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Whether you are
seeking relaxation, entertainment, shopping, or a variety of land and water
sports, you will find that your vacation dreams are sure to come true in this
popular vacation destination. Set out below is a selection of some of the most
popular attractions and activities in the area.
Lion Country
Safari
Southern Blvd. West
793-1084
Van rentals available
Daily 9:30-5:30 last vehicle in by 4:30.
Drive (with car windows closed; no convertibles or pets) on 8 miles of paved
roads through a 500-acre cageless zoo where 1,300 wild animals roam. Lions,
elephants, white rhinoceroses, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, chimpanzees, and
ostriches are among those in residence. Special exhibits include the Kalahari
Bushvelt, designed after a South African plateau and containing water buffalo
and Nilgai (the largest type of Asian antelope), and the Gir Forest, modelled
after a game forest in India and showcasing a pride of lions. Stop by the petting
zoo, or take a ride on the Safari Queen cruise.
Norton Museum
Of Art
1451 S. Olive Ave.
Tel: 832-5194.
Mon.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 1-5 More
Info
Constructed in 1941 by steel magnate Ralph H. Norton, this museum boasts an
extensive permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American and European
paintings with special emphasis on 19th-century French Impressionists. There
are also Chinese bronze and jade sculptures, a sublime outdoor patio with sculptures
on display in a tropical garden, and a library housing more than 3,000 art books
and periodicals. Nine galleries showcase travelling exhibits as well as art
from the permanent collection.
Palm Beach Zoo At Dreher Park
1301 Summit Blvd.
533-0887 or 547-9453.
Daily 9-5 (until 7 on spring and summer weekends).
This excellent zoo is a 23-acre complex with more than 500 animals representing
more than 100 species, including Florida panthers, red kangaroos, and Bengal
tigers. The newest exhibit, Tropics of America, has six acres of tropical rain
forest plus Mayan ruins, an Amazon River village, and an aviary. Also of note
are a nature trail, an Australian Outback exhibit, and a children's zoo.
Arthur R. Marshall-Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
10119 Lee Rd., off U.S. 441 between Boynton Beach Blvd. (Rte. 804) and Atlantic
Ave. (Rte. 806), west of Boynton Beach
734-8303
Daily 6 AM-sunset; visitor centre weekdays 9-4, weekends 9-4:30
Entrance fees apply.
The refuge, established in 1951, is the last remnant of land in the northern
Everglades in South Florida. It was acquired in an effort to protect migratory
birds, endangered species and the remaining 147,368 acres of northern Everglades
habitat. Celebrate Florida's National Wildlife Refuges. Discover the uniqueness
of the Florida Everglades as you participate in a variety of programs offered
free of charge. Be sure to bring a camera and binoculars to explore the nature
trails or canoe trail. Look closely for anhingas, fulvous whistling ducks, smooth-billed
anis, egrets, herons, alligators and turtles. Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge is full of surprises.
International Museum Of Cartoon Art
201 Plaza Real
391-2200
Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. noon-6.
Telephone first to verify hours.
Championed by Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker, this is the only museum
of its kind in the world. It showcases more than 160,000 pieces of art created
over two centuries by more than 1,000 artists from more than 50 countries: everything
from turn-of-the-century Buster Brown cartoons to the Road Runner to Charles
Schulz's Peanuts.
Boca Raton Museum of Art
Mizner Park, Boca Raton
Designed by Fort Lauderdale architect Donald Singer, the museum is on a sliver
of land at the north end of Mizner Park. It is a two-story, 44,000-square-foot
facility.
In 1999, two children passed a paper cup around Mizner Park, collecting $4 in
change for a proposed new museum. They proudly presented their gift to the Museum,
which at that time was in crowded, temporary quarters. From that important beginning,
it took three years to raise roughly $13.3 million in cash and pledges, which
was over and above the project's original $10 million goal.
The handsome new
building was recently unveiled in Mizner Park. Not only did the new museum open
mortgage-free, but there was enough money left over to support an operating
endowment, renovate the museum's old building on Palmetto Park Road into an
art school and pay off the mortgage on the original expansion property at 700
Banyan Trail.
With room for larger temporary exhibitions on the first floor and chunks of
the permanent collection on the second, the museum can show off more of its
roughly 4,000 objects. Only about 3 percent of the collection could be exhibited
at any one time in the old building, which also wasn't big enough to house some
popular travelling shows. (The museum celebrated the opening with a large exhibition
devoted to Pablo Picasso.)
The building also has an outdoor sculpture garden, an auditorium, children's
education centre, library and those indispensable amenities for a modern museum
-- a big gift shop and a "grand hall" to host fund raising social
benefits.
Gumbo Limbo
Nature Centre
1801 N. Ocean Blvd.
Tel: 338-1473
Donation welcome; turtle tours extra (tickets must be obtained in advance).
Mon.-Sat. 9-4, Sun. noon-4; turtle tours late May-mid-July, Mon.-Thurs. 9 PM-midnight.
Children enjoy are the four huge saltwater sea tanks containing an abundance
of sealife -- from coral to stingrays. A long boardwalk winds through dense
forest to a 50-ft tower you can climb to overlook the tree canopy. In the spring
and early summer, staff members lead nighttime turtle walks to see nesting females
come ashore and lay their eggs.
Hoffman's Chocolate
Shoppe & Gardens
5190 Lake Worth Road
Greenacres
Tel: 967-2213
For generations, the Hoffman family has been creating the most luscious chocolate
masterpieces using only the finest ingredients. Each year more than 150,000
visitors are received at the Hoffman's Bavarian-style Tudor factory to watch
the creations being made and to tantalize their senses with more than 80 varieties
of confections. Located just in the back of our chocolate factory are the lush
tropical gardens through which visitors stroll alongside colourful foliage,
stopping to view the waterfall, fish pond, and a G-scale train village with
500 feet of track, while enjoying a chocolate treat. From Thanksgiving through
the New Year, Hoffman's transforms the gardens into a Winter Wonderland with
over 200,000 lights and brilliant displays. Visitors from near and far arrive
at Hoffman's to view and enjoy this free event.
Jupiter Lighthouse
U.S. Highway 1 and Highway A1A, Jupiter, 747-8380
The oldest existing structure in Palm Beach County and one of the most photographed
structures in South Florida. Open Sunday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Last
tour begins 3:15 p.m.) weather permitting. It is a strenuous climb. Visitors
must be in good health and at least 48 inches tall. For your safety, please
wear shoes fastened in the back.
Lion Country
Safari
2003 Lion Country Safari Road
Loxahatchee, 793-1084
America's first "cageless zoo." Enjoy an exciting drive through one
of the world's great wild animal preserves with more than 1,200 wild animals
roaming free within inches of your car. Then visit Safari World amusement park
with narrated boat cruise, miniature golf, animal and bird displays, paddleboats,
reptile park, petting zoo, picnic area, restaurant, gift shops, a new carousel
and Lory feeding aviary. While the African Lion is still a prominent species
in the preserve, Lion Country also provides a home where rare and endangered
animals can live and reproduce. Lion Country is one of America's leading centres
for the education and preservation of wildlife. Rare births at Lion Country,
such as the African elephant, white rhinoceros and giraffes, are some examples
of the success of the cageless zoo prototype that has helped revolutionize the
zoo industry.
Loxahatchee Everglades Tour
Boca Raton
482-0313
Enjoy air boat tours, and see Florida the way it used to be. Loxahatchee Everglades
Tours are open to the public. Guided tours are available every day from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. A one-hour environmental tour is available for reservations of parties
15 or more.
Manatee Queen
Behind The Crab House, Jupiter Island, Tel: 744-2191
Sightseeing Tours 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily. Sunset cruise 5-6:30 p.m. Enjoy
the evening along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Marinelife
Centre of Juno Beach
14200 U.S. Highway 1 at Loggerhead Park, Juno Beach, Tel: 627-8280, 10 a.m.
- 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. No admission
charge. Donations Appreciated. More
Info
Visit endangered sea turtles in a rehabilitation facility. Aquariums & marine
life exhibits help visitors understand the fragile environment.
Mounts Botanical
Gardens
531 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach
Tel: 233-1749
Tour a collection of tropical and subtropical plants, including fruits, citrus,
rose garden, hibiscus, herb garden, xeriscape, a rain forest and more. 8:30
a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday.
On The Rocks
8400B Garden Road, Riviera Beach
Tel: 842-2999.
On The Rocks offers: indoor rock climbing, with over 30 feet tall climbs. Team
building and challenge ropes courses that build teamwork, enhance trust and
communication. Adventure trips, weekend camp-outs to week-long excursions. Portable
rock climbing walls, perfect for festivals, events and company parties.
The Palm Beach
Water Taxi
Based out of Sailfish Marina & Resort, Singer Island.
Tel: 683-TAXI
Offers daily narrated Sightseeing Tours such as "Palm Beach Now & Then",
and "Nature Lovers Tour" and Sunset and Moonlight Cruises.
Waterway transfer service is also available to and from downtown West Palm Beach's
Clematis Street District; Palm Beach Garden's Waterway Cafe, Sailfish Marina
& Resort, Singer Island; waterfront attractions, restaurants & bars;
Peanut and Munyon Islands; and special events.
Palm Beach
Zoo at Dreher Park
1301 Summit Boulevard
West Palm Beach
Tel: 533-0887
Open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call 547-WILD for special event information and summer and holiday hours. More Info
Discover why The Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park is the number one family attraction
in Palm Beach County. This intimate, 23-acre tropical zoological garden is home
to more than 400 animals representing Australia, South and Central America,
Asia and Florida. The zoo is committed to the preservation of several endangered
species including the Komodo dragon, Bengal tiger, lemur, cotton top tamarin,
golden lion tamarin, Florida panther, and features the nation's first outdoor
exhibit of Goeldi's monkeys. Enjoy the children's area and reptile house. Explore
the Cornell Nature Trail and shaded paved walkways throughout the zoo. Enjoy
refreshments at the Treehouse Cafe and search for treasures at the Zoo Gift
Shop.
Rapids Water
Park
6566 N. Military Trail
West Palm Beach
Tel: 842-8756
Rapids Water Park is South Florida's foremost family water park with over 12
acres of attractions. Plunge down 1,600 feet of spiralling flumes, dare to ride
out the storm in Tubin' Tornadoes or blast off in the new Body Blasters enclosed
slides. Get totally tubular in the quarter-mile Action River, wave channel,
aquatic rain forest and 25,000-square foot Big Surf Wave Pool. Little ones can
also make a splash in the new Splish Splash Lagoon with 5 slides, a fort, shipwreck
and water shooting canons. The Rapids is open from mid March through mid October
in West Palm Beach.
Sawgrass Recreational
Park
Located two miles north of I-75 on Hwy. 27 N.
Tel: 1-800-457-0788
Fax (954) 389-9425
Everglades tours at Sawgrass Recreation Park show the real Florida - the "sea
of grass." See the Everglades by airboat; visit an Indian village, alligator
and reptile exhibit and birds of prey. Allow two hours for everything.
South Florida
Science Museum
4801 Dreher Trail North
West Palm Beach, Tel: 832-1988
Admission is $6 for Adults and $4 for children 3-17
Children under 3 are free. For more information call 832-1988.
At the South Florida Science Museum, dozens of hands-on permanent exhibits as
well as special travelling exhibitions appeal to all ages. The McGlinty Aquarium
features tanks with Pacific and Atlantic species as well as Mangrove & Coral
Reef habitats. The Aldrin Planetarium offers star shows and spectacular laser
light concerts. The Museum is open Mon. - Thurs, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fridays from
10 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sundays from Noon-6 p.m. On Friday
nights the Telescope Observatory is open for sky viewing from dark to 10 p.m.
(weather permitting.) Special travelling exhibits also.
Sports Immortals
Museum
6830 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
Tel: 997-2575
The largest sports memorabilia collection in the world is here. Rare sports
collectables and video presentations provide an exciting look at the history
of sports. Special features include theme parties, field trips, tours and fund
raisers.
SunCruz Casino
Sailing out of the Riviera Beach Marina at noon and 7:00 p.m. daily. Tel: 1-800-474-DICE
for reservations and information. SunCruz Casino is a seven day a week, two
sails a day, casino cruise. 300 slots, 19 table games, poker room, sports book
are among the offerings. A bountiful buffet and beverage service are available.
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
1 Whitehall Way
Tel: 655-2833
Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. noon-5
A tour with well informed guides takes about an hour. The opulence of Florida's
Gilded Age is still apparent at Whitehall, the palatial 73-room mansion Henry
Flagler had built in 1901 for his third wife, Mary Lily Kenan. Then-famous architects
John Carrère and Thomas Hastings were instructed to spare no expense in creating
the finest home they could imagine. They did as they were told, and Whitehall
rivals some of the fine palaces of Europe. In 1960 Flagler's granddaughter,
Jean Flagler Matthews, bought the building, which had been the Whitehall Hotel
from 1929 to 1959, and made it a museum. On display are many of the original
furnishings, an art collection, a 1,200-pipe organ, and exhibits on the history
of the Florida East Coast Railway, including Flagler's personal railroad car,
the Rambler.
The Breakers
Originally built by Henry Flagler in 1895 and rebuilt by his descendants after
a fire in 1925, this luxury hotel was one of the starting points of Florida
tourism. It resembles an ornate Italian Renaissance palace and recently received
a $100 million dollar renovation. The lobby of this five star hotel has painted
arched ceilings hung with crystal chandeliers, and an ornate Florentine Dining
Room, which is hung with 15th-century Flemish tapestries.
Originally, Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway was designed with a stop
right on the grounds of the Breakers for the convenience of affluent guests
travelling from all parts of the country for a Florida holiday.
Mid-Town Beach
This small beach directly east of Worth Avenue is especially popular because
it's so close to town. But the only parking meters along Ocean Boulevard, the
only convenient public beach access, are found between Worth Avenue and Royal
Palm Way. 400 S. Ocean Blvd. Other parking is reserved for residents of Palm
Beach who are issued special parking decals.
Shopping
Palm Beach
Comparable to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive or Palm Desert's El Paso, Palm Beach's
Worth Avenue is a must for the discriminating shopper.
The Esplanade
Newly renovated, this two story shopping promenade now emulates the Mediterranean
revival-style architecture made popular by Addison Miner in the 20's. It is
the perfect setting for elegant boutiques, fine dining and of course, Saks and
numerous other anchor stores.
West Palm Beach
City Information.
Population:
67,000 in the city and 700,000 visitors annually
Location:
On the southeast coast of Florida bordering Lake Worth.
Elevation:
21 feet
Have you been to West Palm Beach and know about some more great highlights worth a mention? Add details for other visitors to read about.
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