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Marine Science Center

4.6 (86 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Picking up pieces of fish to feed the stingrays.
Sharon S.

If you have a couple of hours and you're in Daytona, go to the marine science center!! We got to feed Stingrays and watch seahorses feed. Anna was very knowledgeable and was happy to answer questions.

Stephanie K.

Went here on a rainy day and loved it! Staff are so nice and clearly passionate about the center.

Live view turtle procedures
Jonathan L.

For the price, I didn't feel like this was worth it. I am an educator and believe is supporting the mission of MSC. My kids enjoyed the 10 minute talk where they brought out a snake. And we got to watch them help a turtle love on a TV screen. I wouldn't go ahead for the price I paid for a family of 4.

Turtle hospital
Rod H.

I want a pet Stingray! So for $8 you donate to a great cause and get to pet stingrays. We just missed feeding the seahorses, but the stingrays are like puppies and come to get a 2 finger pet. They have an amazing turtle rehab and hospital. You can learn about where they found the turtles, its injury or sickness and how its treated. One of the volunteers gave great info on all the stations. They have a reptile room, with local critters. Then they have the bird sanctuary, with 2 bald eagles, injured pelicans and seagulls and various hawks and owls. I could spend hours petting the rays and watching the animals. We also bought a beautifull hand painted Christmas ornament with stingray.

Toni D.

What a fun way to spend an afternoon visiting the Marine Science Center. Make sure to visit right before the Stingray feedings at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. You get to learn all about stingrays and feed them shrimp, and fish pieces right out of your hands. They also have a bird sanctuary with two bald American eagles, owls, and other types of birds.

Sanctuary

What a awesome gem ! I came here with my family and the turtle + bird rescue sanctuary was amazing! All the volunteers were so knowledgeable and friendly and the hourly feedings or activities were so insightful. We loved petting the stingrays and seeing the turtle sanctuary and learning about the injuries, treatment and recovery for the animals. I highly recommend for any animal lover. I think they should raise their prices as it was $8 per adult and I left there wanting to donate money to help their mission and animals.

Tank G.

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. We really loved this place. Very reasonably priced. Located about 10 minute from the beaches. The staff here was very knowledgable, friendly and top notch. We got there just as they were feeding all of the animals, which was way cool. They have a large moray eel, sea horses, octopus, turtles, eagles, hawks, owls, and the friendliest sting rays you ever could meet. It was almost like the sting rays in the petting pool were about to climb out of the pool. My 3 year was a bit scared of petting the sting rays, but I think that was still her favorite part. They also operate a turtle rescue there and while we were there saw them actually work on one through their observation window. Periodically, they have a release of one of the rescued turtles (you have to check their website for times, locations and dates.) They had an informative and entertaining horned owl, seahorse and octopus (who knew they were so smart) show during our visit. They have a rescue bird part of the center across the parking lot from the center where you can see various birds of prey from 2 bald eagles to hawks. Parking was not difficult. They have a private parking lot which you should check first. If that is full then they have reserved parking spots along the street. So, I recommend visiting this place. And please get there early and check the schedule of events including feedings, shows, and releases.

Megan K.

Only $5 for an adult and the people that work here are great! It's tiny, and a quick trip, but really cool! We got to see birds(owls and bald eagles), seahorses, turtles, sting rays and fish and even a little octopus! You can touch the rays and watch a feeding too. Cute little gift shop too. I encourage supporting this place.

Octopus in viewing tank
Stephen M.

What a great little gem. This is a place of education but primarily one of animal care. The people that work here are positive and very informative. In addition to turtle rehabilitation and care, they have some local marine animals like a live octopus. If you want o learn about the marine wildlife in this area of Florida, then stop in.

Big eyed fish
Cyndi H.

It's small, but is only $8... it's not an aquarium like you're used to, it's a rehab center. There's a few fish tanks (seahorses, crabs, puffer fish, urchins, big eyed fish, bioluminescent fish & coral), Ray tank for touching & feeding, turtle tank, & birds outside (eagles, pelicans, & seagulls). There's also a nature trail, but we didn't do that because it was so muggy & hot when we went. The best part is knowing you're helping to support marine animal rehab... watching a sea turtle do physical therapy was pretty cool!

It was a perfect 1-2 outting for my 8,10 and 12 year old. It was $31 for our family of five which was nice. There is a "touch tank" to touch and feed stingrays. Browse the turtle hospital and watch turtles being worked on on a screen. We sat through a short reptile lesson in a classroom too. Definitely worth it for the price.

Christopher C.

Let's start by stating the obvious. MSC is small no doubt but there is value to be had simply because the admission is very cheap and the inside displays along with the volunteers are both very, very good. Here's what they offer: The ever present ubiquitous gift shop area. Typical display of shirts, jewelry, books, toys, stuffed plush and various Chinese plastic trinkets. Not a lot here that appeals to us so we skipped it both on the way in and on the way out. The Turtle Terrace which is their rehab area for the sick/injured turtles that they take in from the surrounding area. They have signage outside which explains the conditions of the current turtles they have in their care along with a wall that shows the various items some of the prior patients ingested. We lucked out and showed up as a brief turtle talk was occurring from a volunteer which explained things far better than we would have been able to understand on our own. The classroom lab where we caught the end of a presentation on their red tailed hawk. The outdoor seabird rehab area which wasn't that interesting due to it's very small size and people's insistence on jamming far too many strollers into such a small area that only had two enclosures. The main indoor exhibit gallery which is the star of the show. They have a few touch tanks with rays and a variety of invertebrates such as horseshoe crabs, anemones, sea urchins and hermit crabs. The volunteers at the tanks were fantastic at explaining the who, what, when, where, why of what you're looking at. MSC doesn't have the bells and whistles of a large aquarium or science center but hopefully you didn't come expecting that. You're looking at maybe at an hour or an hour and change tops. They don't have a lot but what they do have is fab especially when combined with a visit to the nearby Ponce de Leon Inlet Light all of the which equaled a great afternoon. If you go: Winter Hours: (Labor Day to Memorial Day) Tuesday - Saturday 10 am-4 pm Sunday 12 noon to 4 pm Closed Monday Summer Hours: (Memorial Day to Labor Day) Tuesday - Saturday 10 am-5 pm Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm Closed Monday Admission: Seniors - $4 Adults (13 and over) - $5 Youth (3 - 12) - $2 Youth 2 and under - free

sting ray pool

I LOVED THIS PLACE! it's small but there's so much to look at, and it's very inexpensive! they have lots of tanks of fish and crabs and sea horses, and you can even take a look inside their turtle hospital, where they tell you about how they look after the turtles that are brought in! my favorite part was definitely the sting ray petting area though! the rays are very sweet and love pets, and you get to feed them too! all the workers and volunteers are very friendly as well. they also have a separate area with birds that you can walk through, which was really cool! would definitely recommend stopping by!

Stingray touch tank

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3 years ago

Super cute little place near the inlet to get some good ole animal interaction. Would definitely recommend to those with kids

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5 years ago

Always take my guests and visitors to the MSC! Educational, interesting and great information!

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Review Highlights - Marine Science Center

We got to feed and pet the stingray, pet sharks and hold starfish and sea anemone.

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Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum - Front room inside principal light house keeper's house

Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum

4.6(240 reviews)
0.3 mi

The Pacetti Hotel and Museum opened to the public in November 2024. I'm so glad I overheard someone…read moretalking about the museum when I was visiting the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. It is across the street from the lighthouse but be on the lookout because you may miss it as you can't see the house from the street. You can walk over from the lighthouse or drive as there is a parking lot. You enter the museum from the front of the house by the water. Stepping up on the porch and looking out over the water helps to better understand why the house was built in this location as it is a gorgeous waterfront property! Be sure to start by watching the video as it will give you some background before you take the self-guided tour. You could spend hours inside reading and checking out all the different rooms. One of the things that stood out to me the most were the gorgeous wood floors;) And something that struck me as odd were the two sets of staircases. The museum volunteer explained that the front part was the original house and the back was an addition for the hotel. They were originally two separate buildings but were combined to one. The two rooms upstairs in the front would have been the best rooms to rent as they had the most gorgeous views. The hotel was a fishing resort at one time and later hosted the Cincinnati Reds as the last owner also owned the team. If these walls could talk lol! I highly recommend checking out this museum as it is also one of the oldest structures in Florida. So much history! Your entry fee to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse also includes entry to the museum.

I used to ride my motorcycle out to this Lighthouse just for the ride, then grab a quick bite…read morebefore heading back home. It was on the list of places to explore while in the area with Nancy. Then we finally planned a day where we could shop/play in the area and also visit the Lighthouse. It's definitely worth the stop. The Lighthouse is Florida's tallest lighthouse and is one of the best preserved in the country. The $7 Admission gets you access to the lighthouse and the museum. For $5 more you can gain access to the General Pacetti Hotel Museum. If you're a Ponce Inlet Resident, admission is free. Its 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse and once there you have a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, Ponce Inlet, the Intercoastal waterway, and Daytona Beach. The museum allows visitors to explore the grounds and keeper homes. The Fresnel Lens is on exhibit which is a great way to lean how curved lenses generate powerful clear beams of light with minimal distortion. There are plenty of great photo op areas just be sure to bring the family on sunny days so you get the best outcome. All-in-all, a great experience all around and I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

Photos
Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum - My friend has a mobility issues but was able to walk around the grounds pretty easily.

My friend has a mobility issues but was able to walk around the grounds pretty easily.

Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum - The lighthouse has been beautifully restored!

The lighthouse has been beautifully restored!

Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum

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Marine Science Center - aquariums - Updated May 2026

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