Bringing a Group to the Light Station

Discounted Group Rates

The Ponce De Leon Light Station offers discounted group rates when reservations are made in advance. These rates are the same, whether or not a guide is requested. We recommend scheduling your tour during the cooler, morning hours. In order to avoid conflicts with other scheduled activities, we request that your group arrive promptly, enter the grounds together, and remain together as a group. Group members may not pay their admission fees individually and receive the discount, so please make a single payment for all with check, cash or credit card. Your payment must match the number of people in your group, and payment is due when you arrive for the tour. Guided and self-guided group tours are not always available, so make your reservations well in advance.

Please help us preserve this beautiful National Historic Landmark by not bringing food, drinks, water bottles, toys, games, pets, radios, large bags or backpacks onto the grounds. We also ask that your group members refrain from running, shouting, pushing, defacing property, throwing things from the tower, and shouting from the top of the tower.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please call the Light Station at (386) 761-1821, extension 18.

School Tours

School tours are available for grades 2-12 and are based on the Sunshine State Standards of Learning in science, social studies and language arts. These fun and instructive tours include information and activities based on the science of lighthouses, state and local history, family life at the 1887 Light Station, and an exciting climb up the second tallest light tower in the United States! Students from all Volusia County accredited institutions and home schools are admitted without charge. Non-Volusia County school groups are admitted at the standard group discount rates. To reserve a school tour, please call (386) 761-1821, extension 18 or email Bob Callister.

We ask that all school groups adhere to the following guidelines:

• All school and home school tour groups must have a guide unless advance arrangements have been made. Groups from Volusia County schools are admitted at no charge only if their visit has been booked in advance.
• Arrive on time or inform us of any travel problems.
• Have an accurate count of all children and adults on your tour, and have your payment ready when you arrive. The amount of payment should match the number of students and adults in the group. Students and chaperones may not pay individually and receive the discounted rate.
• Please bring a minimum of one adult chaperone for every ten children. Chaperones must be able to climb the lighthouse tower.
• Children with special emotional or physical needs must each be accompanied by an adult.
• Younger siblings may not accompany school or home school tours and will not be admitted at the discounted rate.
• Your group must stay together and exit the grounds promptly when the tour is completed. The average tour lasts about two hours.
• Students may visit our gift shop at the conclusion of their tour, only when accompanied by at least one chaperone for every ten students.
• Teachers and chaperones are responsible for their group's behavior. Unruly students will be asked to leave and will not be readmitted to the grounds. For the safety and comfort of our visitors, there will be no spitting or throwing of objects from the top of the tower. Please enforce proper standards of behavior. No running, shouting, pushing, climbing, defacing property or wandering away from the group is permitted.
• No food, drinks, water bottles, toys, games, radios, large bags or backpacks are allowed on the Light Station grounds.
• The museum does not have picnic facilities, but the town park located nearby has restrooms, tables and bus parking (on weekdays only). Cooking is not allowed.
• We divide large classes whenever possible, so please have your students prepared to break into smaller groups of about 20 students and two chaperones each.
• If you must cancel your tour, please do so as soon as possible by calling (386) 761-1821, extension 18 or email Bob Callister.
• When you arrive, please wait on the bus until our staff boards your bus and provides further instructions. If yours is a paying group, you may send one adult into our Gift Shop with your payment.
• Pre- and post-visit activities as well as a brief history of the Station, a timeline, and the Sunshine State Standards addressed by our tours are available in this section of our web site.
• School Group Souvenir Bags are available for purchase prior to date of visit. Prices range from $4.25 to $4.75 at a savings of appox. 50%. Special prices are part of the Light Station's outreach program. Souvenir Bags inlclude one of each: I Climbed Certificate; 12-Inch Lighthouse Ruler; Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Postcard; one free Child's Admission Ticket for a future visit to the Light Station and either a Lighthouse Pen, Magnet, or Model.

Summer Tours

Many schools, camps and other organizations book tours with us in the summer. These should be planned as far in advance as possible, since our schedule fills quickly. Remember, it is hot here in the summer, so our tours are scheduled in the morning.

The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse also sponsors many education events througout the year including Homeschool Day. Please see our online calendar for more details.