormond Beach.

The Casements
The former winter home of John D. Rockefeller is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Casements serves as a cultural center for Ormond Beach with creative experiences for all ages, including classes, exhibits, events, gift shop and meeting spaces. Guided tours are available Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Open weekdays from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Location: 25 Riverside Dr., Ormond Beach

Peabody Auditorium
Located across from the Ocean Center, Peabody is a 2,560 seat auditorium which is the area's concert showcase for world renowned artists, symphony orchestras, ballet companies, Broadway series and other touring performances. The facility is home to the Daytona Beach Symphony Society, the Civic Ballet of Volusia County and the Concert Showcase of Florida.

USTA Tennis Florida

Daytona Beach is also proud to be the headquarters of USTA Tennis Florida. The center offers 24 clay hydro-courts, 12 lighted courts for night play, daily play, tournaments and much more.

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Activities Near Our Area
One of the great aspects of our area is that we are close to some of the best attractions in the world… but we’re far enough away that we don’t get caught in their mayhem and traffic jams.

Orlando—Disney World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure and Sea World—These are all about an hour and a quarter away. If I-4 is bad, you’ll want to take the Greenway. Each of these can be done as a daytrip from our area.

Kennedy Space Center—NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center, America's premier gateway to the universe, is equally near, about an hour to the south. As the world's only launch site for the Space Shuttle, Kennedy prepares the vehicles for each mission, operates each countdown and manages end-of-mission landing recovery activities. The Center also coordinates all expendable vehicle launches carrying a NASA payload, whether the launches take place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, or elsewhere. Finally, as the last Earthly stop for International Space Station hardware, Kennedy prepares these elements for their missions in space.