City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Palm Beach, Florida
With a sparkling strand of beautiful beaches, deep sea fishing and dive charters, world-class golf courses and the Port of Palm Beach (which is the home dock of the Margaritaville at Sea cruise ship), Palm Beach is a tropical destination for leisure, business and group travelers as well as boaters of all makes and models.
Located between Fort Lauderdale and Stuart along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Palm Beach is part of Florida’s Gold Coast region, which extends from Miami to Palm Beach. The area is separated from the mainland (known as West Palm Beach) by the Lake Worth Lagoon (part of the Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW), so it’s an excellent area to find marinas, dock and dine restaurants and private boat docks for rent.
Along with its persona of fine dining, art galleries and boutique shopping, you’ll find that Palm Beach offers a variety of parks, outdoor recreation, nature-inspired attractions and cultural activities. When you’re not lounging along the beautiful Palm Beach Municipal Beach or cruising those Atlantic Ocean swells from a private boat slip rental, you may want to check out what the rest of the area has to offer. Let’s get started!
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
Photo: Wikimedia
Railroad and hotel tycoon Henry Flagler is a well-known name throughout Florida. If you’re looking for a historic attraction, the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum is right up your alley. Built in 1902, the Gilded Age mansion (known as Whitehall) was his winter home from 1902 to 1913. Take guided or self-guided tours of the Beaux-Arts-style mansion and its collection of art and antiques.
The property has an atrium garden with subtropical plants, a fountain and a copy of the Venus statue from the Boboli Gardens in Florence. Visitors can tour the first and second floors, the grounds and the Flagler Kenan Pavilion (which is home to Flagler’s Railcar No. 91). Relax in the coconut grove overlooking Lake Worth or check out the gift shop before heading back to a private boat lift rental.
Norton Museum of Art
Photo: Wikimedia
Stroll through galleries filled with contemporary, Chinese, American and European art at the Norton Museum of Art. The collection contains more than 8,200 works of art, photography, sculptures, Qing dynasty carvings and more. Founded in 1941 by industrialist Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife Elizabeth Calhoun Norton, artistic topics range from high fashion and nature to American and Mexican modernism, impressionism and landscapes by artists such as Monet, Frida Kahlo, Paul Gauguin, Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe.
Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society
Photo: Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society (Facebook)
Home to more than 500 animals, the 23-acre Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a wonderful way to explore regions such as Asia, the tropics of America, the islands and the Florida wetlands. Visit bears, capybaras, capuchin monkeys, kookaburras, lemurs, jaguars and more. Feed lorikeets and go behind the scenes with tigers, flamingoes, sloths and otters. The zoo has a 10,000-acre on-site animal care hospital. Located in Dreher Park, in West Palm Beach, the zoo was built around 1961 (and originally known as the Dreher Park Zoo).
Manatee Lagoon
Photo: Manatee Lagoon (Facebook)
Can you get any more Florida than a manatee? Nope, not possible! Manatee Lagoon, located near the Palm Beach Inlet (which makes it convenient for ocean access and private boat slip rentals), is open daily from November 15 through March 31. Take a self-guided tour to learn about manatees, the Lake Worth Lagoon watershed, conservation initiatives and invasive species. There are picnic areas, a manatee webcam, interactive exhibits, an education center and a gift shop.
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
Photo: Cox Science Center and Aquarium (Facebook)
Dive into the subjects of earth, water, sky and the planets at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. View displays on weather, the atmosphere and Florida’s natural habitat as well as space artifacts and rocks. You can also visit exhibits on animatronic dinosaurs, listen to STEM talks and watch science demonstrations. Peek into the night sky at the Marvin Dekelboum Planetarium.
Gather the kids and explore the underwater world of coral reefs, the Everglades, the Gulf Stream and the Atlantic Ocean. A 10,000-gallon aquarium is home to Florida fish such as stingrays, moray eels, seahorses and queen angelfish. The property has an outdoor nature trail with a shark tooth digging pit, a splash pad, a gem panning station, picnic areas and more. There’s also an 18-hole mini golf course to check out before returning to a private boat lift for rent.
Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
Photo: Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (Facebook)
Looking for a bit of culture? Take in a Broadway show, concert or symphony performance at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. A full calendar of events includes film festivals, ballet and circus, magic and other theatrical shows.
We hope you’ve picked up a few ideas to add to your itinerary the next time you’re in Palm Beach. Whether you’re in town for the weekend, passing through on a Great Loop cruise or enjoying an extended stay at a private boat dock rental, get out and see the sites. Happy boating!
