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Pro
Picturesque and charming coastal community
Con
No slack speed/traffic enforcement with heavy fines
In a nutshell
a pleasant way to spend an afternoon
shohman Says: the liighthouse was built in 1887 and has been restored over the past decade. You can climb to the top and see for miles. Not as interesting or fun as the lighthouses in New England, but I have to admit, ANY lighthouse is pretty cool if you ask me.
shohman Says: There's no shortage of fishing charters here. My favorite is Critterfleet. They run 1/2 and full day charters and the staff is awesome. For about $50, they will take you out, supply rods and bait. They even unhook and clean your fish. If the fish aren't biting, they will...
grandmaR Says: The Ponce de Leon Inlet was called Mosquito Inlet when the lighthouse was built in 1887. Ponce de Leon Light Station was designated a historic landmark in 1998. It is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m in the winter, and can be climbed for an excellent view of the surrounding...
In order to get to the museum, you have to pass through the gift shop. This building was built in 1992 from blueprints drawn in 1883 by the architect of our lighthouse for a keeper's dwelling planned for construction at this light station but never built. The restrooms, and research library are here also.
This is the first building on the map of the grounds. The other 11 buildings in the complex are under General Tips (the lens building) and Local Customs.
What to buy: In addition to the usual T-shirts and souveniers there are also more upscale items in this gift shop. I didn't buy anything here.
Updated Apr 1, 2005
Address: 4931 South Peninsula Drive Ponce Inlet
Phone: (386) 761-1821
Website: http://www.poncelighthousestore.org/
grandmaR Says: Last item (#12) on the list of things to see in the lighthouse grounds, I did find this very interesting. It had several ATONS (aids to navigation) displayed inside.These are the specifics: "Built in 1887 with a unique double-wall ventilation system for safety, this was one...
grandmaR Says: This is listed at #11 on the lighthouse museum list of things to so. I took this picture from the back, but didn't bother to go around to the front to photograph it with the sign. From the museum website: "This 600-pound bronze bell was cast by the E.A. Williams Bell...
Generator/Radio Shack Building
grandmaR Says: This is what the website says about this building, which is #9 on the list."Originally a woodshed and privy for the First Assistant Keeper's family, two electrical generators, like the one still here, were installed in the woodshed room in 1940, when a radio beacon was...
First Assistant Keeper's Dwelling
grandmaR Says: #8 is the building which is restored and furnished as it would have been at the turn of the century (1900) It is named for Gladys Meyer Davis, whose father was the last civilian principal lightkeeper. She was born here and is/was a lifelong resident of Ponce Inlet. In the...
grandmaR Says: This is the #7 building - sort of an anticlimax after the lighthouse. Not much to see here.From the website: "Over a well dug in 1907, this building was constructed to house a water pump which was operated by a windmill built on a tower over the building. Water was pumped...
grandmaR Says: Finally at #6, we get to the lighthouse. By this time I was too tired to climb it to see the wonderful view which I'm sure there would be from the top. Also it was raining, and I was a little afraid that if there was lightening, we'd be evacuated from the lighthouse.The...
The Principal Keeper's Dwelling
grandmaR Says: The #5 building is the Principal Keeper's house. The museum calls this building the Museum of the Sea. The exhibits include ship models, navigation instruments, pirates' treasure, marine biology, oceanography, exploration, whaling and deep-sea fishing. There was also a video...
The Second Assistant Keeper's Dwelling
grandmaR Says: The fourth building on the tour list is the Second Assistant Keeper's House. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if the building pictured is the First Assistant's or the Second Assistant's House - All I can read on the sign is the word "Memorial"The lighthouse webpage says that the...
grandmaR Says: The #3 item on the Lighthouse grounds list is the boatyard. We didn't bother with it. The lighthouse webpage says:"This area is reserved for the display of historic vessels. Currently on display is the 46-foot F.D. Russell tug boat which sailed for many years in this area....
Woodshed Video Theater & Privy Exhibit
grandmaR Says: After you pass through the gift shop and pay your admission, the second step in the museum is the video theatre. In many lighthouse museums, you can see the video without paying to go into the grounds, but that is not the case here."Wood for the fireplaces and stove of the...
MA_Bell Says: Don't get in a hurry if you go to Ponce Inlet. Their police vigorously check speed on the main 4-lane road into town, especially as it turns from 2-lane to 4-lane just where one might think the speed may be increased. Observe the posted signs, and don't ~assume~ speed limits...
No Water, No Food, No Backpacks
grandmaR Says: I can understand prohibiting food inside the grounds, but I can't quite see why they prohibit water (and it was raining when we were there) unless they want you to buy the water that they have for sale.
grandmaR Says: Even though this is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and is visible from a long ways off on the ICW, you can't see any more than the top of it from the south side of the inlet.
Not Part of the National Park System
grandmaR Says: We finally got to Ponce (which is a village, AND an inlet AND a lighthouse), and parked - then we realized that the entrance to the lighthouse was a little ways away. We started to walk over, but I thought that it was a National Monument/Historic place, and so Bob went back...
This inlet is now called Ponce de Leon Inlet (Ponce for short). It seems Mosquito Inlet does not resonate with developers.
It is not a class A inlet, but I've been unable to find out what class inlet it is. The lighthouse publicity says it is 'feared' by mariners.
But last time we were on the ICW coming north, as we approached this area Bob asked me what the state of the tide. I was trying to get the NOAA weather to see what it was. While I was distracted, he almost went out Ponce Inlet by mistake. Could have done it - not too much wind. But we turned around and went back to the ICW because otherwise we'd have had to skip going to Titusville.
Updated Apr 1, 2005
Website: http://volusia.com/ponce/ponce.htm
Favorite thing: Part of the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Museum is in building #10 The Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building. The other parts of the museum (other than the gift shop which is under Shopping Tips) are listed under Local Customs.
This is a new building, built in 1995, and not one of the historic buildings on the site although it was designed to blend in with them. Inside is a collection of lighthouse lenses (and an explanation of what makes a lens a First Order, Second Order etc.) and exhibits explaining the history and technology of Lighthouse Illumination including the biography of Augstin-Jean Fresnell the French engineer who invented the Fresnell lens c 1822.
Also the story of the restoration of the lens that was used in the Ponce lighthouse from 1933 to 1970 (pictured).
Also on display is the First Order Fresnel lens that was used in the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse from 1868 to 1993.
Updated Apr 1, 2005
Ponce Inlet: Lighthouses and deep sea fishing
Ponce Inlet is a very small...well, inlet about 90 minutes from Orlando on the East Coast of Florida. I go here about once a year to go deep sea fishing. There is not much to do in this small town,......
susie margaret and ponce inlet, florida, USA
i spent a very nice afternoon in ponce inlet and saw the marine science center and the lighthouse, which are just around the corner from each other (see my "things to do" tips for NEW SMYRNA BEACH).
Ponce Inlet-Charming But Don't Rush
Ponce Inlet is a residential community at the south end of Daytona Beach, with a majestic lighthouse [with museum] and marina [with very nice restaurant and a cute little gift shop]. It is...
Went fishing off ponce inlet with my dad for Bday
Went fishing off ponce inlet with my dad for Bday October 19th. the night before I had a big birthday party at my house, woke up at 5 am the next morning, after going to sleep about 1:45 drove the......
Build your own Ponce Inlet page
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