Budget Friendly Florida

Enjoy a tropical getaway in a formal public garden right along SR 40 in Ormond Beach

Admission: Free

The Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens provide a two-fold aesthetic experience. The gardens, established in the 1940s as a war memorial, designed by Chicago landscape architect Henry Stockman, are atop a sand dune. With lush native plantings, winding pathways, a waterfall, and multiple levels with ponds where turtles sun, it’s a visual and aromatic delight. Benches in quiet spots provide places for relaxation and reflection, and there’s a touch of history in one corner—the 1885 Emmons Cottage, which was moved here from Beach St. Built of heart pine, this pioneer structure withstood many a hurricane and the ravages of the salt breeze; it is open Wed–Fri 11–2 and features fine art from local artists. At the other corner of the gardens, the art museum began with the donation of 56 religious paintings by Canadian artist Malcolm Fraser in 1946, which sparked a community-wide effort to fund a museum. Originally called the Ormond War Memorial Art Gallery, it was the first Florida memorial to honor World War II veterans. The museum has expanded from its original space to include a new building with rotating exhibits by regional artists.

Museum open Mon–Fri 10–4, Sat–Sun 12–4, donation
Gardens open sunrise–sunset, free.

Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens
78 E Granada Blvd
Ormond Beach, FL
386-676-3347
www.ormondartmuseum.org

Explore the remains of an ancient civilization near Daytona Beach

Admission: Free

The Green Mound is one of the largest pre-Columbian middens in Florida, and can be explored on the trail system through Ponce Preserve. The mound is thought to have been built by late St. Johns period cultures, after AD 800, and was greatly disturbed prior to the 1940s—as many middens were—by removal of materials for roadfill. Excavations in the midden have uncovered evidence of a village, including postholes marking the corners of raised houses.

The Green Mound is protected by Ponce Preserve, along Peninsula Drive between Wilbur-by-the-Sea and Ponce Inlet. Open daily, dawn to dusk. Removal of artifacts (including oyster shells) prohibited.

A cheap stop in Daytona Beach with plenty of racing history and memorabilia to keep the family happy

Admission: By donation on Thursday, otherwise $5 adult, $1 under 12.  Children 12 and under are free on Saturdays.

One of the finest presentations of regional history in Florida, the very authentic Halifax Historical Museum is housed in the former Merchant’s National Bank building, still resplendent with its marble columns, teller’s cages, Tiffany lamps, and massive murals with Florida scenes from the 1950s. Exhibits in the center of the building change every few months, but the back of the museum hosts a permanent exhibit of the history of racing, with detailed historical models created by Lawson Diggett, a longtime volunteer. One of the more interesting models is that of the Daytona Beach boardwalk circa 1938. An astounding array of artifacts is tucked away in the corners, including an 1860s dress worn at Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration by Mary Todd Lincoln’s sister and left behind at a hotel of the era; handcrafted surfboards from the 1940s; a solid mahogany plantation table from the 1880s, rescued from the steamship Veracruz; and Grandma’s Attic, an upstairs room full of classic toys that the kids (and you) can play with. Researchers will appreciate the extensive library, with volumes of records, plat books, photos, and postcards. And the building is haunted. Curators speak of smelling the scent of barn animals, or flowers, or cigars behind this building in the downtown district, of an elephant that “just wouldn’t stay put” in the gift shop, and of a little girl who occasionally appears atop a desk in the main hall. It’s a fascinating place, full of details.

Halifax Historical Museum
252 S Beach Street
Daytona Beach, FL
Open Tue–Sat 10–4
386-255-6976
www.halifaxhistorical.org