Halifax Historical Museum

05/27/2026

We are closing EARLY, at 2:00pm, on Thursday, May 28, in preparation for a private event.

Thank you for your understanding.

See you before or on Friday!

05/27/2026

👙🌊 Did you know? Beach days in the late 1800s were way more dangerous - because of the swimsuit.

Victorian swimwear was all about modesty… and it could be a disaster in the water:
• Wet wool suits could weigh up to 20 pounds 😳
• Women even sewed weights into skirt hems so they wouldn’t float up
• Bloomers under the skirt could fill with air like a balloon 🎈
No wonder most women didn’t learn to swim back then.

To help keep beachgoers safe, Daytona Beach installed lifelines—heavy ropes attached to poles—so women wouldn’t be pulled away by riptides. And if you wanted to fully “submerge,” you could hire a strong attendant called a bathing dipper to es**rt you into the ocean. 💪🌊

As tourism grew, swimwear slowly became lighter and safer… but then came the Bathing Suit Fashion Police in the early 1900s. Yep- suits were measured, and Daytona enforced a strict rule: no more than 6 inches above the knee. 📏😅

Fashion changes, safety changes, rules change… and believe it or not, thong suits are still against the law in 140 Florida State Parks today. 🏖️👀

What’s your favorite “old Florida” beach fact? Drop it below! 👇✨

05/22/2026

🦅⭐️Heads up for Memorial Day!

The Halifax Historical Museum will be closed on Monday (Memorial Day).

We’ll be open during our regular hours the rest of the week; hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend! 🏛️✨

05/14/2026

📚🌴 Florida Vistas Book Club is next Thursday!

If you’ve ever wondered what Florida really is beneath the postcards and headlines, this month’s read is for you. We’re discussing In the Land of Good Living: A Journey to the Heart of Florida by Kent Russell—a funny, vivid, sometimes wild “love letter” to the state he calls “America Concentrate.” 😄🐊

🗓️ Thursday, May 21, 2026
🕑 2:00 PM
📍 Halifax Historical Museum
🎟️ Free with museum admission or membership
📞 Questions? Please give us a call at: (386) 255-6976

May 21, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - In the summer of 2016, Kent Russell – broke, at loose ends, hungry for adventure – set off to walk across Florida.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day from the Halifax Historical Museum! 💐🏛️

Today we’re celebrating the moms, grandmas, and mother figures who keep families strong, stories alive, and traditions worth passing down.

Thank you for all the love, lessons, and little moments that become history in the making. 💛

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with joy and sweet memories. 🌷✨

05/09/2026

ICYMI from Tuesday, May 5! ✨

We had such a fun, entertaining afternoon listening to sisters Victoria and Chesley Bennett share their memories of growing up at Lilian Place Heritage Center and in the surrounding Daytona Beach neighborhood. Their stories brought local history to life through personal memories, family experiences, and reflections on a very special place in our community.

The new owners were on hand and shared updates on the House and its anticipated Fall reopening.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable program!

Be sure to check our website for upcoming events, programs, and more ways to connect with local history at the Halifax Historical Museum.

05/07/2026

Last Friday, we were honored to welcome a wonderful ROTC group to the museum! 🇺🇸

Their visit was filled with curiosity, great questions, and meaningful conversations about our shared local history. It was a fun and educational morning, and we loved seeing these young leaders engage with the stories that shaped our community.

Thank you for spending part of your day with us — we hope to see you again soon!

05/05/2026

Today’s the day for Teller Talk Tuesday! 🗣️🏛️

Come spend your afternoon with Victoria and Chesley Bennett, who will be sharing stories about growing up in the oldest house on the beachside. If you love local legends, old Daytona memories, and “you won’t believe this happened here” stories, you’ll fit right in. 🌴✨

🕑 Today at 2:00 PM
📍 Halifax Historical Museum | 252 S Beach St, Daytona Beach
🎟️ Free with museum admission or membership
📞 Questions, give us a call at: (386) 255-6976

https://www.halifaxhistorical.org/events/teller-talk-tuesday-6/

05/01/2026

📝🎩 Did you know Daytona Beach once had a “Rhyming Man”?

Meet John Van—one of those unforgettable “town characters” every community seems to collect. Some folks even claimed he was a pirate back in the 1880s (complete with a tale about a captured cruiser near Ponce Inlet and “loot” hidden in the dunes). 🏴‍☠️🌊

But the stories people remembered most weren’t about piracy—they were about poetry. A News-Journal column from the 1940s described John handing out flyers and refusing to speak unless he could rhyme. One childhood greeting he gave?
“Your hair is so bright, it looks a sight.” 😄✨

John lived on a houseboat near what’s now the Tom Staed Memorial Bridge on City Island—apparently with a dozen or more cats 🐈🐈🐈—and when he passed away in 1923, he left his savings to the First Baptist Church. He’s buried in historic Pinewood Cemetery on Main Street.

This story popped back up thanks to a photo donation to the Halifax Historical Society from Michelle Grogan (from her mother’s collection). The note on the back calls him “John Van Mockingbird.” 📸🕰️

Have you heard any old Daytona legends about town characters like this? Drop one below! 👇💛

04/30/2026

In this 1933 letter to advice columnist Constance Lee, a Daytona mother asks for the author's opinion on whether it is right for her daughter to be seen on the beach in a form-fitting bathing suit. The answer may surprise you!

Be sure to check out our feature on 150 years of controversy over women's bathing apparel in our May Newsletter.