West Palm Beach is oozing with history. The best way to immerse yourself in the present, while learning about the past is the “Then and Now Walking Tour of West Palm Beach.” This 2-hour, guided walking tour is not to be missed. Whether you’re into history, shopping, dining, art, architecture, or all of it… lace up your sneakers and get walking! You don’t want to miss this informative and fun tour.
Henry Flagler’s Dream
Learn about the role of West Palm Beach in Henry Flagler’s dream of turning Palm Beach into the premiere winter resort for America’s Gilded Age elite. Then walk up the “new” Clematis Street to view its parks, landmark buildings, hot new restaurants, cafes and nightspots, luxury hotels and trendy shops. Admire the many impressive murals and public art along the way.
How Yesteryear Shaped Today
Sit by the West Palm Beach waterfront and enjoy the view of Palm Beach as you learn the story of the amazing life of Henry Flagler, the oil tycoon who invented modern day Florida, and how he created a winter playground for the rich with his Palm Beach hotels, the Royal Poinciana and the Breakers Hotel, and also built his palatial home there, Whitehall. You will also hear the story of E.R. Bradley, who opened the Beach Club, the millionaires’ gambling casino, that turned Palm Beach into America’s Monte Carlo.
The Famous Clematis Street
The tour takes you up Clematis Street, the commercial heart of West Palm Beach, to the 500 block and pass E.R. Bradley’s Saloon, Flagler Park, Elisabetta’s restaurant, the Ben hotel, the new Banyan Square Park, the Anthony Building, Via Gardin, City Hall and Mandell Public Library complex, the Subculture Coffee Shop, Hullabaloo, Kapow and other restaurants and clubs in the 500 block.
Details
Two-hour tours are on Sundays and Wednesdays
Tour times are 10:15 am
Tours depart from 226 Datura Street from October- May
For information on the finest homes in the Palm Beaches, contact a Tauber Real Estate Services specialist at 561-626-4633.