Can’t Miss Attractions: Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

(COURTESY DAYTONA BEACH CVB)

A national treasure in our own backyard? You bet. Standing 175 feet tall, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and is a National Historic Landmark. Since 1887, it’s guided mariners along Florida’s Atlantic Coast and is still a working lighthouse today.

Looking for a good climb? There are 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Situated 10 miles south of Daytona Beach, the views are spectacular. But the viewing platform is only the tip of the iceberg—the property is full of historic buildings that will take you back to the days when the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse was considered remote.

Due to the constant attention the original lighting system required, three keepers were needed for maintenance. Each had his own house; the outbuilding of the second assistant keeper is now the Woodshed Theater, where you can view a 20-minute film on the history of the light station. Those fascinated by the lens used in its lighting should not miss the Lens Exhibit Building, which contains not only lenses used at Ponce Inlet but a collection that documents the history of lighthouse illumination.

Additional dwellings include those dedicated to generators and radios, oil storage and the pump house; the Cuban Raft enclosure contains actual rafts used by refugees fleeing Cuba, almost 600 miles away. ponceinlet.org