14 Best Things to do in West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach is a vibrant city located along the Atlantic Ocean coast, in South Florida. Hidden in plain sight from Miami, this charming destination captivates visitors with its warm year-round weather, laid-back atmosphere, and a wide array of things to do.

Nature lovers visiting West Palm Beach can’t miss the chance to check out the dazzling Macarthur Beach State Park, while shopaholics must head over to the lively Antique Row Art & Design.

West Palm Beach also features a plethora of cultural attractions, including stellar art galleries and museums.

Experiences for the whole family include exploring the Palm Beach Zoo, home to hundreds of endangered animals, and the Cox Science Center & Aquarium, which boasts a 10,000-gallon fresh and saltwater aquarium, an 18-hole Mini Golf Course, and a quarter-mile-long science trail.

Whether you’re seeking to enjoy outdoor activities, shop until you drop, or marvel at eye-popping art exhibits, West Palm Beach has plenty to offer.

Here’s a guide to the 14 most amazing things to do on your next West Palm Beach trip. Have a look!

The 14 Best Things to do in West Palm Beach, Florida

Go For A Walk In Rosemary Square

Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.

A walk on Rosemary Square is an unprecedented way of taking in West Palm Beach’s energy. Located in the heart of City Place, this centrally-located square is filled with Mediterranean-style buildings and palm-lined trees that are a joy to explore on foot.

While meandering through Rosemary Square’s atmospheric streets, you’ll come across a vibrant array of elegant boutique stores, cafes, and plenty of restaurants serving international cuisine.

Take The Kids To The Palm Beach Zoo

The Palm Beach Zoo encompasses 23 tropical acres inhabited by more than 500 animals. Located at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach, this family-friendly attraction offers visitors to get face to face with a plethora of fascinating creatures like tigers, otters, Mexican spiders, and giant tortoises.

Shop Until You Drop In Clematis Street

Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Floirda, USA.

Bustling with energy, Clematis Street is the historical heart of Downtown West Palm Beach.

Starting at Flagler Drive on the Intracoastal Waterway, this major street and entertainment district is smothered with restaurants, bars, shopping, nightlife venues, and museums.

Stop by Banko Cantina to sip on signature cocktails while enjoying spectacular views of downtown West Palm Beach, and visit Rocco’s Tacos for the best Mexican in town.

Take a stroll down Clematis Street Saturday mornings and make your way down to the waterfront to explore the vibrant West Palm Beach Green Market, packed with local vendors selling farm fruits, organic vegetables, baked goods, spices, and exotic garden plants.

Go Snorkeling In The John D. Macarthur Beach State Park

John D. Macarthur Beach State Park, in Florida.

John D. Macarthur Beach State Park offers nature lovers the opportunity to bask in the wonders of mother nature 365 days a year.

Perfectly located on the Atlantic Ocean barrier island, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is the only state park in Palm Beach County and preserves a very rare portion of Florida’s southeast coast.

The park encompasses 436 acres of achingly beautiful environments like 1.6 miles of pristine beaches, dunes of barrier islands, maritime hammocks, and a limestone rock reef community that was formed more than 125,000 years ago.

These natural habitats play host to bountiful wildlife, including seven species of plants and twenty-two species of animals designated as endangered or threatened.

Some of the best ways of experiencing the beauty of John D. Macarthur Beach State Park include snorkeling (parrotfish, barracuda, damsel fish, and loggerhead sea turtles are some of the species you’ll find here), kayaking, and hiking.

Meet Wild Animals At The Lion Country Safari

Lion Country Safari, West Palm Beach, Florida.

Exploring the Lion Country Safari is a bucket-list adventure for animal lovers in West Palm Beach. Spread across nearly 600 acres of natural area, the park harbors large herds of animals from 6 continents.

Visitors can drive through the park in their vehicles and have a thrilling safari experience where they’ll get face-to-face with lions, wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, ostrich, chimpanzees, and rhinos.

The Lion Country Safari is also home to a 55-acre Adventure Park filled with water slides and children’s rides.

Go On A Day Trip To Peanut Island

Peanut Island is a 79-acre island located at the mouth of the Lake Worth Inlet in Palm Beach County. This country park has a pristine beach featuring white sand, towering palm trees, and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling (it’s common to spot tropical fish, stingrays, starfish, and even manatees here),

The park also comprises artificial snorkeling reefs, a scenic mangrove boardwalk, covered cabanas for picnics, and a shaded observation deck that provides showstopping views of the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Discover Tropical Plants At The Mounts Botanical Garden

Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.

Mounts Botanical Garden is a hidden oasis in West Palm Beach. Situated right behind Palm Beach International Airport, this botanical garden (the oldest and largest in Palm Beach County), harbors 20 acres of gardens with more than 7,000 tropical and subtropical plants from around the world.

Praised for its enticing profusion of smells, and beautiful colors, Mounts Botanical Garden has 25 unique garden areas, each containing a living exhibit with plants chosen specifically to tell a story about choices visitors can make within a challenging subtropical climate.

Some of the plants visitors will find while exploring the botanical garden include flowering trees and shrubs, fruit trees, bromeliads, roses, palms, begonias, and herbs, aside from a vegetable garden, and a butterfly garden.

Explore The West Palm Beach Museums

Norton Museum of Art, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

West Pam Beach also has plenty of incredible museums begging to be explored. One of the best is definitely the dreamy Norton Museum of Art, which lies in the south of the downtown area, and flaunts over 8,200 paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from around the world. Among the collection of this West Palm beach museum, there are precious masterpieces of 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures by European and American artists.

The Norton Museum of Art is also home to the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. This 2-acre sculpture garden was established in 1977 by resident artist Ann Weaver Norton and encompasses sculptures by artists including Keith Haring, Antony Gormley, and Jenny Holzer, all of them beautifully intertwined with 250 varieties of palms and cycads from all over the world.

Make sure to also visit the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Set within a 75-room, 100,000 square-foot mansion that was once called “more wonderful than any palace in Europe”, the museum boasts exhibitions about the Gilded Age in the United States.

Find Gorgeous Vintage Furniture In The Antique Row Art & Design

Antique Row Art & Design is a bustling area brimming with over 40 antique shops. While browsing through these stores (all located within walking distance of each other), you’ll come across a treasure trove of 17th to 20th-century antiques, fine and decorative arts, period deco, and vintage and modern furnishings, to name a few.

Visit The Cox Science Center & Aquarium

Kid marveling at sharks swimming in an aquarium.

The Cox Science Center & Aquarium (formerly the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium) is a family-friendly destination that allows children to learn about science in an exciting way.

Set in a 6,000-square-foot building, the science center features more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits and an additional space housing a 3,000-square-foot aquarium, home to several species native to Florida’s Coast. Some of the marina creatures you’ll see in this 10,000-gallon aquarium include spadefish, moray eels, stingrays, and seahorses, to name a few.

The Cox Science Center & Aquarium also has a state-of-the-art planetarium (the first and only public planetarium in Palm Beach County), which presents daily shows on a variety of scientific topics.

Soak Up The Sun In The Local Beaches

Contrary to what is believed, West Palm Beach doesn’t actually have beaches. However, the city is located just minutes from Florida’s deep blue coastline and offers easy access to an array of famous beaches.

Must-visits include Delray Beach, known for its gentle ocean waters that are perfect for swimming, and Juno Beach, which has separate areas for swimming, fishing, and surfing as well as a 990-foot pier.

Be sure to also stop by Riviera Beach, often regarded as one of the finest beaches in Palm County. Aside from offering visitors the opportunity to lounge in the sand while enjoying views of the Atlantic Ocean, Riviera Beach is surrounded by an array of family-friendly attractions like the Rapids Water Park, and even a manatee lagoon.

Encounter Rescued Animals At McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary

Located 16 miles outside of downtown West Palm Beach, McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary rescues and treats hundreds of native South Florida animals.

The only way to explore McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary is by guided tour, and during the visit, you’ll get the chance to see some 200 wild creatures, a 12-foot albino python, rhino iguanas, leopard geckos, tigers, and lions, to name a few.

Have A Fun Day At The Okeeheelee Park

West Palm Beach’s Okeeheelee Park is one of the largest parks in south Florida. Covering over 1700 acres, this fun-filled park comprises an array of public spaces such as a BMX track, water skiing lakes, a mile-long fitness trail, soccer fields, a dog park, and even a 27-hole golf course.

The most popular section of the park, however, is the Okeeheelee Nature Center, which preserves 2.5 miles of trails winding through 90 acres of pine flat woods and wetlands.

Explore The Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Two birds in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA.

The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest urban wildlife refugees in the United States. This nature reserve consists of more than 145,000 acres of Everglades ecosystems such as wet prairies, sawgrass ridges, sloughs, tree islands, cattail communities, and a 400-acre cypress swamp.

These diverse ecosystems provide a habitat for more than 250 species of birds, 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, 40 species of butterflies, and 20 types of mammals. The park is also inhabited by endangered animals like the American alligator, snail kite, and wood stork.

All of the refuge’s majestic natural features can be explored through a range of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, wildlife photography, and birdwatching.

FAQ

What is West Palm Beach known for?

West Palm Beach is a lovely city located along the Atlantic Ocean coast, in South Florida. The area is known for its shopping areas, vibrant streets, cultural attractions, and for providing easy access to some of the best beaches in Florida.