Welcome to New Smyrna Beach

North America’s Second Oldest City

New Smyrna Beach is an old coastal town with a stretch of colorfully painted shops, galleries and eateries that give it an inviting bohemian atmosphere.To say the lifestyle is artsy is an understatement.

Flagler Avenue merchants have preserved historic buildings along the five-block “main drag” from ocean to river. It’s a paradise for shoppers looking for art and handcrafted collectibles.

The beach side of town is bordered by 13 miles of pristine, powder sand, natural dunes and low-rise dwellings. It’s connected to the mainland by only two causeways, and to the south it’s protected by the pristine beaches of the Canaveral National Seashore.

Free-spirited artists have always been drawn to this tight-knit Old Florida community. Exhibitions by prominent Florida artists are offered at the Atlantic Center of the Arts at Harris House, a historic Lutheran parsonage reborn as a community center and art gallery.

New Smyrna is the perfect place to go to enjoy nature and try your hand at excellent backwater fishing. Downtown on the mainland, visit the Museum of History and peer into the ruins of the Turnbull Plantation established in 1767.

Charming seasonal festivals to celebrate music, art and seafood are more reasons to take a trip to New Smyrna Beach,which boasts it is the second oldest city in North America,although some scholars think it may be even older than St.Augustine.The truth is, you can count on being captivated by its history and cultural events.

Article by ~ Georgia Brown
Photos courtesy of Debbie Ledbetter