Datona Beach

Vacationers have been flocking to the Datona Beach area for
more than a century. During the late 1800s, the area caught
the attention and imagination of many wealthy northern tycoons
who found the land favorable for investment. One such mogul,
Mathias Day, founding father of what was then called Daytona,
built the first hotel, the Palmetto House, in 1874.

The trend continued with other entrepreneurs endeavoring to build
a city of commerce and vision. Commodore Charles Bourgoyne began
by building a community center in the downtown area in the early
1900s. Bourgoyne organized concerts along the riverfront actively
promoting the town's events to travelers. Later, John D.
Rockefeller, discovered Daytona Beach's immaculate golf courses
and made his winter home here.

Automobile racing became a regular pastime along the hard-packed
beaches at the turn of the 20th Century. Ormond Beach became known
as the "birthplace of speed" due to the various land speed records
set there. In 1947, the National Association of Stock Car Auto
Racing was founded in Datona Beach. Motorsports gained new ground
in 1959 with the opening of the Datona International Speedway,
which continues to satisfy hundreds of thousands of speed-hungry
fans each year.

Today, the Datona Beach area entertains more than 8 million
visitors each year. Visitors come from around the world to relax
and recreate on one of the most beautiful, family-friendly
beaches in Florida.