Are you looking for fun and free activities for your next trip to Florida? Even beyond our famous beaches, there’s an abundance of entertainment in the Daytona Beach area that won't bust your budget. Whether it's simply a day at the park or a high-action attraction, this Florida vacation destination offers unbeatable value with free activities for the entire family.
As you plan your next beach break, be sure to check out this handy list of FREE things to do in Daytona Beach during your stay.
1) Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory
154 South Beach Street, Daytona Beach, 1-800-969-2634
Located in the historic Riverfront Shops in downtown Daytona Beach, Angell & Phelps Chocolates has been a Daytona Beach tradition since 1925. Visit this unique store and view how they make the chocolates and enjoy a free sample! You'll be amazed at the selection of unique chocolates and other confectionary treats.
2) The Casements
25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach, 386-676-3216
Formerly the winter home of multi-millionaire John D. Rockefeller, The Casements now serves as the City of Ormond Beach's cultural center and museum containing art and historical exhibits. Learn more about Daytona Beach history with free tours of the Rockefeller-period rooms and other exhibits are offered Monday through Friday and on Saturday mornings.
3) Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation Home & Gravesite
640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd., Daytona Beach, 386-481-2121
Bethune-Cookman University is one of the richest resources of African-American historical and cultural exhibits in Florida. Bethune's home, located on the university's campus, serves as the headquarters of the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation.
Watch video: Influential African-American leaders Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and many others have left their legacies for you to discover in Daytona Beach.
4) North Peninsula State Recreation Area
5 miles north of Granada Blvd. on Hwy. A1A, Ormond Beach
This 900-acre Florida state Park offers over two miles of sandy beaches for recreational use. The area, which is open daily with free admission, features palmetto dunes and sea turtles, as well as some of the best surf fishing in the area. This is the perfect beach destination for your family trip to Florida!
5) Ponce Preserve
4401 South Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet
This scenic park, which is also an excellent site for bird watching, features approximately 41 acres stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Halifax River. At its heart is the Green Mound State Archaeological Site, an ancient Indian midden. At the base of the Green Mound is a live oak estimated to be more than 350 years old. The preserve's terrain is varied, from the ocean dunes, through terraced palmetto patches and maritime hammock to the wetlands adjacent to the Halifax River.
6) Daytona Beach Mural Trail
Located throughout the Daytona Beach area
Explore the Daytona Beach area's unique street art such as murals and public artwork. While the Daytona Beach area offers plenty of museums and galleries that provide opportunities to see and experience a variety of artistic styles, you can also take in outdoor artworks too — because in Daytona Beach and some of the surrounding cities and towns, there are a number of beautiful murals that line the streets. Check out the Daytona Beach Mural Trail, which will help you find some creative and off-the-beaten path street art to discover.
7) Southeast Museum of Photography
Daytona State College, 1200 West International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach, 386-506-4475
The Southeast Museum of Photography is one of only 12 specialized museums of its kind in the United States, and one of fewer than 30 throughout the world. The museum is Florida's official museum of photography. Admission is free. Plan your visit by checking the museum hours and more helpful information on their website.
Watch video: The Southeast Museum of Photography offers intriguing changing exhibits as well as a permanent display.
8) Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens
950 Old Sugar Mill Road (U.S. 1 to Herbert St.), Port Orange
Plan your trip to Daytona Beach with a free activity the entire family will enjoy. Set amid 12 acres of lush botanical gardens stand the remains of an English sugar mill. The gardens were once home to the 1940s theme park Bongoland. Life-size dinosaur statues remain in the tropical setting and are still a favorite with children. The gardens also house a human sundial. The facility is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is free.
9) Jackie Robinson Statue
105 East Orange Avenue, Daytona Beach, 386-257-3172
View the statue of Jackie Robinson as well as the historical markers at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The statue is located outside the ballpark where Robinson played in the first integrated Major League Baseball spring training game in 1946. The ballpark has been designated as a National Commemorative Site and part of the African American Civil Rights Network. It's also listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
10) Bulow Creek State Park
3351 Old Dixie Highway, Ormond Beach, 386-676-4050
If you’re wanting to reconnect with nature, this state park is your answer! Bulow Creek State Park is home to one of the largest remaining live-oak forests along the East Coast. Head down the Bulow Woods Trail — a hiking path nearly seven miles long that leads to Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. Be sure to pack a snack and a cold water bottle, then kick back in the shady pavilion or at a table on the lawn overlooking the magnificent Fairchild Oak, one of the largest live oak trees in the South. No entrance fee is required to enter this park.
11) Daytona Beach Boardwalk
This iconic Daytona Beach landmark offers free fun things to do for all ages. Racing enthusiasts enjoy strolling along the Daytona boardwalk for a self-guided tour of automobile- and motorcycle-racing commemorative plaques. Although you would have to pay to play arcade games and go on carnival rides, the street performers will keep you entertained at no cost! If you work up an appetite, there are a handful of snack shops and restaurants on site. And, the Boardwalk is the place to be for Daytona Beach’s free fireworks shows every Saturday night at 9:45 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day!
12) Ormond Indian Burial Mound
Visit Ormond Indian Burial Mound, located at the corner of South Beach Street and Mound Avenue in Ormond Beach. This burial ground is still intact after an estimated 1,200 years, and it’s thought to contain over 100 individual gravesites. At one point, the Timucua Indians were nearly 200,000 people strong in the Daytona Beach area, and this burial mound pays homage to their lives. You’ll want to park your car across the street at Ames Park before stopping at this intriguing attraction, and then enjoy a walk along the Halifax River afterward.
13) Riverfront Esplanade
Magnolia Avenue & Beach Street, Daytona Beach
Spanning a mile of Intracoastal waterway, the Riverfront Esplanade is a premier gathering space and botanical garden in the heart of Daytona Beach. Composed of more than a mile of waterfront running trail with comfortable benches and swings overlooking the Halifax River. The Riverfront Esplanade also features a dog park with an agility course and a start-of-the art splash pad.
14) Volusia County Charters of Freedom Monument
Located adjacent to the Riverfront Esplanade and near the Veterans Memorial, the Charters of Freedom Monument consists of the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Civil Rights Amendments. These founding documents are permanently installed and provide a hands-on education in American History and Civics.
15) Birthplace of Speed Park
This oceanfront park located at 12 Ocean Shore Blvd in Ormond Beach commemorates the first automobile race held on the adjacent beach in 1903. Amenities include a picnic area with outdoor grill and restrooms. Dune walkover is available, and this park provides great photography opportunities.
