The surprisingly large New Smyrna Museum of History (120 Sams Ave., 386/478-0052, www.nsbhistory.org [1], 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tues.–Sat., free) focuses on the various waves of inhabitants who called this area home. The few exhibits are well curated and adequately explained, giving visitors a sense of the area’s evolution from the early Timucuan settlements and colonial-era explorers all the way through the 20th century.
Of note is the attention given to the Turnbull Colony; in 1768, it was the largest settlement in America, and the museum provides a good look at what life for those early settlers was like.
Links:
[1] http://www.nsbhistory.org