About New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach is located in Volusia County, Florida, on
Florida's East Central coast, south of Daytona Beach. Its
year-round population is 20,000 residents, with numbers swelling
in the winter months. Community resources include:
A community enriched by the arts and history is in turn
one that nurtures new cultural work and honors its past. Artists,
historians, residents, and visitors alike relish New Smyrna
Beach's cultural offerings, congenial environment, its peace
and quiet, and its natural beauty. Named one of the "100
Best Small Art Towns in America," Southeast Volusia offers
a vibrant arts scene, and its natural beauty provides for
many outdoor activities, such as canoeing, scuba diving, fishing,
golf… or building sandcastles on the beach and enjoying
the Atlantic Ocean.
 Recreation
Southeast Volusia offers a rich abundance of outdoor adventures,
including dive trips amid artificial reefs and sunken ships,
quiet canoe rides, trail biking, hiking, renowned fishing,
boating, bird-watching, shell collecting, and a variety of
sports including golf and tennis.
Nature comes alive here. Bound at the south side of the island
by the 57,000-acre Canaveral National Seashore Park, renowned
for its pristine view of old Florida, and featuring camping,
hiking, birding, swimming, canoeing, and fishing, this national
treasure is a barrier island with Atlantic waves breaking
on its eastern side and the waters of Mosquito Lagoon and
the Indian River lapping quietly on the west. At the north
end of the island is Smyrna Dunes Park, with its 1.5 mile
boardwalk loop around the Ponce Inlet area. Southeast Volusia's
pristine white sand beaches extend the entire 13.2 mile expanse
between the two parks, with driving allowed on some stretches
of the beach. The wide sandy shore is a mecca for sunbathing
and biking.
Watersports abound, with some of the best surfing in the
area and fishing that is absolutely first-class. From the
Atlantic surf to 20 miles out, or from the rock jetty at Ponce
Inlet, which leads to the Intracoastal and some of the best
backwater fishing in the state, anglers from all over the
world enjoy fresh and salt water fishing.
Arts & Culture
The cultural traveler will find much to do in Southeast Volusia.
Artists and art lovers of all disciplines enjoy the many cultural
opportunities available to them, including Atlantic Center
for the Arts, an internationally-renowned artists-in-residence
community, Artist's Workshop, galleries, concerts, and the
Little Theater playhouse, among others. New Smyrna Beach has
the distinction of being included in the book The 100 Best
Small Art Towns in America: Where to Discover Creative Communities,
Fresh Air, and Affordable Living, by John Villani, published
by John Muir Publications. The area has also captured the
attention of Anne Jeffrey and Aletta Dreiller, authors of
the Art Lover's Guide to Florida, published by Pineapple
Press this year. Atlantic Center at Harris House offers year-round
workshops for children, lectures, and a gallery featuring
the work of Florida artists.
The area's rich history can be discovered at the many museums,
historical venues, and archaeological sites, which support
the distinction of New Smyrna Beach as one of the nation's
oldest cities, the second oldest in Florida. Over 30 historical
sites exist, including the Old Sugar Mill, Turnbull's Ruins,
Eldora House, the Black Heritage Museum, and Turtle Mound,
shell remnants left by the Timucuan Indians. The New Smyrna
Beach Museum of History opened in the old post office on Sams
Avenue in 2003, having moved from The Connor Library, which
originally served as the area's local library and is the oldest
municipal building in New Smyrna Beach, built in 1901. The
new museum contains recently discovered remains of the Turnbull
Colony including coquina structures, tabby floors and British
artifacts.
The Marine Discovery Center, located in New Smyrna Beach
on one of the most pristine estuaries in the world, is a marine
education and research facility offering programs from kindergarten
to grade 12, undergraduate, post graduate and vocational.
There are many opportunities for the public to learn about
this diverse eco-system through ecological tours or historic
boat tours offered in conjunction with the Southeast Volusia
Historical Society. While the Marine Discovery Center constructs
its facility on the North Causeway, temporary headquarters
are located in The Connor Library.
Nearby Attractions
The pristine white sand beaches of Southeast Volusia are
the perfect complement to central Florida's largest attractions,
including Walt Disney World, Epcot, MGM Studios, Universal
Studios, and SeaWorld, all of which are within a 1-1/2 hour
drive. Kennedy Space Center is a short drive south, historic
St. Augustine an hour drive north, and the world-famous Daytona
International Speedway, home of NASCAR racing, is just 20
minutes away.
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