New Smyrna Beach is a charming beach town and renowned surfing hub on Florida’s Central Atlantic Coast, just south of Daytona Beach, with spectacular beaches, great surfing waves, alluring coastal architecture, and oodles of charm. The palm-lined Canal Street Historic District in downtown boasts eclectic art galleries and museums, quaint shops and boutique stores, and a plethora of restaurants, cafés, marine discovery center and bars.
Things to Do in New Smyrna Beach Fl, the beach community is steeped in intriguing history and offers a variety of things to see and do, from the coastal Smyrna Dunes Park, with its historic lighthouse and stunning views of the Ponce Inlet, to the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum and New Smyrna Museum of History, which document the region’s history with excellent exhibits and displays. Call the attractions and restaurants ahead of time to confirm current hours of operation at indian river lagoon.
15 Best Things to Do in New Smyrna Beach Fl Today
1.National Historic Site of Turtle Mound
The Turtle Mound National Historic Site is an archaeological site that stretches along the Indian River shoreline and contains over 35,000 cubic yards of prehistoric Timucuan oyster shells and refuse. The shell midden, located nine miles south of New Smyrna Beach at volusia county, dates from between 800 and 1400 CE and now stands over 50 feet tall in the shape of a turtle.
The Turtle Mound archaeological site, which occupies a portion of the Canaveral National Seashore, can be explored by following a scenic boardwalk that winds around the site, leading to an observation platform with spectacular views of Mosquito Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
386-428-3384, 7465 S Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
2.New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s Canal Street Historic District
New Smyrna Beach, the Canal Street Historic District is a tree-lined, pedestrian-friendly area filled with historic buildings, cultural attractions, art galleries, specialty shops, bustling restaurants, and urban parks. The bustling district is popular with both locals and tourists because it is the beating heart of the city and packed with things to see and do.
It is centered on Canal Street, which is the main artery for New Smyrna Beach. The district is an arts epicenter, with numerous art galleries to visit, as well as First Saturday events such as artists talks, gallery walks, beer and wine tastings, and more at avenue park.
32169 New Smyrna Beach, FL
3.Ruins of the New Smyrna Sugar Mill, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins are a historic site that preserves the ruins of a steam-powered sugarcane mill and a sawmill from the 1830s. The 17-acre historic site, which was once part of the Cruger-dePeyster Plantation, features the crumbling remains of the coquina sugar factory and mill, which were raided and destroyed by warring Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War in 1835.
The ruins are now on the National Register of Historic Places, and the public is welcome to explore and enjoy the many nature trails and shady picnic spots that surround them.
Phone: 386-428-4621
4.New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s The Hub on Canal
The Hub on Canal is a non-profit organization that hosts a variety of arts-related events for the benefit of the local community. The Hub on Canal, which was founded to foster art, education, and creative opportunities for the local community, has hosted art exhibitions, educational classes and workshops, dance and musical performances, local community outreach programs, and cultural events over the years.
The Hub on Canal like the bethune beach hosts special events that allow artists to collaborate and promote the arts through rotating art exhibitions featuring works by local and regional artists. Through scholarship programs and educational classes, the organization also hopes to bring art to the socially challenged.
386-957-3924, 132 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
5. New Smyrna Raceway (NSS)
Every Saturday night, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races at New Smyrna Speedway, a half-mile asphalt track with high banks five miles west of New Smyrna Beach. On Friday nights, the venue also hosts Quarter Midgets on a smaller track in the infield known as the ‘Little New Smyrna Speedway.’
The New Smyrna Speedway was inspired by the world-renowned Daytona International Speedway, which is only 12 miles away, and has welcomed many famous NASCAR drivers such as Neil Bonnett, Donnie, Bobby, and Davey Allison, Richie Evans, and Kyle Larson, as well as up-and-coming stars such as Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton at St Augustine. Throughout the year, New Smyrna Speedway hosts a variety of community-focused events.
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168, 3939 FL-44
6.Arts on Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Arts on Douglas, located in historic downtown New Smyrna Beach, is a commercial gallery that promotes the works of professional Florida artists. The gallery, which was founded in 1966 by Doris Leeper and artist and benefactor Ed Harris, is housed in a former 1930s-era Ford showroom and service center and has over 3,500 square feet of exhibition space.
The gallery has an ongoing exhibition program that features 18 exhibitions per year that cover a wide range of artistic styles, mediums, and contemporary genres such as digital media, conceptual art, video, and sculpture. Tuesday through Saturday, Arts on Douglas is open.
386-428-1133, 123 Douglas St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
7. Coronado Community United Methodist Church
The Coronado Community United Methodist Church provides worship in a variety of styles as well as a variety of classes, educational programs, and community support groups. It was founded in 1904 in Coronado Beach, now known as New Smyrna Beach, and has provided religious services to the surrounding community ever since.
The Coronado Community United Methodist Church, located a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and a block from the Intracoastal Waterway, is involved in local, national, and global missions, as well as social justice issues in the city and county. Seven days a week, the church hosts a variety of activities.
386-428-6252, 201 S Peninsula Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
8. The Atlantic Center for the Arts (ACA) is located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
The Atlantic Center for the Arts (ACA) is a Florida artist-in-residence program that supports and promotes the work of Florida artists from all over the state. The residency program, founded in 1977 by artist Doris Leeper, has paired internationally acclaimed artists from various disciplines with talented local artists to promote the arts through master classes, private studio time, and collaborations.
The center, which is located on the scenic shores of Turnbull Bay, exhibits a fascinating array of artworks and provides a temporary residence and studio for artists from all over the world.
Phone: 386-427-6975, 1414 Art Center Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
9. New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum
The Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum is committed to increasing understanding and appreciation of African American culture and history. The museum, formerly known as the Black Heritage Festival / Museum of New Smyrna Beach, Inc., is housed in the beautifully restored 1899 Sacred Heart building. The structure was once used as a place of worship for a congregation of Black Roman Catholics and is now part of the museum, which is located in New Smyrna Beach’s historic West Side neighborhood.
The museum houses a fascinating collection of African American artifacts, photographs, oral histories, and memorabilia dating from the early 1900s to the present.
Phone: 386-478-1934, 314 N Duss St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
10. Perrine’s Produce, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Perrine’s Produce, located on the Dixie Freeway, is a neighborhood farmer’s market and deli that sells a wide variety of fresh produce, fruit, and vegetables, herbs, flowers, organic honey, frozen seafood, handmade cheeses, deli meats, and frozen seafood.
The family-owned and operated business, founded in 1986, has three locations throughout the state and offers a variety of wholesale products as well as local and imported deli items such as olive oils, meats and cheeses, gourmet sandwiches, and ready-made meals made with fresh locally sourced ingredients. Seven days a week, Perrine’s Produce is open.
Phone: 386-423-2336, 1044 N Dixie Fwy, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
11.New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s Wake Up Cafe
Wake up Café is a family-owned and operated café with two convenient locations in New Smyrna Beach that serves all-American fare as well as authentic Argentine and Spanish specialties. The café is open daily for breakfast and lunch and serves hearty homemade dishes such as pancakes, waffles, egg scrambles.
And French toast for breakfast and fresh salads, sandwiches, wraps, toasted cheese, burgers, and house specialties for lunch. Freshly brewed coffee, loose-leaf teas, hot chocolate, and fruit juices are available on the drinks menu.
Phone: 386-410-4719, 749 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
12. New Smyrna Beach, Florida’s The Baker’s Table
New Smyrna Beach restaurants, the Baker’s Table is a modern bistro and bakery known for serving German specialties as well as a variety of international dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The bistro has a warm and welcoming ambiance with stylish décor, indoor and outdoor seating, and a full-service bar that serves craft beers, casual wines, and classic cocktails made with imported spirits.
The bistro serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday and serves fresh seafood, prime meats, organic salads and vegetables, and organic desserts at east coast.
386-423-6656, 4154 S Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
13.SoNapa Grille, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The SoNapa Grille is a two-story rustic-chic eatery and bar with sleek concrete floors, comfortable booths and counter-seating, and a large window that floods the interiors with natural light. A full-service bar serves a wide range of craft beers on tap and by the bottle, as well as casual wines from Northern California, imported spirits, and signature cocktails.
The menu offers seasonal New American cuisine prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients such as fresh seafood, grass-fed meats, and organic salads and vegetables. The SoNapa Grille is open seven nights a week for dinner at Central Florida.
386-402-8647, 3406 S Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
14. Wave Cafe, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The Third Wave Café is a chic eatery with a picturesque Key West feel and a laid-back vibe that serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week at flagler avenue park. The café, located on Flagler Ave near the Causeway Drawbridge, has a charming patio surrounded by swaying palm trees and tropical flora, artistic carved wood sculptures, and twinkling fairy lights that add a romantic touch to the outdoor area at night.
A casual indoor lounge and an outdoor deck overlooking Flagler Avenue with several fans and plenty of shade are ideal for pre-dinner cocktails. The brunch menu at Third Wave Café includes traditional breakfast and lunch items as well as signature dishes such as Southwestern Hash with Mexican Chorizo, Blanco Pizza, Shrimp and Grits, and Ahi Tacos plates.
386-402-7864, 204 Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
15. Treehouse Norwood’s Eatery & Bar
Norwood’s Eatery & Bar Treehouse is a one-of-a-kind treehouse restaurant carved from the natural landscapes of Florida. The restaurant, which is housed in a building that once housed a Pan Am gas station, a piggy bank factory, and a general store, has become one of the top spots for dinner in New Smyrna Beach.
The charming restaurant features a cozy wood-lined dining room as well as outdoor seating on a wooden deck beneath the shady leaves of a large tree. The menu includes fresh seafood, organic salads, prime steaks, handmade pasta, hearty burgers, and gourmet sandwiches, and the well-stocked bar has over 30,000 bottles of wine.
Phone: 386-428-4621, 400 East 2nd Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
FAQs about Things to Do in New Smyrna Beach Fl
Which beach is better, New Smyrna or Cocoa?
If you can’t decide between Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna Beach, don’t worry: you can’t go wrong. Both of these Atlantic beaches are well worth a visit if you want to fish, swim, or simply relax on the sand.
Is it possible to swim in New Smyrna Beach?
It’s not a fun, safe beach, it’s not a swimming pool, and it’s not some waveless, currentless beach where you can see the clear water bottom like in the Bahamas or something.
Is there a downtown in New Smyrna Beach?
Discover New Smyrna Beach’s Downtown. Parking is FREE, and we can accommodate over 350 vehicles, allowing you to take a stroll around downtown, stretch your legs while exploring “The Loop,” find a unique gift, explore our stores, savor a meal, or participate in one of our many monthly and annual events.
Is it safe to walk on New Smyrna Beach at night?
Avoid shining lights on the beach at night because this may frighten away nesting females and interfere with the ability of baby turtles to find the sea. Avoid walking or cycling in areas designated as nesting zones.