Self-Guided Visit
Historic Cemetery Walk
Walk among the graves of Daytona Beach's earliest settlers and forefathers in the city's oldest beachside cemetery.
- Duration:
- 45 min
Cemetery / Burial Ground
Pinewood Historic Cemetery
Daytona Beach's oldest beachside cemetery, dating to the 1870s-1880s, where local legend tells of the headless ghost of town forefather Adler Rawlings and apparitions drifting among the historic graves.
Main Street at Peninsula Drive, Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
No admission; a public historic cemetery maintained by a nonprofit restoration group.
Access
Limited Access
Older beachside cemetery with uneven ground, sand, and aging markers; restoration ongoing.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1887 · Oldest cemetery on the Daytona Beach peninsula · Burial place of more than 1,700 people, including the city's early founders · Subject of an active community-led historic restoration effort
Pinewood Historic Cemetery sits at the corner of Main Street and Peninsula Drive on the beachside of Daytona Beach, in Volusia County, Florida. It is widely regarded as the oldest cemetery on the Daytona Beach peninsula. The land was acquired in the 1870s, and documented burials began in the 1880s, with sources citing 1887 as the date of the first recorded interment.
Over the following decades the cemetery became the resting place of more than 1,700 people, among them many of Daytona Beach's founding families and civic figures — the 'prominent forefathers' whose names recur in the city's early history. Genealogical resources including Find a Grave and BillionGraves catalog the burials, and the cemetery's age and association with the town's founders give it genuine historical significance.
By the twenty-first century the cemetery had fallen into neglect, with damaged and weathered markers. A nonprofit, the Historic Pinewood Cemetery group, has worked to restore and maintain the grounds; local news in 2025 reported renewed community efforts to clean up and preserve the site. The cemetery sits in the beachside district near the Ocean Center and Auditorium Boulevard area.
Sources
- https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/72459/pinewood-cemetery
- https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/06/13/daytona-beach-residents-unite-to-restore-citys-oldest-beachside-cemetery/
- https://www.tampafp.com/graveyard-ghosts-headless-spirit-roams-the-pinewood-cemetery-in-daytona-beach/
Headless apparition associated with Adler RawlingsApparition of a woman among the gravesFull-bodied figures hovering over headstonesDisembodied playful laughter near children's gravesVanishing cats around Rawlings' tomb
Pinewood Historic Cemetery has long carried a haunted reputation in Daytona Beach folklore, recounted by local ghost tours, regional news outlets, and paranormal sites. Its signature legend concerns Adler Rawlings, remembered as one of the town's prominent early citizens. According to the story, his tomb was disturbed and his remains scattered — local retellings claim children once used the tomb as a clubhouse — and his head was never recovered. His headless spirit is said to roam the cemetery as a result. The legend is best treated as oral tradition; no documentary record verifies the desecration as described.
Beyond the Rawlings legend, visitors and ghost-tour guides describe the apparition of a woman among the graves, full-bodied figures seen hovering over headstones, and disembodied, playful laughter near the children's section. Some accounts mention well-dressed men appearing near the gates and a colony of cats around Rawlings' tomb said to vanish mysteriously.
Older anonymous reports tied to the surrounding beachside streets — unexplained figures photographed near a fence on Auditorium Boulevard and at a house on Hollywood, linked to a murder tale from the neighborhood's pre-1970s houses — circulate on user-submitted folklore indexes. These street-level accounts are uncorroborated and are noted here only as local color; the documented haunted tradition centers on the cemetery itself.
Notable Entities
Adler Rawlings (headless ghost legend)The Woman of Pinewood
Media Appearances
- Featured on Daytona Beach ghost tours and regional news coverage
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
Daytona Beach Ghost Tour Stop
Pinewood is featured on local ghost tours that recount the cemetery's legends, including the headless spirit of Adler Rawlings.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pinewood Historic Cemetery family-friendly?
A respectful daytime historic cemetery visit is fine for families; the headless-ghost legend involves a grave-desecration story that may be unsettling for young children. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Pinewood Historic Cemetery?
No admission; a public historic cemetery maintained by a nonprofit restoration group. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Pinewood Historic Cemetery wheelchair accessible?
Pinewood Historic Cemetery has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Older beachside cemetery with uneven ground, sand, and aging markers; restoration ongoing..