Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum

Visited the tallest lighthouse in Florida. You have to pass by the gift-​shop to purchase tickets at $ 6.95 per adult. My son has his soccer ball with him and the staff (old guy) wasnt very nice when he told him roughly «You cant bring the ball inside. You have to leave it in the car or outside.“He didnt even say you can leave it with us while you go up the lighthouse. Felt that he didnt want us to come inside at all. But since we are already there, have to ask someone else who said we can leave it with them while we go on tour. The light station was in the middle of well maintained grounds, surrounded by several buildings which used to be homes of 3 light-​keepers. An important navigation aid till now, located in Mosquito (Ponce) inlet, bet Cape Canaveral and St Augustine. Place is very historic – we get to see how life was during the 1800s, and i get to see how a Fresnel lens look like. Pattern of flashes was 6 half second flash in 15 seconds followed by 15 secs darkness. It can be seen 18 miles at sea. There are 203 steps to the deck. View from the top is amazing! You can see the inlet, Atlantic ocean mixing with the Halifax river. Highly recommend this place for history lovers.

This was a very beautiful lighthouse. I stopped here along my way north back home from Miami. It was about 5:15 pm when we got here, but that was expected since leaving Miami around 10 am and also making other stops along the way north. Getting to the place was a bit interesting, as you go through some neighborhoods and other back roads of sorts to get there, and signage was not the clearest, but at least they had some. Parking is somewhat limited.
Once we got there and parked, we went inside to take a look around the gift shop. We also roamed around the main grounds outside of where the lighthouse is located. Since we got there after 5 pm, entry into the lighthouse grounds itself was not possible. Even though I wasn’t able to get onto the grounds and climb the lighthouse, I was able to get some great views of the lighthouse. The colors of the lighthouse have a great contrast to the color of the dark green grass on the grounds of the property. One of the reasons I wanted to visit was because this is the tallest lighthouse in Florida.
The gift shop here does have quite a selection of items to purchase related to the lighthouse as well. The prices for most things weren’t overly priced like some other places I’ve visited have been.
When I go back to this area again, I plan to come back here earlier in the day so that I can reach the top of the lighthouse and also explore all of the grounds and the buildings available. If you’re in the area, this lighthouse is worth visiting.

100% recommend this to everyone of all ages!!! So happy that I stumbled upon this beautiful charming lighthouse today. It cost me $ 13 for two people, which I think was a great bargain. Once inside you get to roam around the beautiful grounds that surround the light house. You are able to enter most of the houses that give a wonderful perspective of the history of the Lighthouse keepers dating all the way back to the 1800’s when the first one was built, but then destroyed and had to be rebuilt, which is the one that is there now. You also get a wonderful history of the native americans from the area.
I warn you, if you can I totally recommend to climb the stairs all the way to the top, that’s 203 stairs to be exact! It was a bit tough for me and my 65 year old mom going up, but luckily their are little areas where you can rest as you climb up the tallest lighthouse in Fl and 2^nd tallest in the U.S. Coming down the stairs was super easy! It took us 10 minutes to go up and 5 minutes to come back down. We saw people of all ages from baby in a pouch being carried by their mom to senior citizens such as mom climbing up there. Once up there you get a beautiful view of the ocean and New Smyrna.
Also if you go to where the Administration building is you will see rafts from cubans that floated onto shore, absolutely heartbreaking, but amazing at the same time see, their is then a little path that you can take which leads you through the jungle background. It is not very big and quite beautiful to be immersed in nature, so I definitely recommend going on this little trail that is right next to the administration building.
100% recommend this place for everyone! Great place for beautiful photos also, I’m legit OBSESSED!

We found this jewel of a tourist stop when we were cruising around Daytona Beach. This lighthouse, like all lighthouses, is a must see spot. Its only $ 8. A person for the self guided tour. Includes a pamphlet with useful information. There are 8 buildings to explore and the grounds are really nice. We climbed to the top of the lighthouse. It is 203 steps. It is well worth the trek. Beautiful views. Coming down is much easier. Loads of history plaques and information. The gift shop is very nice also. Lots of nice items with very few tacky touristy souvenirs.

Well preserved piece of local history. $ 6.50 fee to walk the grounds. This is very well kept and worth the fee.

Very worth the time. Great clean place with very knowledgeable people. Nice views and very in lightning, pardon the pun. Highly recommended for whole family. Even those that don’t like heights. Will find fun and something cool to see, without going to top.

Nice view. Price was good. 203 steps to the top. Nice history. Definitely worth seeing.

We were very excited to come to this highly recommended attraction but were disappointed when arriving. There is a parking lot and adjacent small park and a restaurant. To enter the Light House you enter the gift shop and have to pay to go thru the gift shop to the Light House. We weren’t expecting that so we left, I’m not sure how much it was to enter.

Florida’s tallest light the Ponce Point Lighthouse and its buildings have been restored to their original conditions. In the case of the lighthouse, I would say it was restored to its original glory. There are 203 steps to the top and, for those who make the climb, there is a spectacular view. In addition, there is a building containing a collection of Fresnel lenses. The history of the lighthouse is given throughout the grounds.
Driving tip: Take S Atlantic Drive south until you see Lighthouse Park and turn right just before the park entrance. Along the way you will pass the Marine Science Center which is another good place to visit.

The view from the lighthouse is worth the admission, which was $ 13 for two adults. We went on a Monday and it was not terribly busy. We actually had the top of the lighthouse to ourselves for about 10 minutes. There is alot of information about the historical significance of this lighthouse sprawled throughout several buildings and a short film about the lighthouse, if that is your thing. There are some interactive displays that show you how the lense of the light works.
The «nature trail» is not really a nature trail. It is not marked which way to go and is extremely short. If you’re looking for a little bit of a longer nature trail, I would recommend going to Ponce Preserve down the road.
We spent about an hour here, definitely not a whole day thing. Be warned, the stairs of the lighthouse are steep and there is a little over 200 stairs.

Quite possibly the nicest Lighthouse I’ve ever been to.
I recently on a sort trip around Daytona and visiting old sugar mills for the day I figured a stop at the Lighthouse would end the trip on a high note. I arrived and was blown away by the contrast of the super green grass and the red faceted lighthouse in the background. I walked in to the front office and was given a 10% off for being active military and the climb began all those steps to the top. After arriving at the top I was HORRIFIED at the view. They have small cables all around the top of the lighthouse obscuring your view of everything. I’ve seen this in only one other lighthouse in Florida and that was in Key West. Funny that the St. Augustine lighthouse is a mere 70 miles to the north and is only 10 feet shorter yet that Lighthouse has NO small cables. Also the TALLEST light house in the country Cape Hatteras also doesn’t have any of these cables obstructing the views either. So unless there has been several suicide attempts to jump from this light I see no need to have them in place. After seeing nothing of any real interest and NO good photo opportunities at the top I headed back down the stairs and checked out the other buildings on the property. I found that the Lamp house to be very interesting to see and know the other Fresnel lenses were from another lighthouse just outside the Cape Canaveral shuttle launch pads and that after several launches the lenses had to be removed due to them breaking from the vibrations.
**Overall and VERY nice lighthouse but for gosh sakes take those hideous cables off the top.
Cheers.

The lighthouse has 203 steps to the top. I didn’t think I would make it all the way up but there are several areas to stop on the way up. The grounds are extremely well-​cared for and the gift shop was cute with many choice items to purchase as a momento. The cost to enter was $ 7 for adults. For something different to do at the beach and the opportunity to learn a little history about the tallest lighthouse in Florida, I do recommend this visit. You only need about one hour to see everything. The only drawback is that NOTHING to drink is allowed on the grounds, including water! Get your fill before to go to the top of the lighthouse! It’s not air conditioned!

I love this lighthouse. After visiting St. Augustine, we wanted to visit this one, too. The set up is similar. You enter thru the gift shop and there are other buildings on the property to visit. Very historic. The lighthouse itself is in perfect condition. The stairway is steep and quite the hike. The views from the tops are calming and relaxing. Loved visiting the keeper’s house and the oil storage building. Loved seeing the old time lens exhibit. Incredible to think about how oil was used to light the way for ships. Lots of history.

Well maintained, interesting site. Lighthouse is in great condition and was surprised by how much history and information was present about the history of this lighthouse as well as the different lighthouse lenses over tine. Good for kids and adults alike.

The primary thing you should know about visiting the lighthouse is that total chaos reigns. The entrance to the parking lot itself should’ve been a clue. The first lot you come to has no actual entrance to the lighthouse or the museum. You have to drive around and park in front of the gift shop.
You actually have to enter at the gift shop. The shop, btw, is crammed full of your typical souvenir junk-​type stuff. Cheap ceramic figurines and such with the oh-​so-​cute signs notifying you that if you break it they «consider it sold». Prices for the figurines, the same type thing you can get at the $ 1 store, are terribly inflated. The shop is completely overstuffed and there’s little room to move, especially without knocking things over. There were about 10 other people in there and it was frustrating trying to dodge people and things in the narrow aisles.
Again with a lack of signage or direction, we flagged down an employee and found out you have to stand in line at the cash register to buy museum/​lighthouse tickets. After standing in line the employee decided to let us know it was for nothing since the lighthouse was closed. No reason was given and we could actually see folks walking around on the lighthouse. I can only assume that it was weather-​related since there were some storm clouds in the distance, but it was not storming at that time. Seriously, it was like we were trying to drag state secrets out of this woman.
It was just a big fat disappointment, I’ve never been in a lighthouse but the BF loves them and was really looking forward to the visit. I’ve read the other Unilocal reviews about the museum, the Keeper’s house, and the beautiful grounds but there is literally no information to be had about those things. It seems as if they just want you to wander the gift shop. Sure, the lighthouse is closed, but was the museum open? Could we have walked the grounds, seen the other items of interest? Who knows? We couldn’t get that info from the employees too busy ringing up purchases and there was no info posted anywhere. We just stood around like idiots waiting for some kind of information that no one seemed willing to provide.
More organization is definitely needed here.

A nicely maintained historical sight. It is highly informative with a wonderful look at lighthouse keeper life and the history of the lenses at this particular site. Admission was only $ 5 for adults and $ 1.50 for kids under 11.

Cute town. The admission was only $ 5.00 a person. The museum has a neat building full of antique light contraptions.
30 minutes away from Daytona Beach. This town has lots of other adventures like deep sea fishing or viewing the manatees.

Now this is the next man said I will tell all my friends about I’ve always wanted to visit ally house now this is one of the best, although walking up the flight of stairs it seem like I was never going to reach the top but once I did I was glad that I made the trip; being in Daytona Beach with my honey for a nice romantic getaway this toped our expectation looking out as the light beamed across the water, simply breathtaking I really enjoyed it, can’t wait to come back for another visit

Who can resist a lighthouse I’ve visited a number of these domestically and abroad and each is unique and has it’s own story to tell. This is an exceptional piece of history preserved for generations to come and the $ 5 admission is one of the best bargains around and ensures it will continue to awe the young and old for many years to come. We are fortunate to have this in our own backyard.
I always have to question the number of steps to reach the top of the 208 steps are the landings being counted as a step and is the main floor the first step or is the first step the first of the 208 steps?

5 enthusiastic stars!!!
Let me first say that this is not just a lighthouse, but an entire museum complete with a community of subordinate historic buildings. Let me also say that our family has been traveling on average about 8 weeks of the year for the past 7 years and we have NEVER run across such a great value. There is so much to see and do here… all for $ 5 for adults and $ 1.50 for kids under 12. We first discovered the lighthouse from a local attractions map and thought we would get a few great family photo’s, but it turned out to be so much more.
Ponce De León Inlet Lighthouse is ranked as Florida’s tallest lighthouse @ 175 feet, and the third tallest in the United States… but it was not the first lighthouse at this inlet location. The original lighthouse was constructed on the south side of the inlet, but fell into disrepair after a strong storm eroded sand from around the base of the tower. The Second Seminole War began soon after, and the Seminole Indians attacked the lighthouse and set fire to its wooden stairs. All of these events weakened it’s structure and it eventually toppled over into the ocean the following year after it’s attack.
The current structure was began in 1884 and completed in 1887 (100 years before I graduated from high school), it’s original name was the Mosquito Inlet lighthouse, but officially changed names in 1927. By 1970, the Coast Guard abandoned use of the lighthouse in favor of a beacon they installed on the south side of the inlet. The lighthouse was in danger of falling victim to disrepair again until the community gained ownership of the lighthouse and it’s buildings in 1972 and began restoration to what it is today.
OUR TOUR INCLUDED:
*The Gift Shop — Beautiful and interesting souvenirs (including a pirate version of monopoly my son couldn’t live without).
*The Woodshed Video Theater — Here you can view a very informative short film on the history of the lighthouse.
*The Second Assistant Keeper’s Dwelling — Fun artifacts like clothing, clocks, toys and school supplies of children who once lived in the lighthouse dwellings.
*The Keeper’s Dwelling — Here you will find an incredible assortment of artifacts and informative interactive displays
*Glady’s Meyer’s Davis Home (closed for renovation) — Named after the daughter of the last Principal Keeper of the lighthouse. Glady’s was born in the house and remained a life long resident of Ponce Inlet.
*The Pump House — Originally an artesian well, it was converted to a water tower and windmill to pump water to the dwellings. In 1915, the current building was constructed to house a gas powered pump which replaced the windmill.
*The Generator and Communications House — Awesome old Morris code telegraphs and radio beacon equipment.
*The Lens House — Shows a variety of Fresnel Lenses, including the original 1^st order Lens which measured 10 feet tall by 72″ width and weighed 3,800 pounds. This lenses was powerful because of it’s 15 prism panels, each containing 215 prisms and three additional reflector panels. It has enough projection power to be seen over 20 miles away.
*The Oil Storage House — Once held 504 five gallon containers of kerosene, but those cans were replaced with two large iron tanks in 1927. Approximately 5 gallons of kerosene were burned per night to power the lens.
*The Lighthouse — Forget Zumba! Come here instead because it’s 203 steps to the top!!! Along the way you’ll have great views of the inlet and a birds eye view of the spiral iron stairs built by the Phoenix Iron Company of Philadelphia. Spectacular views upwards from the ground floor or downwards from the top floor.
THE VERDICT — — — — — - — - — -
Daytona no doubt has a lot of things to see and do, but this is something I highly recommend to families. Fun, entertaining, educational and inexpensive… We LOVED it.
TIP:
1) It’s very windy at the top of the lighthouse.
2) Also visit the Marine Science Center just around the corner if you have young children. There you can see live turtles, bald eagles, falcons and touch sting rays swimming in a shallow indoor pool.