Sights in West Palm Beach
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Animal Park
The first cageless drive-through safari in the country, this incredible animal park puts you in the cage (ie your car) as 800 creatures roam freely, staring at you. Equal parts conservation area and safari, the park’s 500 acres are home to bison, zebra, white rhinos, chimpanzees and, of course, lions. You tour the safari section in your car (unless it’s a convertible; short-term rentals are available), driving slowly, hoping the animals approach the vehicle. The best time to go is when it rains, because the animals are more active when it’s cool.
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Clematis Street
Long before CityPlace came along and stole the show, there was Clematis Street, a hip strip that's bustling with locals doing their shopping, diners looking for a foodie scene, scads of bar-hoppers come nightfall, and a ragtag clutch of beggars and lost souls. This, my friends, is the most inclusive part of town - and much of it is also a historic district. Check out its eclectic collection of architectural samples - Greek Revival, Venetian Revival, Mediterranean Revival and art deco.
In its plaza at 2nd St and Narcissus Ave (where local school kids frolic in the fountains on hot afternoons) there's a small but wonderful West Palm Beach Greenmarket on Saturday mornings, w…
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Palm Beach Maritime Museum
There's not much to this museum in pleasant Currie Park, except for war buffs who will surely get off on the display of artifacts from the sunken battleship USS Maine. The museum's main attraction is as the place to catch the ferry to Peanut Island, home of the Kennedy Bunker, where typically brilliant Cold War-era advisers decided to build the president's fallout shelter. Here you'll see JFK's decontamination shower, then you can go hiking, snorkeling or even camping on the island.
The ferry comes at 10:00, noon and 14:00 Wednesday through Sunday.
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Riviera Beach
If you're hoping to enjoy the sand and surf, pickings are slim in West Palm proper. But Riviera Beach, about 3 miles north of downtown, has one of the nicest beaches in the area, with wild dunes that have remained undeveloped thanks to the area's blue-collar reputation. Lifeguards are on duty from 09:00 to 17:00 daily.
To get here, take Hwy 1 north from downtown West Palm Beach until you hit Blue Heron Way; cross the causeway and continue straight ahead until you see waves. Riviera Beach is served by PalmTran bus 30.
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Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
The highlight of this compact zoo is the Tropics of the Americas exhibit, a 3-acre recreation of a rainforest, stocked with jaguars, monkeys, snakes, macaws and other tropical creatures. Gator feedings occur regularly and are advertised. The zoo’s also home to a few of the last remaining Florida panthers, North America’s rarest mammal. Other unusual residents include Komodo dragons (the largest lizard in the world), capybaras (the largest rodent in the world) and red kangaroos, which can hop at speeds of up to 40mph.
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Ann Norton Sculpture Garden
This serene collection of sculptures is a real West Palm gem. The historic house, verdant grounds and enormous sculptures are all the work of Ralph Norton’s second wife, Ann. After establishing herself as an artist in New York in the mid-1930s, she became the first sculpture teacher at the Norton School of Art in West Palm and soon married Ralph. When creating the garden, she intended to create a soothing environment for the public to relax. She succeeded.
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Ragtops Motorcars Museum
This spot was originally a classic-car dealership with three convertible Mercedes, Ty Houck’s incredible automobile collection grew quickly, compelling area automotive enthusiasts to stop by for a look-see. Today, you can test-drive many of the vehicles on display, though it helps to have serious intent to buy. Otherwise, you’re free to browse the rarities displayed, including an amphibious 1967 Triumph, a regal 1935 Bentley and a 1959 Edsel station wagon.
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Mounts Botanical Garden
This pleasant, 15-acre botanical garden, between Southern Blvd and Belvedere Rd, was hit hard by a 2004 hurricane, forced to close for five months to allow its grounds to recuperate. But it's back now and better than ever, with 14 acres of tropical and subtropical plants, including citrus and floral trees, plus fragrant herb and flower gardens. However, its guided tours have been suspended until further notice.
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El Cid District
This residential historic district, founded in the Florida land boom of the 1920s as an upper-class community, is a lovely place to stroll. Visit streets including Barcelona, Belmont and Granada, as well as the Mango Promenade (off Olive Ave), with Mediterranean Revival houses, bungalows, and an eclectic collection of other tropical homes.
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Norton Museum of Art
The well-regarded Norton Museum of Art, housing American and European modern masters and impressionists, along with a large Buddha head presiding over an impressive Asian art collection.
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South Florida Science Museum
If the kids are bored by all the opulence, treat them to the planetarium, aquarium and interactive exhibits at the South Florida Science Museum.
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