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Daytona Beach is a city on Florida's Atlantic coast in Volusia County, about an hour northeast of Orlando, where a long barrier island faces the ocean across the Halifax River. Founded in the 1870s and named for Ohio businessman Mathias Day, it became famous in the early 1900s when racers discovered that its hard-packed sand made a perfect speedway. Land-speed records were set on the beach, and stock-car races held here led to the founding of NASCAR in 1948, earning the city the nickname the World's Most Famous Beach.
Today Daytona Beach is a city of around 80,000 people, and racing remains at the heart of its identity. Daytona International Speedway, opened in 1959, hosts the Daytona 500 each February and offers tours year-round. The city is also a historic center of African American education and culture: Mary McLeod Bethune founded the school that became Bethune-Cookman University here, and Jackie Robinson played his first integrated spring training games at the ballpark that now bears his name.
Visitors still come for the sand. On sections of the beach, cars can drive right onto the wide shore, the Main Street Pier and Boardwalk offer arcades, rides and ocean views, and families spread out on miles of gentle surf. Each March, Bike Week brings hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders to town, the Museum of Arts and Sciences showcases art and natural history, and just south in Ponce Inlet, Florida's tallest lighthouse rises above the inlet.
Daytona Beach is a wide, hard-packed sandy beach stretching for miles along the Atlantic, famous as the place where early auto racing began. Cars are still allowed to drive on marked sections for a daily fee, at a slow speed limit. Watch the tide times, and use the off-beach parking areas for car-free stretches.
The Daytona Beach Boardwalk runs along the oceanfront near Main Street, with arcades, amusement rides, snack stands and gift shops, plus the long Main Street Pier with a restaurant and fishing. The bandshell nearby hosts free summer concerts. Visit in the evening when the lights come on and the heat eases.
Daytona International Speedway is a huge motorsports stadium, home of the Daytona 500 and other major races. On non-race days, guided tram tours visit the garages, pit road, victory lane and the steep banked turns. Book a tour online, and wear sun protection, as much of it is outdoors.
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, just south of Daytona Beach, is Florida's tallest lighthouse at 175 feet, completed in 1887. Visitors climb 203 steps to the top for views of the inlet and coast, and the keepers' houses hold museum exhibits. Allow about an hour and a half, and go early to avoid heat on the climb.
The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's most famous race, held each February at Daytona International Speedway and often called the Great American Race. Race week brings fan zones, concerts and other races. Hotels fill early and prices rise, so book months ahead, and bring ear protection and sun cover.
Daytona Bike Week is a huge motorcycle rally held for ten days each March, drawing hundreds of thousands of riders to Main Street, the speedway and nearby towns for concerts, races, bike shows and vendors. Expect heavy traffic and loud crowds. Book lodging far ahead, and visit Main Street in daylight for the bikes.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach combines art, history and science, including the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art with a large collection of Florida paintings, a planetarium, a giant ground sloth skeleton and a children's science center. Allow at least two to three hours for the campus.
The Halifax Historical Museum is housed in a grand 1910 former bank building on Beach Street in downtown Daytona Beach. Exhibits cover local Native history, early settlers, beach racing and the growth of the area. A model of the old boardwalk is a highlight. Check open days, as hours are limited.
The Mary McLeod Bethune Home is the 1920s house where educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune lived, on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University, which she founded. It is a National Historic Landmark with her furnishings and papers. Tours are offered by appointment, so call ahead to arrange a visit.
Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a historic riverside baseball stadium where Jackie Robinson played in 1946, in the first spring training game with an integrated team. It is home to the Daytona Tortugas minor league team and has an outdoor museum walk. Catch a game on a summer evening for an affordable outing.
The Daytona Beach Riverfront Esplanade is a landscaped park along the Halifax River downtown, with walking paths, gardens, playgrounds, a splash pad, river views and public art. It connects to the shops and cafes of Beach Street. It is a pleasant stroll in the cooler morning or at sunset.
Daytona Lagoon is a water park and family entertainment center near the beach, with water slides, a lazy river and wave pool plus go-karts, laser tag, mini golf and an arcade. The water park opens mainly from spring to fall. Buy combo passes for the best value, and bring sun protection.
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