Plan a weekend trip to West Palm Beach where you will find great museums, a vibrant downtown, beautiful gardens, beaches, outstanding performing arts, unique wildlife habitats and great restaurants. Visit the Norton Museum of Art, view tropical plants from six continents at Mounts Botanical Garden, and stroll through the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. Best things to do in West Palm Beach on a day trip or weekend getaway with kids include the Cox Science Center and Aquarium and Grassy Waters Nature Preserve.
Norton Museum of Art
The Norton Museum of Art is well known for its diverse and engaging collection of both local and international works. Located in Downtown West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art showcases over 7,000 pieces with an emphasis on European, Chinese, and American artists. The museum has gained popularity due to its unique approach to attracting visitors through specialty programs and events. With a bursting calendar of events that features attractions for people of all ages (including families) and programs, workshops, and classes throughout the week, the museum is both an art collector and engaging community epicenter.
1451 S Olive Ave, West Palm Beach, Florida, Phone: 561-832-5196 After enjoying the art, head to the beach, stroll through the Antique Row Art & Design District or visit the West Palm Beach Green Market. At the end of the day, dine at one of these outstanding West Palm Beach restaurants.
Mounts Botanical Garden
Mounts Botanical Garden is West Palm Beach’s largest and oldest public garden, home to nearly two thousand types of tropical plants deriving from six continents. The various plant species are housed in several distinct gardens, including an exotic trees garden, tropical fruit garden, herbs garden, and citrus and palms garden. Additionally, a variety of other gardens, of which there are over 20, are on site, and they feature a diverse range of ecosystems and natural habitats from butterflies to extremely rare and unique plants, a rose garden, a begonia garden, and a Mediterranean garden. Each area comes with literature and interpretive education on the unique qualities of each garden, including its growth and maintenance requirements.
531 N Military Trl, West Palm Beach, Florida, Phone: 561-233-1757
McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary
McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary treats hundreds of native South Florida animals every year. Through guided on site tours, visitors are able to experience the facility and interact with several different animals. Visitors can learn about the rescue process, including how the sanctuary aids local wildlife officials to capture wounded animals, and take a peak into the rehabilitation center, including a treatment clinic and recovery room for the orphaned or injured creatures.
If you are wondering what to do in West Palm Beach, Florida with kids, this is a great place to visit. Finally, McCarthy’s offers an outreach program to educate the public on how to interact with wildlife, and advocates for measures to advance the protection of animals in the wild.
12943 61st St N, West Palm Beach, Florida, Phone: 561-790-2116
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a hub of cultural and entertainment options, and it is known as a premiere community center in the Southeast United States.
Popular for attracting famous performances, high profile acts, and renowned shows, there is no lack of entertainment options at the Kravis Center, and the calendar of events is often filled with the names of the best and brightest in show business.
The website of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts provides information on upcoming shows, concerts, and performances on its online calendar, along with ticket purchasing options. If you are looking for romantic date night ideas in West Palm Beach, watch a performance at the Kravis Center.
701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, Florida, Phone: 561-832-7469
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
A historic West Palm Beach feature, Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens are situated on the grounds of the former home of Ann Weaver Norton.
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
With a mission to open the public’s minds to science through interactive participation, engaging events, and community-based interaction, the Cox Science Center and Aquarium is a premiere educational and recreational facility. The museum boasts over 50 diverse hands-on exhibits, including 8,000-gallon salt water and fresh water aquariums that house both exotic and local marine life.
Additionally, a state of the art planetarium that screens educational and feature length films and an interactive exhibit hall, complete with an Everglades exhibit displaying the rich and diverse Everglade ecosystem, provide visitors with no shortage of opportunities for engaged learning and entertaining educational pursuits. If you are looking for best things to do in West Palm Beach with kids, this is a great stop.
4801 Dreher Trail N, West Palm Beach, Florida, Phone: 561-832-1988
The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum
The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum is a cultural history museum operated by the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.
Ragtops Automobile Museum
A premiere destination for vintage automobile lovers, Ragtops Automobile Museum showcases a variety of unique automobiles, special interest pieces, and authentic memorabilia throughout a nearly 10,000 square foot facility.
Taste History Culinary Tours
Centered on the multicultural population of the West Palm Beach area, the Taste History Culinary Tour dedicates itself to providing guests with an immersive and comprehensive experience. Touching on the variety of flavors that exist in the area, each tour features a cultural array of food tastings, along with an entertaining and engaging background on food history and culture.
With a goal to get tourists away from the touristy areas of the city, the bus-led tour takes visitors to food centric neighborhoods in areas like Lake Worth, Delray Beach, and more, where the ethnicity of food ranges from Cuban to French to Italian and beyond.
Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society
Located in downtown West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a 23-acre campus that is home to nearly 700 species of animals.
Manatee Lagoon
When it comes to beautiful sea creatures, the beloved manatee will often come to mind in Florida. At Manatee Lagoon, visitors can come and see these elegant sea dwellers in the flesh and learn more about them.
Okeeheelee Park
Home to over 1,700 acres of exciting recreational space, Okeeheelee Parkis one of South Florida’s largest parks and a popular destination for sporting enthusiasts.
Some Great West Palm Beach Dining Options
Serving high-end dinner to West Palm Beach guests, kitchen is an upscale eatery known for its innovative approach to standard American dishes and its relaxed take on fine dining. Aioli is a West Palm Beach breakfast and lunch eatery that also provides the option to pick up meals to go for dinner. Serenity Garden Tea House has become a staple on the West Palm Beach dining scene since its 1998 opening by restaurateur Audrey Farrelly.
The Royal Poinciana Plaza
The Royal Poinciana Plaza is one of Palm Beach's most iconic shopping destinations, originally constructed in the late 1950s by world-renowned architect John Volk.
Grassy Waters Nature Preserve
Grassy Waters Nature Preserve is a wetlands ecosystem stretching across a nearly 30 square mile area of West Palm Beach. This Preserve is both a regional attraction and a utility for the city, as it is the primary fresh water supply for West Palm Beach and the surrounding islands.
Aside from providing fresh water, the Preserve also offers hands-on, interactive, educational opportunities for visitors, who are able to tour the grounds and facilities to learn more about the wetlands and the area’s history in the visitor’s center and through public education programs. Additionally, several miles of trails stretch across the landscape through the Preserve, and are open to guests to use free of charge.
West Palm Beach Airboat Rides
West Palm Beach Airboat Rides offers guests a truly unique South Florida experience with private, guided tours on the unique floating-on-water airboat that is renowned for racing around Southern Florida swamplands. With several different packages to choose from, guests can elect to travel via airboat through a brief tour of the Florida Everglades with the Full Throttle trip, a more laid back in depth examination of the marshlands with the Everglades Explorer trip, or an intensive Eco Tourist ride, which is perfect for those looking to learn about the area’s history and explore the depth of the backcountry. Phone: 561-252-4030
Rapids Water Park
Rapids Water Park is a popular warm weather destination. Featuring a wave pool with waves up to six feet tall, a quarter mile long lazy river tubing experience, thirty-five distinct water slides, and a separate area for children and toddlers, Rapids Water Park offers family based entertainment for people of all sizes and ages. The park divides its attractions into three categories: the biggest, featuring intense and exhilarating rides, the coolest, for laidback and relaxing trips, and the wettest, which are the most water intensive experiences. Rapids Water Park also has changing rooms and showers, along with a café for meals, snacks and drinks.
6566 N Military Trl, Riviera Beach, FL 33407, 561-848-6272
