Ponce Leon Lighthouse, Daytona beach, Florida.

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum

Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum

Daytona Beach


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 displays of the museum buildings instead, or the Fresnel lens exhibit. For everyone else, the views of the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the 175ft structure, completed in 1887, are worth the climb. Located 12 miles south of Daytona Beach.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Daytona Beach attractions

1. Marine Science Center

0.11 MILES

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…

2. Daytona Beach Drive-In Church

6.31 MILES

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…

3. Gamble Place

7.23 MILES

Twenty minutes south of Daytona but a million miles away, the winter estate of the Gamble family (of Procter & Gamble fortune) lies in a sun-dappled glade…

4. Museum of Arts & Sciences

10.17 MILES

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…

5. Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art

10.32 MILES

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…

6. Jackie Robinson Ballpark & Museum

10.33 MILES

'The Jack' made history when, in 1946, the Montreal Royals, Jackie Robinson's team, were in Florida to play an exhibition against their parent club, the…

7. Daytona Beach

10.73 MILES

This perfectly planar stretch of sand was once the city's raceway. Sections of the beach still welcome drivers to the sands at a strictly enforced top…

8. Southeast Museum of Photography

11.04 MILES

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…