Vacationers will discover sun, sand and long-lasting memories with a summer vacation to the Daytona Beach area.
No matter the age or interest, the destination will offer endless adventures for all ages beginning with its 23 miles of pristine white sand beaches. No matter the speed, guests will find plenty of family friendly activities such as swimming, biking, fishing, surfing, parasailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, jet skis, boats and more.
Following a beach day, between the attractions, events and entertainment, arts and culture, trails and green spaces, restaurants and microbreweries and shopping, there’s plenty more to explore with a summer visit to this diverse destination.
Attractions
Daytona Lagoon: If the beach didn’t offer enough fun in the water, visitors to Daytona Lagoon Waterpark can soak up even more fun. Little ones can discover the Treasure Lagoon Wave Pool or Castaway Children’s Play area while those looking for a rush can ride multiple thrill slides such as Poseidon’s Pass, Adventure Mountain, Kraken’s Revenge, Shaka Halfpipe or Blackbeard’s Revenge. The Family Entertainment Center is also open daily and offers laser tag, arcade, go-karts, Sky Maze, rock wall, and more.
Newly opened – Daytona Aquarium and Rainforest Adventure: Daytona Beach’s first aquarium offering opened earlier this year and this 55,000-square foot facility provides 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. A new experience just added, the attraction is now offering a virtual reality experience with five options to choose from: A Mermaid’s Quest – Save Our Oceans, Swimming With Humpbacks – Dive With Giants, Thrill Coaster – Soar Above The City and Shark Dive – Get Closer Than Ever.
Events and entertainment
Bert Kreischer’s Third Annual Fully Loaded Comedy Festival: There will be plenty of laughter coming from the Ocean Center on Sunday, June 16 with Bert “The Machine” Kreischer’s third annual Fully Loaded Comedy Festival. One of the top comedy events of the year will feature a comedy line-up that includes Kreischer, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, Bobby Lee, Chad Daniels, Cipha Sounds, Kelsey Cook, and Kyle Kinane.
CEO 2024 Fighting Championships: The CEO Fighting Championships, one of the largest fighting game convention and tournament experiences in the world, returns to the Ocean Center June 28-30. Over three days, the event will feature fight game tournaments, a free play arcade called the Jebaileyland Arcade open all day and night, Artist Alley, vendors, and the best professional fighting game players from around the world along with much more.
Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will be performing at Peabody Auditorium on Thursday, July 11 as part of his Gabriel Iglesias: Don’t Worry Be Fluffy Tour. Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful stand-up comedians. He recently became the second highest-grossing touring comedian and is one of the most-watched comedians on YouTube, with over 1.1 billion views and over 25 million fans on social media.
Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered by Coca-Cola: Daytona International Speedway will host a NASCAR summer doubleheader under the lights on Aug. 23-24. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will showcase the talented drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series as they battle to secure their playoff spots in the final 10-race battle for the championship on Saturday night, August 24. On Friday night, August 23, the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will feature the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Summer concerts, fireworks at the Bandshell: Beginning in May and running through September, the Daytona Beach Bandshell will be hosting live summer concerts every Friday and Saturday night. The concerts at the historic coquina amphitheater that is located adjacent to the beach are free to the public and reserved VIP tickets are also available. Fireworks will be launched from the Pier every Saturday night following the concert.
Head out to the ballpark: Historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark will host minor league baseball games all summer long with the Daytona Tortugas, a Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Jackie Robinson Ballpark 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.
Arts, culture, and green spaces
Megalodon at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS): A Smithsonian-affiliated museum, MOAS will transport guests into the world of the Megalodon, the gigantic prehistoric shark that once commanded the world’s oceans. Open through July 21, visitors will be in awe as they walk through a full-scale sculptural replica of the 60-foot-long apex predator and explore the life of this fantastic ancient creature.
Guests at MOAS can also experience the renovated state-of-the-art Lohman Planetarium, where they can enjoy one of many full-dome science films, a live, night sky tour, a fascinating talk from a renowned scientist, or even a live rocket launch, projected right onto the dome. At night, the planetarium becomes even more than a science theater. Enjoy stunning laser rock spectacles, featuring all your favorite music, unique live concert events under a canopy of stars, movie nights in 4K with our cinema tier projector, and exclusive one-off events.
Also located on the MOAS campus, see the largest private collection of Florida oil and watercolor paintings in the world at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, a 26,000 square-foot museum.
Explore Ponce Inlet: Take a visit to the town of Ponce Inlet and climb to the top of the tallest lighthouse in Florida and third tallest in the United States, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Built in 1887, this structure is a national historic landmark and sits at 175 feet. The 203 -step climb to the stop, up its spiral staircase, will deliver an unparalleled view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal waterway.
Adjacent to the Lighthouse is the Marine Science Center where visitors can view seabirds and sea turtles in rehabilitation and learn more about the area’s rich marine life and ecosystems. Recently opened at the Marine Science Center is a Raptor Education and Conservation Exhibit, which is dedicated to the permanent raptor residents of the center, who, due to injuries, cannot be returned to the wild.
Often called home of the world’s most famous beaches, Daytona Beach, Florida, continues to delight and surprise visitors with its diverse and growing array of attractions.
