Bok Tower Gardens, Botanical garden in Lake Wales, United States
The gardens extend across 250 acres of land, featuring native Florida plants, reflecting pools, and a 205-foot-tall neo-Gothic and art deco tower.
Edward Bok commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in 1921 to transform an arid sandy hill into gardens, which President Calvin Coolidge dedicated in 1929.
The Singing Tower houses a carillon of 60 bronze bells, ranging from 16 pounds to 24,000 pounds, performing daily concerts between 1 and 3 PM.
The gardens welcome visitors daily from 8 AM to 6 PM, with admission prices of $12 for adults and $3 for children between 5 and 12 years.
Located at Iron Mountain, the gardens stand at 295 feet above sea level, marking one of the highest elevation points in peninsular Florida.
Location: Polk County
Architects: Milton Bennett Medary
Website: https://boktowergardens.org
GPS coordinates: 27.93533,-81.57750
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:37
The Orlando area and its surroundings offer much more than theme parks. A thirty-minute drive from Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral traces American space exploration history with full-scale rockets and Apollo mission exhibits. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy Gatorland, a 45-hectare (110-acre) animal park home to over 2,000 alligators and crocodiles, or Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, a 100-hectare (250-acre) reserve famous for its 62-meter (205-foot) carillon tower and landscaped gardens. Downtown Orlando features various themed museums, from the Science Museum with its planetarium to more unusual collections like the International Drive Wax Museum. Families appreciate entertainment options such as WonderWorks, identified by its upside-down building, or Fun Spot America in Kissimmee, offering roller coasters and go-kart tracks. For quiet relaxation, Leu Gardens display 20 hectares (50 acres) of botanical collections, while Kissimmee Lakefront Park hugs the shores of Lake Tohopekaliga with its paved trails and fishing piers.
Orlando offers a wide range of entertainment and educational facilities. Walt Disney World Resort comprises four theme parks with various rides and shows. Universal Orlando Resort presents attractions based on film and television series. SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove provide marine animal encounters with dolphins and manta rays. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island documents American space exploration history through exhibits and tours. The city features museums, botanical gardens and shopping centers. Visitors will also find restaurants, golf courses and nature preserves throughout the region.
Florida combines multiple facets: Orlando's amusement parks, the protected wetlands of the Everglades, Miami's beaches, and the Keys archipelago. This route passes through national parks, historic sites, coastal lighthouses, and botanical gardens. Visitors explore diverse ecosystems including mangrove forests, coral reefs, and natural springs. It includes natural reserves such as the J.N. Darling Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, home to over 245 bird species across 2,800 hectares, or the Blowing Rocks Preserve in Jupiter, where waves spray seawater up to 15 meters high. Garden enthusiasts discover Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales with its 60-meter tower and 60-bell carillon, or the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach showcasing Japanese garden art. Cayo Costa State Park offers 14 kilometers of untouched coastlines, while Manatee Park in Fort Myers allows observing these marine mammals from November to March in warm waters.
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