One of the most idyllic vacation destinations in Florida, USA is the Daytona Beach. Historically known for its beach, Daytona is located in Volusia County, Florida with a population of a little over 60,000 people. But it is not just a high-octane seaside community. From racing, motorcycles, and an immeasurable range of sports venues to the arts, eco-adventures and culinary experiences- there are many fun things to do in Daytona Beach. It is also the principle city of the Fun Coast region of Florida.
Daytona Beach attractions boast resorts, attractions and the Daytona International Speedway as the headquarters to NASCAR. It is well-known for its hard packed sandy beaches that allow for recreational vehicles to be driven on it. Hotels in Daytona Beach are quite tourist friendly too. If you are thinking about what to do in Daytona Beach then the Daytona 500 begins in February, the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 in July, Bike Week in March, late October the Oktoberfest and the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race in January.
Contents
10 Things to Do in Daytona Beach:
You can also widen your culinary experiences in the restaurants in Daytona Beach while enjoying the many Daytona Beach attractions. After all there’s always something going on in Daytona! Fun for race fans, friends and families, there are things to do in Daytona Beach for everyone. A list of top 10 things to do in Daytona Beach is given here.
10. Boot Hill Saloon
Visiting the Boot Hill Saloon is one of the top things to do in Daytona Beach. The saloon is located on Main Street in Daytona Beach. The Boot Hill Saloon is known as being one of the most famous biker bars in the world. The legendary Boot Hill Saloon is an authentic old-school biker bar and a heaven for the motorcycle enthusiasts. As one of the top Daytona Beach attractions, they host special event catered specifically to their clients. They also have a gift shop on site and feature live musical entertainment.
The staffs of the saloon are very friendly. As you walk into the bar, you can take in pieces of history hung all over the wall inside the bar. Take a drink of frosty ale and enjoy the fantastic music of the bar. As it is a bar, the atmosphere gets a little wild sometimes. But the security is good and the people are friendly. So there is always a good time to be had in this famous saloon. It is one of the things to do in Daytona Beach which you will want to revisit year after year.
Also Read: Top 10 tourist attractions in Florida
9. Beach Street
With so many things to do in Daytona Beach, you will not want to miss the great shopping district located on historic Beach Street. The Beach Street offers not only a great shopping experience in their one-of-a-kind shops but also the scenic surroundings of the riverfront, magnificent dining in one of the famous restaurants in Daytona Beach and superb entertainment. Taking a tour of Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory, enjoying a Daytona Tortugas game, watching an independent film at Cinematique Theater, relaxing at the Halifax Harbor Marina are among the many things to do in Daytona Beach Street.
You can also step into history at the Halifax History Museum if you are a history lover. Live musical and theatrical performances are hosted by the News-Journal Center at Daytona State College. All of these are wrapped up in one neat little location in downtown Daytona. For your experience of Daytona to be completed, you must visit, shop, eat and drink in the Beach Street, one of the famous Daytona Beach attractions.
8. Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier
If you are thinking about what to do in Daytona Beach then take a walk in the Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier. The Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier is actually a blend of the Mardi Gras Fun Center, Joyland Amusement Center, Lisa’s Gift Shop and Pizza King. Thus the pier not only offers just place to go for a nature walk on the beach but also many other fun things to participate in. So visiting the Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier has become one of the things to do in Daytona Beach. There are many outdoor and indoor rides and amusements including a classic arcade in the entertainment center. You can also enjoy a massive Ferris wheel, go-carts, the Sandblaster Roller Coaster and the Slingshot located on the boardwalk.
There is a fireworks display on every Saturday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are more entertaining activities like enjoying a concert, watching street performers and numerous family friendly fun activities. One of the things to do in Daytona Beach is taking a walk on the scenic sandy beach, eating some fantastic food, playing some arcade games, enjoying some amusement rides and have good clean family fun all in one place.
Also Read: Top 10 most attractive city beaches in the world
7. Ponce Inlet
One of the most exciting things to do in Daytona Beach is to take a trip to Ponce Inlet. The Ponce inlet is located on the southern tip of a beach peninsula south of Daytona Beach. This Daytona Beach attraction is a town with a population of just over 3,000 people. The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse and several marinas are featured in the town. One of the best preserved and most complete light stations in the country is the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station. Declared as a National Historic Landmark, the light station has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ponce Inlet for its amazing view of the Florida coastline and Halifax River. Another attraction in the Ponce Inlet is the Lighthouse Museum.
The museum is actually the lighthouse keeper’s dwellings and other historic light station buildings. The lighthouse museum features exhibits from lighthouse life and lighthouse pieces including Fresnel lens restoration to the keepers and their families and Daytona Beach and history of Florida as well as shipwrecks. Visiting the light house, the museum, the light station of the Ponce Inlet is one of the fun things to do in Daytona Beach. There are also many lovely boardwalks, observation tower and nature trails as well in the town.
6. Ocean Center
Taking a part in the program hosted in the Ocean Center is one of the best things to do in Daytona Beach. The Ocean Center is located on North Atlantic Drive in Daytona Beach and it is the fifth largest convention center in Florida. The convention center is one of the major Daytona Beach attractions. You will find a Cultural Information Center in the grand entrance of the convention center, lobby space with gathering areas, restrooms and concession amenities. One of the great things about the Ocean Center is they display the “Arts in Public Places” program and also have dedicated areas for permanent and visiting works of art and cultural displays.
Another attraction to see in the lobby is a marquee mural that changes with the center’s exhibits. For ice hockey and football the main arena seats 6,176, for ice shows 7,380, for basketball 8,362, for the circus 7,184, for wrestling 8,582 and 9,440 for concerts. Other events hosted by the center are trade shows, high school graduations, banquets, conventions and other events. Enjoying the art shows, various games and other numerous events in the Ocean Center is one of the most exciting things to do in Daytona Beach. You should check their schedule of events before visiting. The effort will be played of tenfold.
Also Read: Top 10 largest aquariums in the world
5. Museum of Arts and Sciences
Among numerous things to do in Daytona Beach, visiting the Museum of Arts and Sciences is one of the most entertaining things to in Daytona Beach. The museum is often referred to as MOAS. It is one of the largest museums in Central Florida and is home to over 30,000 objects. The exhibits includes a giant ground sloth skeleton, Chapman Root’s collection of Americana including two private rail cars, the largest permanent exhibition of Cuban art outside of Cuba and the second largest collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia in the world.
Many exhibits changes every few months even though about half of the museum’s exhibits are permanent. A planetarium and auditorium can also be found on the premises. Touring the Museum of Arts and Sciences is a very wonderful and fun way to introduce your children to culture while mesmerizing and astounding them as well as having good clean fun. So visiting the museum has become one of the many things to do in Daytona Beach.
Also Read: Top 10 vacation spots in USA
4. Peabody Auditorium
Peabody Auditorium is one of the best Daytona Beach attractions. The Peabody Auditorium is a 2,521 seat music venue in Daytona Beach. Home to the Daytona Beach Symphony Society for over 60 years and the summer home of the London Symphony Orchestra for more than 40 years, touring the auditorium is one of the most enjoyable things to do Daytona Beach. Here you can enjoy a Broadway show, opera, headline performer, drama and comedy performance. Various competitions like civic ballet, schools, and cheer-leading, bodybuilding and dance competitions are also held in the auditorium.
Some huge names in entertainment like Elvis Presley, James Taylor, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Seinfeld and David Copperfield has been hosted by the theater. It has also offered big name productions like CATS, Chicago, 42nd Street, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream-coat, STOMP and River-dance. Attending a show with family, friends or other loved ones in the Peabody Auditorium is one of the most amazing things to do in Daytona Beach. After all the theater has a history of major talent and shows being hosted here.
3. Southeast Museum of Photography
If you want to spend an enjoyable afternoon with friends and family, the best things to do in Daytona Beach is admiring some wonderful local talents in the Southeast Museum of Photography. Southeast Museum of Photography is a museum located on the Daytona State College campus. The museum was opened in 1992 and relocated in 2007. The museum boasts over 3,500 photographs as permanent collection and hold over 20 exhibitions annually.
To name a few talent on display here include William Klein, Harry Callahan, Alfred Steiglitz, Robert Rauschenberg, Gordon Parks, Edward Steichen, Sally Mann, Paul Strand and Aaron Siskind. There is no entry fee to the museum but donations are accepted. As one of the best things to do in Daytona Beach, you should plan a visit here on your vacation. It’s better to go back several times so you don’t miss out on some very unique displays.
2. Daytona International Speedway
Watching a race in the Daytona International Speedway is one of the most thrilling things to do in Daytona Beach. The Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach that was opened in 1959. The track is the home of NASCAR’s most prestigious race, the Daytona 500. Many other races including ARCA, USCC, AMA Superbike and Motocross are held here.
There are multiple layouts in the track for different types of races which include the primary 2.5 mile (4.0 km) high speed tri-oval, 2.95 mile (4.75 km) motorcycle course, 3.56 mile (5.73 km) sports car course and .25 mile (0.40 km) carting and motorcycle flat track. Powerboat racing are also held in the Lake Lloyd located in the 180-acre (73 ha) infield. If you love adrenaline-pumping sports and have always wanted to see a world-class race, the things to do in Daytona Beach are visiting the Daytona International Speedway.
1. Daytona Lagoon
One of the best things to do in Daytona Beach as a family is to touring the Daytona Lagoon. Daytona Lagoon is a water park and family entertainment center located on Earl Street in Daytona Beach. The park is touted as the Daytona’s Year-Round Family Fun Center. From March through October, the water park section of the Daytona Lagoon is open to public. The remainders of the attractions are open all year-round.
The numerous attractions and rides of the Daytona Lagoon includes Blackbeard’s Revenge – a dark tunnel ride in an inflatable 3-person boat, Poseidon’s Pass – a slide ride similar to Blackbeard’s Revenge but with three tunnels, Pelican’s Drift – Lazy River, Adventure Mountain – where you speed through two slaloms before splashing into a pool, Castaway Bay – a large play structure with 4 slides for children, Kracken’s Conquest – a ProRacer speed slide, The Wave Pool and many dry attractions. Visitors can also enjoy miniature golf; play laser tag, ride a carousel and more. Enjoying the various rides in Daytona Lagoon is one of the most exciting things to do in Daytona Beach. You can be assured a great time at the Daytona Lagoon as the family fun never ends here.
Also Read: Top 10 best family travel places around the world