Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum — Attraction in Ponce Inlet

The museum and lighthouse was a fun experience for a self-guided tour. We stopped by the 20 minute video explaining the tour and we're probably 5 minutes past the start time of the video. Though it loops every 20 minutes on the hour, honestly, most of the information you'll want from The video itself is in the first 5 minutes. The rest goes through picture slide shows of all the keepers and their families. Something that I'd love either more time to learn about each in a documentary or learning more about them through the informational posters in each of the buildings.

The lighthouse itself is a lot of fun! It's a brutal climb to the top. You know it's bad as people coming down are encouraging you, "it's not that much further now, just 3 more rungs." We even did that to some coming up when we started going down. I will sat, pay attention to the walls and windows on the climb up! There's a lot of little bits of information sprinkled throughout the trek.

The buildings we could explore fully were great! They really do a good job of presenting the information for you so you get an understanding of what it took, and who some of the important people who manned the lighthouse were! I loved the large light room showcasing all the different types that are used. And learning that they would carry 40 lbs of kerosene up the 203 stairs seems insane to me, seeing as I did good just to get myself up the stairs! There's one building you can't enter but you can view the sleeping quarters and such. At first, I was a little sad you couldn't step into the building (at least that I could tell) but I totally respect the decision.

The only thing I can say is that I wanted to buy water from the gift shop on my way out. I know they don't want it in the museum and want to avoid spills on the grounds, so I can understand if that's why they don't seem to sell anything to drink to mitigate the risks. But I was willing to pay overpriced water bottle prices on my way out, and think it was a missed opportunity if you're diligent on only letting them have in on the way out. They do a good job of having water fountains available though, which I used at the end to rehydrate.

Definitely worth the visit and the price of admission is very fair for a self-guided tour. We had it booked with lots of other events, but I'd recommend blocking out at least 2-3 hrs to read everything they have available for learning and really immerse yourself. Otherwise, it can be done in 1.5 hrs for a quick tour of...

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is a must‑see gem on the Space Coast—easily worth the detour if you’re anywhere near Daytona Beach.

The 175‑foot red‑brick tower rises above the palms like a giant exclamation point. Even from the parking lot you can feel the history; the whole light station complex (keeper’s houses, oil storage, lens building) is preserved so well it feels like you’ve stepped into an 1880s photo.

It’s 203 winding cast‑iron steps to the top, but the landings break it up and each has a window overlooking the inlet or Atlantic. Take your time—the brick interior and iron railings are photogenic on their own. At the lantern deck, the 360‑degree view is jaw‑dropping: surf rolling onto New Smyrna Beach, sailboats in the inlet, and on a clear day you can spot the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center to the south. Sunset turns the marshes gold and the ocean lavender; totally worth planning your visit around golden hour.

Don’t skip the outbuildings: • Keeper’s dwelling holds period furniture, logbooks, and even children’s toys that tell the family side of lighthouse life. • Lens exhibit showcases giant Fresnel lenses (including a first‑order lens) that glitter like crystal engines. The volunteers here know their optics—ask them how those rings of glass can throw light 20 miles. • Oil house & pump shed explain the gritty part of keeping a light burning before electricity—great context kids don’t get from textbooks. Photography tips Bring a wide‑angle lens for the spiral staircase, a polarizer for the midday glare off the Atlantic, and maybe a telephoto to snag shots of surfers below. Tripods aren’t allowed in the tower (space is tight), but outside grounds are fair game.

Clean restrooms, a shaded picnic area, and a well‑stocked gift shop with local history books plus the usual magnets and kids’ kits. Parking is free and plentiful, though weekends fill by noon.

Admission is under $10 for adults—an absolute bargain considering how much there is to explore. Plan 90 minutes if you’re breezing through, two‑plus hours if you’re a history...

Jennifer's rudeness was borderline discriminatory. My husband and I came with our toddler and were pleasantly surprised to see that the lighthouse also had a museum so we decided to pay for entry and only after she received payment and a donation did she advise that there was no droning even though she saw all of his gear beforehand. When we told her that was the intention of our trip, she instantly became disrespectful, loud and frustrated, advising that she couldn't refund us and that they were a non profit so a refund wasn't possible. When we said we hadn't even entered the museum and that her response made no sense, she said she'd need a manager. She picked up the phone and loudly said, with a store full of people, "I have 2 people down here, and I need a manager for these people." I was floored as she made it seem as if we were causing an issue when she was the one being aggressive and lying about a refund not being an option. Danielle came down, and when we explained that we came with the intention to drone and decided to opt out as that wasn't a possibility, she immediately said they'd refund us without hassle. As much as I appreciate that, I am still disgusted at our experience with Jennifer and how her insinuations could have led to a dangerous outcome if others perceived us as people who were "causing an issue" when that wasn't the case. I implore them to review the cameras. Even as we left, another guest said that she lived in the area, and it's not illegal to drone in the airspace, just not over crowds or on lighthouse property. They need to learn to have integrity at this establishment, which I'm sure was built by the hands of the ancestors of those they discriminated against. Absolutely unjustified ignorance...