Marina & Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Museum Tour
Check-in at conference registration by 11:15 am. Buses leave at promptly at 11:30 am from the left side of the convention center in front of the Peabody Auditorium on Auditorium Blvd. (tour sites subject to change)
Note that Inlet Harbor tour site was canceled due to damage sustained and repairs currently being done as a result of hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
Daytona Marina & Boatworks is a full service marina and boat yard. The marina has been around since 1903. The marina is rich with history and has served the region for over a century. The role of the marina has changed over the hundred plus years of its existence. Initially, it had been used as a transportation hub for the east coast, as well as a base camp for intracoastal waterway construction. It has also been a site of naval ship building during and around World War Two, later for race boat construction, and commercial and
pleasure fishing boat building. Currently and over its modern history as a boutique marina and a yard that specializes on refurbishing pleasure boats. We are locally owned and operated and offer many modern amenities. The marina is located in downtown Daytona Beach on the west side of the Halifax River.
Daytona Marina & Boatworks is a full service marina and boat yard. The marina has been around since 1903. The marina is rich with history and has served the region for over a century. The role of the marina has changed over the hundred plus years of its existence. Initially, it had been used as a transportation hub for the east coast, as well as a base camp for intracoastal waterway construction. It has also been a site of naval ship building during and around World War Two, later for race boat construction, and commercial and
pleasure fishing boat building. Currently and over its modern history as a boutique marina and a yard that specializes on refurbishing pleasure boats. We are locally owned and operated and offer many modern amenities. The marina is located in downtown Daytona Beach on the west side of the Halifax River. New Smyrna Marina is a deep-water, full-service marina resort with 31 slips offering first-class service and many upscale amenities.
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Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum
Step back in time and climb 175 feet of fun in the Florida sun at the Ponce Inlet Light Station and Museum! Constructed in 1887, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse has guided mariners along the Florida coast for more than 130 years. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998, this world-famous lighthouse museum is conveniently located ten miles south of Daytona on the World’s Most Famous Beach and offers a treasure trove of experiences for young and old alike.
As you step inside the historic white picket fence, you are literally stepping back in time. All the original structures are here for you to explore, and yes – you can climb the lighthouse tower!
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Completed in 1887, the lighthouse was a marvel of technology and a badly needed guidepost marking the only inlet between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. In order to run this "brick giant" lighthouse, three lighthouse keepers were needed.The original lighthouse optic was a huge first order Fresnel lens with a kerosene lantern as its illuminant. This lighting system required constant attention during the night and hours of cleaning during the day, plus the light station itself needed daily maintenance of its buildings and equipment. The three lighthouse keepers were kept constantly busy, with days off coming few and far between. Because this area was so remote at the time, the keepers brought their families here to live, and each family had their own house and nearby outbuilding. The outbuilding of the second assistant keeper is now our Woodshed Theater where you can view a 20 minute film on the history of the light station.
