Tourists visiting Florida and Bok Tower Gardens before the Disney Days had several options when it came to attractions. They could choose from World Class Water Ski Shows at Cypress Gardens or Glass Bottom Boats at Silver Springs. Weekie Wachee Mermaids or a Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens. Lake Wales promised visitors they would Find Serenity at Bok Tower Gardens. The gardens offer beautiful views with miles of rolling hills through the citrus groves. These were Florida’s original theme parks, and Bok Tower & Gardens is one of the few that has remained to this day.
So, with the promise of serenity, Brenda and I wandered around the paths among the flowers and foliage. As we listened to the carillon music we could feel the tension of a hurried life drip away. Our visit coincidently aligned with the week of the International Carillon Festival which features world-renowned carillonneurs performing daily concerts. These are the musicians that play a set of bells in the tower. Many events happen at the gardens year-round.
History
We started our visit at the information center, which is a good way to learn the history of these gardens. You can pick up a map of the gardens here. The exhibit hall has historical displays on Edward W. Bok’s life, as well as the history behind the Singing Tower and Gardens. You can also see the original carillon keyboard.
Bok Tower Gardens was created in the early 1920s and was a gift to the American people from Edward W. Bok, a Dutch immigrant who became editor of The Ladies Home Journal and won a Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography. He was transfixed by the beauty of one of Florida’s highest points, rising 295 feet above sea level in Lake Wales, Florida. So, Bok purchased the land with the intention of creating a lush garden and bird sanctuary. The gardens were then designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
During the time that Florida’s first historical landscape garden was being designed, Edward W. Bok envisioned a majestic Singing Tower that would serve as the focal point of the Gardens. The tower became the most recognizable element of Bok Tower Gardens. The Bok “Singing” Tower has fascinated millions of Florida visitors since its opening in 1929.
Bok Gardens
There is a certain calmness when you wander through thousands of blooming azaleas, camellias, magnolias, and other flowering plants throughout the paved primary pathways and the mulched secondary paths. The garden is home to 126 different bird species and is listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail.
February and March are the best months to visit if you want to see hundreds of colorful azaleas and camellias. There is always something blooming in the gardens but it is especially colorful in the spring.
Kitchen Garden & Outdoor Kitchen
This garden is where you will find kitchen plants like vegetables, tea, ginger, and many others that you would use in cooking. The plants in this area not only look pretty but taste pretty good too.
Window by the Pond
When you open the door of this small observatory you are able to sit down and look through a glass window into a Florida pond ecosystem. Observe birds, reptiles, and butterflies which make this area their home.
Wild Garden
The Wild Garden showcases Florida native plants and wildlife in a series of ecosystem plantings. When an insect crawls down the tubes of these rare Pitcher Plants they are consequently caught and eaten which makes up for the lack of nutrients that these plants get in their environment.
Exedra & Sunset Overlook
The marble Exedra was a gift to Edward Bok from friends in the neighboring Mountain Lake Community where he resided. This sunset view inspired Mr. Bok’s dream of the Gardens during his visits. At an elevation of 298 feet, this is one of the highest points in Florida.
Reflection Pool
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the landscape architect who designed the Gardens, specifically designed the pathways to shield the view of the Tower until reaching this point. This grand view of the Singing Tower is the perfect place for a photo with friends or family visiting the Gardens.
Peace Lantern
The gardens are filled with secret garden paths and alcoves that lead to hidden treasures. So we decided to do some exploring where we discovered this Japanese stone lantern which we learned was a gift to the Gardens and is placed within direct sight of the grave of Edward Bok as a tribute. It symbolizes with its encircling doves, humanity’s universal hope for world peace.
Pine Ridge Nature Trail
This 3/4-mile walking trail takes you through a longleaf pine & oak habitat. This unique habitat once covered millions of acres of the Southeastern United States. The longleaf pine forest is now in danger of disappearing, but fortunately, the folks at Bok Tower Gardens preserved a portion of it for visitors to experience. The trail is also perfect for bird watching.
Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden
Following the path, we heard the sound of kids playing in The Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden which teaches children about conservation and the connection between animals, plants, and people. There is a splash-filled river walk, a spider web to climb, a doodlebug art area to display colored drawings, a music area, and a stage for budding performers. It looked like the parents were having as much fun as the kids.
The Pinewood Estate – El Retiro
At about the halfway point in the gardens, we came upon another surprise where you can visit a 1930s Mediterranean-style Pinewood Estate. This 20-room mansion was the former home of Charles Austin Buck ( a prominent executive of Bethlehem Steel Holdings). He named the estate “El Retiro” Spanish for “retreat.”
Surrounded by seven acres of lush gardens, rolling lawns, and overlooking a beautiful pond, it is clear to see that Buck was a lover of nature as well. This 12,900 square foot estate is now on the National Register of Historic Places. However, there is an additional charge to tour inside Pinewood Estate.
Blue Palmetto Cafe
We were starting to get a little hungry, so we stopped for lunch onsite at the Blue Palmetto Cafe. The cafe serves soups, salads, sandwiches, and wraps. I chose the Chicken Blueberry Salad, a scoop of their homemade chicken salad on a bed of mixed greens, blueberries, feta cheese, candied pecans, strawberries, and blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette. Blue Palmetto also serves beer and wine. I like to try craft beers from areas that I visit so I had an IPA brewed by Grove Roots Breweries in nearby Winter Haven.
The Singing Tower
The crown jewel of Bok Tower Gardens is most certainly the Singing Tower and its Carillon shows. The Tower houses a 60-bell carillon that has concerts at 1 and 3 p.m. with short selections played on the hour and half-hour. The carillon is one of four in the state of Florida and only 200 in North America! Click the arrow below and listen to the sounds of the carillon bells.
The Tower is a majestic height of two hundred and five feet, the equivalent of a twenty-story city skyscraper. Made from Georgia pink marble and Florida coquina stone, it is in harmony with the natural landscape, even as it towers over it. As a result of Bok’s love of birds, animals, and nature, the tower is adorned with carvings of pelicans, tortoises, and foxes, it celebrates the beauty of the natural world.
Since its opening in the late twenties, Bok Tower and Gardens remains one of Old Florida’s favorite tourist attractions.
Open 365 days per year from 8 am – 6 pm. Adult admission is $16, Children (ages 5-12) $5, children under 5 are free, Dogs are $5.
Bok Tower & Gardens – 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853
There are several other Old Florida tourist attractions that you can still visit. You can still visit the Mermaids at Weekie Wachee, view Manatees at Homosassa Springs, go tubing down a lazy river at Rainbow Springs, or ride the glass bottom boats at Silver Springs. These parks that once were private tourist attractions are now state parks.
While you are in Lake Wales – Visit Spook Hill
While Bok Tower and Gardens is the main attraction in Lake Wales, no trip to Lake Wales is complete until you make a stop at Spook Hill. The mystery of Spook Hill has fascinated generations. Park your car at the bottom of the hill and watch as gravity is defied. Your car will roll uphill all by itself. The hill in Lakes Wales is the only gravity hill in Florida.
600 N Wales Drive
