New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

A Gateway to the Stars

Canaveral National Seashore

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, November 1, 2020

1. A Gateway to the Stars Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

“Now it is time to take longer strides – time for a great new American enterprise – time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth.”

- John F. Kennedy, Speech to Congress on May 25th, 1961.

Welcome to the Apollo Beach district of Canaveral National Seashore. You have entered the northern boundary of an area authorized by the United States Congress as a unit of the National Park Service on January 3, 1975. As the name Apollo suggests, this national seashore is tied by geography and history to the United States space program, Kennedy Space Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Before the Apollo program was to lift off, a suitable place had to be secured. This place was on the east coast of Central Florida near a small town called Cape Canaveral. Before the idea of a national seashore was born, parcels of land were acquired from private and public hands to set aside for the nation’s launch into space.

As the needs of the space program

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were met, some local officials saw the value of public lands that may be saved for preservation. Lands and waters were set aside for Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in 1963 and for Canaveral National Seashore twelve years later. Today three Federal agencies; NASA, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service stand as partners and protectors of a place where nature is the gateway to the stars.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space.

Location. 28° 55.635′ N, 80° 49.459′ W. Marker is in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in Volusia County. Marker is on South Atlantic Avenue, one mile south of Trout Avenue, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located in front of the Apollo Beach Visitor Center, Canaveral National Seashore. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7611 S Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach FL 32169, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Turtle Mound (approx. ¼ mile away); The Mound Builders (approx. ¼ mile away); Eldora House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Eldora Village (approx. 1.3 miles away); a different marker also named Eldora Village (approx. 1.3 miles away); Bethune Beach

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, November 1, 2020

2. A Gateway to the Stars Marker

(approx. 1.8 miles away); Bethune-Volusia Beach (approx. 1.9 miles away); Veterans Field of Honor (approx. 3.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Smyrna Beach.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2020, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 10, 2020, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.