Mary McLeod Bethune's Home and Gravesite
Next stop, the historic home of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Historic Landmark that served as the former home of a beloved civil rights leader, now turned museum. Built-in 1915, this home of internationally renowned educator and civil rights leader is filled with fascinating artifacts and photos during Dr. Bethune’s occupancy. The home/museum is located on the land in which Dr. Bethune first founded Bethune-Cookman University, the campus proudly boasting her continued legacy. Not only was Dr. Bethune well known for her education and community outreach efforts, but she was also the creator of the National Council of Negro Women as well as the highest-ranking African American Administrator in 1936. In 1945 the United States State Department selected Dr. Bethune to attend the United Nation’s Charter as well!
Guided tours of the home are available by appointment only, but you are still welcome to come explore with or without a planned tour. The interior of the house is filled with fascinating memorabilia and artifacts, such as photographs of celebrity visitors and the U.S. President lining the walls. One of the most popular stops inside the house is the guest bedroom, in which Mary’s close friend and recurring guest Eleanor Roosevelt stayed during her Daytona Beach visits. Just a little west of the home, still within the campus of Bethune-Cookman University, your group will also find her grave and memorial, dedicated by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Enjoy this incredible opportunity to see the home and gravesite of one of the most important women in Florida history, not to mention United States history as a whole!
