While in Daytona Beach, don’t limit your visit to the beach. Take a tour. Soak up some history as well as some sun. Here are four tour picks:
Cracker Creek & Gamble Place
Enjoy learning about old Florida pioneer history in nearby Port Orange. Once the winter home of James N. Gamble, of the Procter and Gamble Company, Gamble Place is adjacent to Cracker Creek, and is surrounded by an associated 175-acre nature preserve. Tours every Friday and Saturday by reservation only. Admission: adults $6; senior $5; children $3. Visit www.crackercreek.com for details.
Lilian Place
Enjoy a tour of the oldest house on Daytona’s beachside, Lilian Place. This Victorian house was built in 1884 by one of the city’s first settlers, Laurence Thompson. Tours offered daily, except Tuesdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Visit www.heritagepreservationtrust.org for more information.
Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Site
Marvel at the former “Bulow Ville” plantation, founded in 1821 and destroyed in the Seminole Indian War. The park, in nearby Flagler Beach, includes sugar mill ruins, nature trails, picnic facilities and an open-air museum. Open daily 8 a.m. from 5 p.m. Visit www.floridastateparks.org/park/bulow-creek for more information.
Mary McLeod Bethune Home
Enjoy a tour of the legendary educator and civil rights activist Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s historic home. Built in 1904, it was her home from 1914 until her passing in 1955. Stop in to walk in the footsteps of the legendary leader. Tours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment. Admission is free. Visit www.cookman.edu/foundation for details.
