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Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, FL

Photo: Milesb1217, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffDate NightFamily Favorite

Bok Tower Gardens

1151 Tower Blvd · Lake Wales, FL

Why you should go…

Bok Tower Gardens sits on Iron Mountain, one of the highest points of peninsular Florida, with gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in the 1920s. The 205-foot Singing Tower rises over the grounds and holds a 60-bell carillon whose music carries across the gardens. Garden admission also covers the 3.5-mile Pine Ridge Preserve trail, and the grounds include the Hammock Hollow Children's Garden. A docent-led tour of the El Retiro estate is a separate ticket.

  • #botanical garden
  • #carillon tower
  • #historic landmark
  • #nature trails

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

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