Daytona Beach Student Education Tour

STOP ONE:
Daytona International Speedway

Go behind-the-scenes and discover what makes Daytona International Speedway the “World Center of Racing.” Take a ride through the speedway infield, learn about the 31-degree high banks, visit Victory Lane and view this year’s winning DAYTONA 500 car.  Also included is a ticket to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, which honors all forms of racing and saves time for shopping in the gift shop.

Recommended time: 1 ½ hours

STOP TWO:
K1 Speed Daytona

Looking for high-speed thrills and excitement in Daytona Beach? Look no further than K1 Speed Daytona, the premier destination for indoor go-kart racing in the area. K1's state-of-the-art electric go-karts can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, giving you the ultimate adrenaline rush on our large, elevated indoor track.

Recommended time: 2 hours

STOP THREE:
Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure

Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure is a 55,000-square-foot facility that provides an interactive educational experience featuring animals from both land and sea. Visitors can explore close to 40 separate exhibits including a 100,000-gallon shark exhibit and two touch pools including a 12,000-gallon stingray touch pool. There are also habitats for alligators, frogs, and lizards.

Recommended time: 1 hour

STOP FOUR:
Dine and Cruise

Feast on dinner while on board the Lady Dolphin of Daytona paddle wheeler for a sightseeing cruise on the Halifax River.

Recommended time: 1 ½ hours

STOP ONE:
Walking tour of the Riverfront Esplanade & Historic Beach Street

Stops include:

• Angell and Phelps Chocolate Factory, a Daytona Beach tradition since 1925, take a self-guided tour, watch how they make the selection of unique chocolates and enjoy a free sample.
• Riverfront Esplanade, a premier gathering space and botanical garden composed of more than a mile of waterfront running trails with comfortable benches and swings all overlooking the Halifax River.
• Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statue at Riverfront Esplanade, a 13-foot-tall statue that celebrates civil rights and women’s rights pioneer Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of a small school in the early 1900s that evolved into Bethune-Cookman University.
• Jackie Robinson Ballpark and Statue where ground-breaking African-American baseball player Jackie Robinson played in the first integrated Major League Baseball spring training game in 1946. The ballpark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features a statue of Robinson and historical markers.
• View the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Civil Rights Amendments at the Volusia County Charters of Freedom Monument.
• Located alongside the Riverfront Esplanade, the Veterans Plaza Memorial pays tribute to the local service members who fought for our freedoms in U.S. wars.

Recommended time: 2 hours

STOP TWO:
Museum of Arts & Sciences

Enjoy a boxed lunch and visit the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS), which offers a state-of-the-art planetarium, vast permanent collections, restored railroad cars, decorative arts, Cuban art, African art, and the only hands-on science center between Jacksonville and Orlando - the Charles and Linda Williams Children's Museum.

Recommended time: 3 hours

STOP THREE:
Daytona Tortugas

Grab dinner while visiting the historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark to watch the Daytona Tortugas, a Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, who plays baseball games throughout the summer. Jackie Robinson Ballpark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the site where ground-breaking African American baseball player Jackie Robinson played in the first integrated Major League Baseball spring training game in 1946.

STOP ONE:
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Climb the 203 steps to the top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Florida’s largest lighthouse, for a spectacular, 360-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Completed in 1887, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is a fascinating piece to learn about Florida history.

Recommended time: 1 ½ hours

STOP TWO:
Marine Science Center

Discover and learn about the area's rich marine life – the inhabitants and ecosystems that make this area unique – at the Marine Science Center. Through innovative learning experiences, visitors can view seabirds and sea turtles in rehabilitation, get hands-on in a teaching lab, and explore exhibit galleries and a nature trail that illustrate the story of marine life in Volusia County.

Recommended time: 1 ½ hours

STOP THREE:
Daytona Lagoon Premier Water Park & Family Fun Entertainment Center

Daytona Lagoon is home to 12 water rides, including the new 54-foot tall Kraken's Revenge four-lane mat racer and the Shaka Half-Pipe ‘pendulum slide’, a giant wave pool and a lazy river. The family entertainment center includes the Sky Maze, featuring the Sky Trail® Navigator ropes course with 10 obstacles and over 2,500 square feet of challenging obstacles; and a 70-foot Sky Rail® zipline that spans the entire length of the Sky Maze and hovers 12 feet above the mega arcade. Other exciting Daytona Lagoon features include state-of-the-art laser tag, Grand Prix go-kart racing, miniature golf, rock wall, island hopper, bumper cars, and more! Groups can arrange to stay for dinner at the Lagoon.

World Famous Boat Tours

Cruise the waters of the Halifax River with World Famous Boat Tours. See the wildlife in their natural habitat while also learning interesting information and facts about the area.

Recommended time: 75 minutes

Tanger Outlets & Tomoka Town Center

Shop at Tanger Outlets and the Tomoka Town Center. Tanger Outlets has over 75 designers and brands with affordable prices in a relaxed, lush and modern oasis.

Buc-ee's Gas Station & Travel Center

Buc-ee’s is a mega-convenience store that’s over 50,000 square feet. It’s more than a gas station - the food and shopping are also a big draw. Buc-ee’s is known for its selection of jerky, Texas BBQ, fudge, kolaches, pastries and of course Beaver Nuggets - a sweet corn puff snack that’s similar to caramel corn.

Ponce Inlet Watersports Dolphin & Manatee Boat Tour

Ponce Inlet Watersports cruises the waters of Ponce Inlet in a guided, shaded boat to see all that’s gorgeous in the area—both in the water (dolphins, birds, other wildlife) and on the shores (homes, attractions, dining).

Tomoka State Park

Native Americans once dwelled in the Tomoka State Park area, living off fish-filled lagoons. Today, the waters surrounding the park are popular for canoeing, boating, and fishing and a boat ramp makes the river easily accessible. For overnight stays, the park has full-facility campsites and youth camping. Tomoka State Park protects a variety of wildlife habitats and endangered species, such as the West Indian manatee, and is a bird watcher's paradise with over 160 species sighted, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Visitors can stroll a one-half-mile nature trail through a hardwood hammock that was once an indigo field for an 18th-century British landowner. The Tomoka Outpost is a popular spot that offers snacks, camping supplies, canoe rentals and a scenic spot to sit and enjoy river views.

Blue Spring State Park

The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is crystal clear and 72 degrees year-round. It is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. Enjoy seasonal swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoe rentals, narrated river cruises, kayak tours and rental, walking trails, a snack bar, picnic pavilions, outdoor grills, and more. Daily hours are 8 a.m. - sunset. Special amenities include scuba diving and other in-water activities from April-October and manatee viewing from November – March (no in-water activities). Canoe and kayak rentals, narrated cruises on the river outside the spring run are available year-round.