The 10 Best Things to do in West Palm Beach, Florida (FL)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! : Eight lush acres of endangered wildlife surrounded by a botanical garden situated in the palmetto and pine forest of West Palm Beach! Over 200 animals from White Tigers to African Lions, Black Leopards, Ligers, Lynx and Amur Leopards seen from just four feet away. You can't get any closer than this by law! Hands on experiences with alligators, snakes, tarantulas, and who knows what else. You will have to come by and experience it for yourself! We are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit wildlife rescue facility that take in injured native wildlife, orphaned babies, and unwanted exotic pets! Your experience here helps us with the tremendous expense of caring for our animals. Price is $35.00 for adults and $25.00 for children (ages 5yrs.-15yrs).

FREE PARKING DAILY! As Palm Beach County’s only top-rated Zoological experience, we are home to over 550 animals, many of them endangered. Our mission is to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world. Our unique tropical zoo showcases an animal collection (Malayan tigers, jaguars, Mexican spider monkeys, panther) from around the world, living in natural habitats. Enjoy shady paths, a colorful carousel, an interactive water play fountain, Nature Play Pavilion, a full-service restaurant, and 11 daily shows and keeper talks where you can watch animal trainings, feedings and meet zookeepers. Book a behind-the-scenes animal experience and get up close and personal with a sloth, koalas, capybaras, anteaters, Aldabra tortoises or mingle with flamingos.

The Norton Museum of Art was founded in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton (1875-1953) and his wife Elizabeth Calhoun Norton (1881-1947). The Museum’s permanent collection now consists of more than 7,600 works in five curatorial departments: European, American, Chinese, Contemporary and Photography. The Museum’s expansion that opened February 9, 2019 was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of the architectural firm Foster + Partners. It is the most comprehensive in the institution’s 78-year history. Dramatic changes include boldly re-orienting the main entrance to South Dixie Highway , which restores the symmetrical east-west campus axis created in 1941 by original architect Marion Sims Wyeth. The building and accompanying lush sculpture garden, enable the Norton to exhibit more art, present more programs, and provide a growing community an up-to-date center for the public to enjoy art and culture.

Destination in West Palm Beach with food & beverage, retail, arts & culture, education and community experiences for all ages.

HOURS: Sunrise - Sunset lighted court facilities open until 9:00 pm lighted athletic fields (permit required) open until 10:00 pm AMENITIES baseball fields, lighted (5) bicycle paths (8 miles) BMX track boat launching area (freshwater fishing lake, non-motorized) boat launching ramp (water ski lake) (2) boat slips, day use only (19) disc golf (18 holes) dog park, Pooch Pines equestrian center, Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 111-acre, world-class equestrian showplace covered arena open riding area training rings equestrian trail (8.11 miles) exercise course (20 stations, 1 mile) fishing (freshwater-stocked) golf course, Okeeheelee Public Golf Course 27 holes (3 nine-hole courses) chipping area driving range practice putting green pro shop snack bar lake frontage mountain biking (located on the east side of Pinehurst Drive, south of Forest Hill Boulevard) multipurpose fields, lighted (4) nature center, Okeeheelee Nature Center (hours vary) exhibit hall with live animals meeting rooms outdoor classroom rental facilities nature trail, interpretive (0.75 mile) nature trails (1.2 miles) parking boat/trailer parking (water ski lake/freshwater fishing lake) regular parking picnic areas with grills, single table picnic pavilions (Alligator, Micanopy, Osceola, Tuskeegee), reserved group (4) picnic shelters, family picnic shelters, single table pier (fishing) playground, including playground safety play structure (ages 2-5 years) play structure (ages 5-12 years) rental concession (call for hours) canoe/kayak/pedal boat rentals 561/304-1344 bicycle rentals 561/304-1344 restroom facilities softball fields, lighted (4) tennis courts, lighted (8) volleyball, grass courts (1) walking paths (8 miles) water skiing courses (permit and fee required) (5)

With a mission to "inspire and educate through nature" and a history spanning more than 40 years, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden. Located behind Palm Beach International Airport, the Garden is a hidden gem. Visitors to this 14-acre tropical oasis will see an acclaimed collection of 25 unique garden areas containing more than 5,000 species of tropical and sub-tropical plants, including Florida natives, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, roses, cactus, bromeliads and much more. Other highlights include the award-winning Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland and Lake Orth, where an island overlook gives visitors a view of the koi, plecos and turtles that are in abundance. Mounts Botanical is part of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Department, in partnership with the University of Florida and the non-profit Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden.

Take advantage of up to 70 percent savings on America's most desired brands at the premier outlet mall of the Palm Beaches. Conveniently located off of I-95 in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Outlets features over 100 outlets including Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Nike Factory Store, J.Crew | crewcuts Factory, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Under Armour and dozens more. Beyond fashion, delight all your senses with delicious treats from Lindt Chocolate, and health and beauty favorites from Crabtree & Evelyn Outlet, Perfumania, and the Fragrance Outlet. Or treat yourself at one of several jewelry shops from Swarovski to Jared Vault. The spacious Food Pavilion offers a wide variety of quick eating options for busy shoppers. If you're looking for a place to sit down, relax, and enjoy a bite, there are also nearby restaurants located on the property including Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and B.J.'s Restaurant & Brewhouse. There are even more shops and discounts at Nordstrom Rack, T.J. Maxx and others at Marketplace at the Outlets, located next to the mega-shopping center.

The History of Clematis Street & West Palm Beach Henry Flagler A history of the Clematis Street District or of West Palm Beach cannot be told without mentioning the name of Henry Flagler. Anyone who has been in Florida for even a short amount of time will recognize the name. It's all over Florida roads, bridges and beaches as well as countless other monuments and museums. Flagler's Dream: Palm Beach Henry Flagler co-founded Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller and also built the Florida railroad from Jacksonville to Key West. He came to the West Palm Beach area in 1893. After being impressed with the natural beauty of the area, he sought to create the most famous resort in the world, Palm Beach. The resort would be conveniently accessible by his own railroad. He built two major hotels, The Breakers and the Royal Poinciana Hotel (later destroyed by a hurricane). He also built what is now West Palm Beach directly across Lake Worth for the service people who worked on the island and as a commercial district. Clematis Street Not only is it one of the trendiest places to be today, it also boasts a long and important history. Clematis Street began as the main thoroughfare of West Palm Beach in the early 20th century. It connected the train station on the west with the ferry to Palm Beach Island on the east. Early 20th Century: Storefronts logically multiplied and lined each way, as Clematis became the "Main Street" of West Palm Beach. The commuters of the day would traverse Clematis Street and frequent these shops before and after work, much like we do today. It's many older buildings display a fascinating journey through South Florida history. Automobiles Change Everything Eventually automobiles, bridges and highways replaced the train, ferry and buggies as the main means of transportation. While once the train station was the link to the outside world, visitors could now arrive via various routes. Okeechobee Boulevard would eventually become the main connection from route 95 over to Palm Beach and Clematis Street would lose its steady flow of passers-by. As the area progressed, suburban sprawl contributed to the growth of metropolitan West Palm Beach, yet the downtown business area remained. The Downtown Development Authority In 1967 the Downtown Development Authority was created to impact Downtown's economic conditions, formulate long-range plans for improving the appeal and accessibility of Downtown facilities, promoting their use, providing remedy to any deterioration of Downtown property values, and most importantly, retaining and attracting businesses to Clematis Street. In short, the DDA works to retain and attract business and to protect the investments of its constituents. Largely due to the Downtown Development Authority Clematis Street is still considered the Main Street of West Palm Beach.