Table of Contents:
NEW SMYRNA BEACH ISLAND
NEW SMYRNA BEACH MAINLAND
NEW SMYRNA DAY TRIPS
New Smyrna Beach looks like another small, sleepy Florida beach town at first glance. But there is much more to it. There is ancient history going back to 2,000 B.C. and more recent history dating to the 1760s.
Sure, the sun and sand deserve some of your visit. But leave time for everything else you should see in New Smyrna Beach.
See New Smyrna Beach on the Peninsula (island)
Smyrna Sand Dunes
At the very north end of the barrier island (Peninsula) of New Smyrna Beach, this great park offers the outdoors to man and dog. The sandy beach at the top (north) end has a dog section. A boardwalk just under 2 miles long circles the park from the fishing pier on the river side to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. You can also drive on the beach to the park via the Beachway Avenue Beach Access. While a lovely walk, make sure to use the facilities near the parking area at the park entrance before setting off. The park offers the best views of the Ponce Inlet and the lighthouse on the opposite shore.
Visit ParkVolusia for more information on driving on the beach.
NOTE:
New Smyrna Beach is known as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World.” The highest concentration of shark bites is around the Ponce de Leon Inlet. Why? The inlet is a constant source of small baitfish (shark food). Now, before you cue the “Jaws” music, these are usually Spinner or blacktip sharks (avg 4-6ft in length), and a bite is usually a minor (yet painful) nip or bite on the foot or ankle.
These bites usually occur near the inlet, in murky water (where a fluttering foot might look like a fish), and during the summer months, when the water is warmer. In addition, more than 50% occur when surfers paddle further offshore.
Something else to consider: the 47 miles of shoreline in all of Volusia County averages 8-11 shark bites per year. In other words, the probability of you being “hurt” by a Shark Bite Cocktail is higher than you actually meeting a shark. Disclaimer: When you swim in any ocean, be aware that you are not the only creature in the water.
Flagler Avenue Beachfront Park
At the foot of Flagler Avenue on the Atlantic Ocean side is this park/parking area. It offers paid parking, restrooms, a small promenade, and access for cars to drive on the beach. Visit ParkVolusia for more information.
The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant & Bar.
A restaurant has been operating here since the early 1900s. (which may explain why it was allowed to build closer to the water’s edge than later buildings.) Regardless, it has the best view in town. An outside “porch” runs the length of the oceanside of the building, with a 2-sider bar almost as long. To me, the best seats in the house are there, but there are also tables. With their location, they could have mediocre food. But they don’t. They have about a dozen hamburgers and other seaside bar staples to choose from. Yes, the accompanying rum drink and view might influence my review, but it is the best burger I have had in NSB. My beer-drinking friends like the offerings from their Half Wall Brewery on the mainland. Touristy? Yes. Crowded? Yes. A perfect way to put yourself in beach mode? Absolutely.
Ocean Breeze Tiki Bar and Grill
Across the street from The Breakers, but not directly on the beach, is this other popular bar with food. The second-floor Tiki Bar has tasty drinks, and it seems, always an ocean breeze. There is live music at night.
Flagler Avenue sign.
For the Instagramers.
Coronado Shuffleboard Courts
The history of the Coronado/Mainland Shuffleboard Club dates back to the early 1930s, when the two clubs were separate. The club at 288 Flagler St. dates back to 1937. Today, the club numbers around 250 members and is open to the public. What says Florida Beach Town more than shuffleboard?
Flagler Tavern
This large restaurant bar at 414 Flagler began as a small shanty in 1928. It grew alongside the area’s growing popularity. In 2014, new owners supersized it by adding the second floor. In my opinion, it just doesn’t have any 1920s vibe. The Bounty Bar upstairs (added in the expansion) feels older than the Main Bar downstairs. The food is good, and the location, a block up from the beach, makes it a good place to stop for a drink or bite.
The Riverview Hotel
Captain S.H. Barber’s 1885 hunting and fishing lodge is still welcoming guests. In 1910, to add a lobby and dining room, they raised the original structure and built underneath. In 1936, Fred Tyron, a former Flagler Hotel employee in St Augustine, purchased the hotel and added the west wing and in-room bathrooms. He renamed it the Riverview Hotel.
NSB South Beach
As Highway 44 crosses the causeway from the mainland to the island/peninsula, it becomes the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.
Norwood’s Eatery & Treehouse Bar
Opening as a gas station and general store in 1929, Earl Norwood converted the site into a seafood restaurant in 1946. 80 years and several owners later, it is a local fixture. In 2015, they added the TreeHouse Bar. (Yes, there is an elevator)
Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park.
In 1945, after repeatedly being turned away from “white-only” beaches in Volusia County, Daytona Black activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune and developer George Engram, Sr., bought 2.5 miles of oceanfront and additional land along the Indian River. Located more than 7 miles south of Flagler Avenue, perhaps the white voters of New Smyrna Beach seemed to think this was a safe distance.
Here, Black families had a safe haven to beach, picnic, dance, and “be seen.” One of only three. Eventually, the area would feature the Welricha Motel for vacationing and a club called the Beach Casino, offering dancing and entertainment.
It was one of only four prominent beaches that Black people could enjoy in Florida during the segregation era. The other three are Amelia Island/Jacksonville’s American (Lincoln) Beach, St. Augustine’s Butler Beach on Anastasia Island, and Miami’s Virginia Key Beach Park, which was only accessible by boat.
After the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Bethune-Volusia Beach faded in significance. The hotel closed, and the few Black landowners sold their properties, often for undervalued prices. Today, the 2.5-mile area is known as Bethune Beach. Nothing remains from the 1950s except the beach and a marker. Today, Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park at 6656 S Atlantic Ave, is only a block wide and deep. It does have restrooms, picnic tables, parking, and steps to the beach.
Canaveral National Seashore
Just over a mile south of Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park is the Apollo Beach entrance to the National Seashore.
The Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) stretches 24 miles from New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County to Titusville in Brevard County. The park is home to unspoiled beaches, dunes, and mangrove wetlands. The Atlantic Ocean is its eastern boundary, and the Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve on the west. At over 57,000 acres, the CANA is home to more than 1000 plant species and hosts more than 300 bird species throughout the year.
There are 3 major beach sections in the seashore. The southern section is Playalinda Beach, accessible from Titusville.
Klondike Beach is in the middle and has no paved roads. It is only accessible to the public on foot or by boat. The hike from Playalinda’s northern parking lot to the southern tip of Apollo Beach is over 6 hours without facilities or fresh water sources. The area is a protected wildlife habitat, and a strictly regulated backcountry camping permit is required for overnight.
Apollo Beach is the northern section closest to NSB. After you enter the Seashore, parking for Apollo Beach will be on your left. There is a boat ramp and trailer parking to the right.
The Apollo Beach section of Canaveral National Seashore, accessible by car, is just over six miles.
The Eldora Statehouse (Moulton–Wells House )
Fairview, Florida, was founded in 1882. They renamed it Eldora in 1889 after the daughters of George Pitzer, Ellen and Dora. It was a successful settlement with a post office, a school, and a hotel for guests seeking health treatment. Most people were involved in the citrus industry or fishing.
Two disastrous freezes in the late 1890s and Henry Flagler’s railroad put citrus growing on the islands out of business. Some wealthy people began buying land in Eldora from the departing growers. But by 1910, most of the town was abandoned. It would become a seasonal destination through the 1950s.
Today, only two of its original structures remain.
The Moulton-Wells House, a Colonial Revival home, was built in 1913 for Marion Woulton. Dr. Benjamin Wesley Wells would buy it from her and live there with his family. In the 1940s-50s, Murray Sams, the Florida state attorney for Volusia County, used the house so often that it was nicknamed “statehouse.” From the 1950s until 1989, it sat empty until volunteers restored it.
The home is open only on select days. Check the National Seashore website (orange link above) for dates. It is worth a visit even if you only see the outside. It is like stepping back in time to Florida more than 100 years ago.
Apollo Beach Parking Lot 5
It is worth the drive as the barrier island is extremely narrow here and less than 100 yards wide in places. Without a building in sight, this is Florida as it was hundreds of years ago. Although basic with no running water, there are restrooms here. I highly recommend tissues and wet wipes.
At all beaches in the National Seashore, there is little to no shade unless you bring it.
Note: The section south of parking lot #5 is designated as a clothing-optional area. This area is appropriately marked. If this makes you uncomfortable, do not go south of parking lot 5.
See New Smyrna Beach on the Mainland.
Old Fort Park
The ancient coquina foundation towards the middle of the park is the city’s puzzle. It seems to date to the time of Andrew Turnbull’s colony, but what was it? Some say it’s a fort, but it doesn’t really look like any other fort built by the Spanish or the British.
Some say it was the basement of Andrew Turnbull’s mansion. Another idea is that it was a storehouse. Take a look and see what you think.
Connor Library.
Now sitting in Old Fort Park, this building has an interesting history. Washington Connor commissioned the building as a library in 1905 at the corner of Washington and Faulkner Street. He also established Ronnoc Groves (his name backwards), a 450-acre citrus farm and winery, and built a toll bridge charging one cent to cross.
It remained a library until 1940 when the Works Progress Administration built a new library and cultural center, today’s City Hall.
The city later moved it to this location and spent more than 10 years restoring it.
New Smyrna City Hall
As mentioned above, it began as a new library and cultural center in 1940, just west of Old Fort Park. However, the town government, scattered among several downtown locations, decided it wanted to be under one roof. For 20 years, the City Hall and the library shared the same building until the Brannon Memorial Library opened in 1966.
Masonic Lodge #149
On the north side of Old Fort Park Square is this 1950s building. It features Masonry/Frame Vernacular architecture, which was very popular post-war. Is its blue paint scheme a hat-tip to the area’s Greek ancestors? Please remember this is a private lodge. Entrance is by invitation only.
New Smyrna Museum of History
The former post office is now this small but interesting museum at 120 Sams Avenue is between the Old Fort Park and Historic Canal Street. Inside are three areas: pre-European, the Europeans, and the railroad as it pertains to Volusia County and the New Smyrna area. The museum is a great place to start your exploration. As a bonus, the Museum of East Coast Surfing has its collection here as well.
New Smyrna’s Historic Canal Street
Standing at the corner of Sams St and Canal, it’s hard to miss the Beaux-Arts structure across the street on the corner of Magnolia and Canal.
The State Bank and Trust Building
Built in 1906 at 145 Canal, its original tenant was the State Bank & Trust. As the bank grew, it took over the building at 200 Canal as an annex. Other financial institutions called it home until the city purchased it. Today, it is part of the Utilities department and is not open to the public.
Chamber of Commerce
Standing at 115 Canal St., the current Chamber of Commerce building dates from 1934. It is built in a style similar to the Sarasota School of Architecture (mid-century modern). Besides the Chamber, the Artists’ Workshop is located here and offers painting and pottery lessons.
Little Drug Company
Built in 1923 as the Victoria Theater, the building at 412 Canal St has an interesting history. The theater, named for John & Jane Sheldon’s (yes, those Sheldons) daughter, was a Vaudeville house for live stage and movies. In 1963, Little Drug (founded in 1922) moved into this larger building. Little Drug remained in business at this location until late 2021, when box-store competition and pandemic pressures forced it out.
The former fountain portion of the drug store is still a soda fountain. While not operated by the Little family, the Little Griddle is worth a visit from anyone who has ever eaten at a drug store fountain. When was the last time you had a grilled cheese and shake while spinning on a counter stool?
Donnadine Miller Preservation Award
Donnadine Miller was an active member of the New Smyrna Beach community and Chair of The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Both sites are great detours for those seeking more historical structures. A drive down Faulkner or Magnolia Streets will reveal many of the structures from these two sites.
Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum
Built in 1899 as the St. Rita’s Colored Mission, the structure at 314 N Duss Street today houses the museum started by Mary Harrell.
Mary S. Harrell was an educator, historian, and community pillar in New Smyrna until she died in 2014. Her museum preserves the history, culture, and stories of NSB’s African American community. Please check the website for opening hours. (Closed Sundays & Mondays)
S. Riverside Drive
Featuring many structures listed on the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) List, Riverside also has a close link to New Smyrna’s first community.
426 S. Riverside Dr.
This 1909 American Four-Square home is on several historical lists. It is still a private residence.
Riverside Park
In the 200 block of S Riverside Drive (near Canal), this lovely park has a playground but limited places to sit.
Odyssey Greek Memorial
Built in 2000, this white granite memorial is dedicated to New Smyrna’s first immigrants who endured hardship while seeking freedom and a better life.
N. Riverside Drive
Home to many more historic structures in New Smyrna, they include the E.K. Lowd House (ca. 1885), 508 N. Riverside Dr. (1893), and the Spanish Colonial Revival El Real Retiro (1923). Please respect these private residences.
New Smyrna Beach’s Northside
Dairy Queen
An ice cream parlor can’t be on any historic or architectural list, but this one is. Retaining much of its original 1953 decor, this operating DQ at 729 N Dixie Fwy is the oldest in Florida.
New Smyrna’s Historic West Side
Grand Canal Marker
At 2078 FL-44 (at Walker Dr), across from an auto part store, is this marker, and a small section of what was Turnbull’s Grand Canal, the main north-south artery of his canal system. While still in use today as drainage, the canals’ size and importance are nothing like they were.
Cruger-dePeyster Plantation Sugar Mill Ruins
The sugar mill, built circa 1830 from local Coquina stone, was part of the Cruger-dePeyster Plantation, established in the early 19th century. This 17-acre historic site contains the ruins of the coquina sugar factory that was raided and burned to the ground by the Seminole Indians in 1835. This 17-acre site is all that remains from the 600-acre plantation.
Day Trips from New Smyrna Beach
See North of New Smyrna
Port Orange.
On the ground north of the original colony, in 1804, Patrick Dean began a plantation that later became Dunlawton Plantation. Like all plantations, it did not last past 1836.
Circa 1867, post-Civil War, abolitionist Dr. John Milton Hawks founded the Florida Land and Lumber Company. He brought 500 freed slaves to own and work public lands along the Halifax River. He called the area “Orange Port.”
A year later, he moved the town inland to where it remains today and named it “Port Orange.” At first, the town really struggled. The historic Freemanville area was established as a community for freed slaves. Due to poor planning and unproductive harvests, the settlement had failed by 1869. Only nine families remained, but their descendants can still be found today. Unfortunately, the only thing remaining from Freemanville besides the history is the small Mount Moriah Baptist Church..Port Orange would continue as a town reliant on citrus, lumber, boatbuilding, farming, and even oystering. But it would never be a major player like nearby Daytona or New Smyrna Beach.
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
A botanical garden, usually full of brides and photographers, surrounds the ruins of the sugar mill in this beautiful setting. The mill ruins are to the right as you enter under a roof. The garden is at 950 Old Sugar Mill Rd.
Port Orange Depot Park
Praise to Port Orange, one of the very few towns in Florida that saved something (anything) from its railroad history. At 415 Herbert Street is the Port Orange, Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway Freight Depot. This wood-frame structure dates from 1894 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, it was 2 separate buildings, a passenger station and a freight depot. In 1938, several years after passenger trains stopped calling at the station, they combined the two buildings into a single freight depot. Today, the station is 500 feet north of its original location. It is one of the few remaining FEC wood-frame depots in Central Florida.
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
The last remaining building from historic Freemanville still has a small congregation and services on Sunday mornings. (possibly not inside this structure.) Freemanville is a post-Civil War neighborhood of freed slaves and is part of the Florida Black Heritage Trail. The church is at 945 Orange Ave.
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Dating from 1887, at 175 feet in height, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida. Located at 4928 S Peninsula Dr, in Ponce Inlet, the Dunlawton Avenue bridge in Port Orange is the closest crossing from the mainland. An admission ticket and a climb of 203 steps will reward you with views north to Daytona Beach and south to New Smyrna.
Pacetti Hotel Museum
The Pacettis sold 10 acres of their land bordering the Ponce Inlet to the US Government in 1883. The government was going to build a light Station (lighthouse). The Pacettis used the $400 from the sale to build a small hotel, primarily for fishermen coming for the great fishing just outside the front door. The hotel was a hit and would continue to grow until Martha Pacetti’s death in 1917.
Olivia Gamble purchased the property in 1936 in memory of her father. Her dad, James (you may know him from the small company he and his partner, Proctor, started), was a fan of the Ponce Inlet area. The property, now in very poor shape, was restored and improved into a guest house for her friends and social events. Much of what you see today is from that salvation. Less than a 10-minute walk from the lighthouse, you can purchase a combo admission ticket to enter both structures.
While in the area, check out any one of the boat-friendly restaurants along the inlet.
Further north is Daytona Beach.
See West of New Smyrna
Samsula Racing and Biker Bars
Sorry Charlie’s Corner
Just over a 10-minute drive west of the Grand Canal Marker on Highway 44 to Deland is this must-stop for bikers and biker bar fans. Sorry Charlie’s Corner, formerly known as Mike’s Corner, is a historic, well-known biker bar located at 3705 FL-44.
The building dates back to 1926. Johanna (Jennie) Luznar Machek, along with her husband, Mike Machek, established Mike’s Corner.
New Smyrna Speedway
Built in 1964 as a dirt track, they would pave it three years later. It is famous as a short-track venue. Its half-mile length and steep banking allow for high-speed racing. It has been a rite of passage for many NASCAR up-and-coming drivers. The track is less than 5 minutes west of Sorry Charlie’s. Unchanged:
Sopotnik’s Cabbage Patch Bar
Built by Joe Sopotnick around 1926, it was originally a general store and gas station. In 1936, Ronald Luznar (Jennie’s brother?) bought it from his father-in-law and opened Sopotnik’s Corner, a bar hoping to attract the growing number of motorcyclists visiting the area and nearby speedway. With the creation of the Daytona 200 motorcycle race in nearby Daytona Beach, the bar continued to grow into a must-stop for bikers. In the 1950s, he renamed the bar “Sopotnik’s Cabbage Patch Bar” as the area was famous for its local crop.
By the late 1980s, Ronald, looking for a sales gimmick, and a neighbor’s overabundant cabbage harvest led to the bar’s most enduring legacy: coleslaw wrestling. In a mixture of shredded cabbage and oil, Bikini-clad women wrestle for the title “Queen of the Pit.” While open year-round, cole slaw wrestling only happens during Daytona Bike Week. The bar is less than a 5-minute drive north of the Speedway.
Further west is Orlando.
See South of New Smyrna
Seminole Rest
Located within the Canaveral National Seashore Park, it is the lost child. Located on the mainland side of Mosquito Lagoon, it requires a drive of more than 40 minutes from the Parks NSB northern entrance. (20+ minutes from downtown NSB).
Going back 1300 centuries ago, the area was home to the Timucua Indians, who included the local clams as a major part of their diet. They would create large mounds from the used shells. Unfortunately, these mounds and any history they might have been holding became the foundation for railroads and roadways in the late 1800s.
Jon Lawd, trying to cash in on Florida’s citrus boom, purchased the area of the mound in 1857. He had more than 900 citrus trees and livestock. Had he not built upon the mound, it probably would be a roadway today. After numerous hard winters and several owners, the property was sold to Wesley Snyder in 1911. Snyder would name it Seminole Rest. The property would remain in the Snyder family until the 1980s. The two houses from the 1880s are still on top of the mound.
Kennedy Space Center.
This is a must-visit for every boy and girl (regardless of age) who dreams of going into space. Tour the center, complete with the shuttle Atlantis, or choose other activities.
See New Smyrna Beach Summary.
As you can see, New Smyrna Beach is a lot more than just beaches.
Enjoy the beaches. From Dunes Park in the north to the secluded miles of the Canaveral National Seashore to the south.
But save some time to see the rest of New Smyrna Beach. It’s a great taste of old Florida beach town.