New Smyrna Beach provides a good mix of history and nature. When not sunbathing, visitors can take advantage of one of the areas historical sites, which include historic ruins, a national park and waterways. The Sugar Mill Ruins represents what is left of a sugar mill built in the early 1800s that was later destroyed in a Native American uprising. The Canaveral National Seashore offers tourists a chance to explore the flora and fauna of Florida on the island's 24 miles of beach.

Another historical attraction is the local museum. Built in 1899, New Smyrna Beach's Black Heritage Museum used to house the black parish of St. Rita's Catholic Mission. The former parish was turned into a museum in1999 and is home to more than 70 replicas of African American inventions such as a wood-burning stove, an ice box and authentic African masks.