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Daytona Beach

Long the vacation destination of choice for leather-clad bikers, rev heads and spring breakers, Daytona Beach is most famous as the birthplace of NASCAR racing and the home of the Daytona 500.

The area's population quintuples during Speedweeks; as many as half a million bikers roar into town for Bike Week in March and Biketoberfest in October. If Confederate flags, loud motorcycles, jacked-up pick-up trucks and the folks who love all of the above are your thing, you might have found your heaven on earth. If not, move on.

If you can see past the garish beachside barricade of '70s high-rise blocks, nightclubs and tourist traps (if not quite literally), you might witness the phenomena of nesting sea turtles (in season) or explore a handful of interesting and worthwhile cultural attractions.

Explore Daytona Beach

Daytona International Speedway
The Holy Grail of raceways has a diverse race schedule. Ticket prices skyrocket for good seats at big races, headlined by the Daytona 500 in February. It…
S
Southeast Museum of Photography
We love this hidden treasure in Daytona, a service of the Daytona State College: it's the only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography. This…
Daytona Beach Drive-In Church
At Daytona Beach Drive-In Church you can get your daily dose of (Protestant) religion from the comfort of your car. Pull in to the former drive-in movie…
M
Marine Science Center
We were impressed by this center's rescue, rehab and release programs for sea turtles and seabirds that nest on Daytona's beaches. It's a fun and…
M
Museum of Arts & Sciences
This self-guided museum has a healthy dose of brain food for a fast and furious little town like Daytona. There's a delightful mishmash of everything from…
C
Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art
Part of the Museum of Arts & Sciences complex, this striking must-see museum, designed to look like a rural Floridian house, tells the story of the…
T
Tomoka State Park
The 20-minute drive here from downtown Daytona Beach is almost as pleasant as the park itself, a bird-watchers' heaven of former indigo fields turned…
Boardwalk & Pier
Follow Main St E and you'll cross Daytona's sabal-palm-lined, ocean-fronting boardwalk, bedecked with dollar-grabbing ice-cream shops, amusement arcades,…
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Those prone to vertigo may wish to forgo the 203-spiral-step climb to the top of Florida's tallest lighthouse and enjoy the interesting historical…

Daytona International Speedway
The Holy Grail of raceways has a diverse race schedule. Ticket prices skyrocket for good seats at big races, headlined by the Daytona 500 in February. It…
S
Southeast Museum of Photography
We love this hidden treasure in Daytona, a service of the Daytona State College: it's the only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography. This…
Daytona Beach Drive-In Church
At Daytona Beach Drive-In Church you can get your daily dose of (Protestant) religion from the comfort of your car. Pull in to the former drive-in movie…
M
Marine Science Center
We were impressed by this center's rescue, rehab and release programs for sea turtles and seabirds that nest on Daytona's beaches. It's a fun and…
M
Museum of Arts & Sciences
This self-guided museum has a healthy dose of brain food for a fast and furious little town like Daytona. There's a delightful mishmash of everything from…
C
Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art
Part of the Museum of Arts & Sciences complex, this striking must-see museum, designed to look like a rural Floridian house, tells the story of the…
T
Tomoka State Park
The 20-minute drive here from downtown Daytona Beach is almost as pleasant as the park itself, a bird-watchers' heaven of former indigo fields turned…
Boardwalk & Pier
Follow Main St E and you'll cross Daytona's sabal-palm-lined, ocean-fronting boardwalk, bedecked with dollar-grabbing ice-cream shops, amusement arcades,…
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Those prone to vertigo may wish to forgo the 203-spiral-step climb to the top of Florida's tallest lighthouse and enjoy the interesting historical…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Daytona Beach.

See
Daytona International Speedway
The Holy Grail of raceways has a diverse race schedule. Ticket prices skyrocket for good seats at big races, headlined by the Daytona 500 in February. It…
See
Southeast Museum of Photography
We love this hidden treasure in Daytona, a service of the Daytona State College: it's the only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography. This…
See
Daytona Beach Drive-In Church
At Daytona Beach Drive-In Church you can get your daily dose of (Protestant) religion from the comfort of your car. Pull in to the former drive-in movie…
See
Marine Science Center
We were impressed by this center's rescue, rehab and release programs for sea turtles and seabirds that nest on Daytona's beaches. It's a fun and…
See
Museum of Arts & Sciences
This self-guided museum has a healthy dose of brain food for a fast and furious little town like Daytona. There's a delightful mishmash of everything from…
See
Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art
Part of the Museum of Arts & Sciences complex, this striking must-see museum, designed to look like a rural Floridian house, tells the story of the…
See
Tomoka State Park
The 20-minute drive here from downtown Daytona Beach is almost as pleasant as the park itself, a bird-watchers' heaven of former indigo fields turned…
See
Boardwalk & Pier
Follow Main St E and you'll cross Daytona's sabal-palm-lined, ocean-fronting boardwalk, bedecked with dollar-grabbing ice-cream shops, amusement arcades,…
See
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Those prone to vertigo may wish to forgo the 203-spiral-step climb to the top of Florida's tallest lighthouse and enjoy the interesting historical…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Daytona Beach

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