Boca Raton

It’s easy to find the Boca Raton History Museum, visitors just look for its gold dome at Town Hall in downtown Boca Raton. The 1927 museum building is on the National Register of Historic Places, adding its own historical value. Guests can begin their exploration of Boca history on a 40-minute guided tour of Town Hall, which includes a short video telling the architectural story of the building and offering a view of the tax collection vaults. Exhibitions change regularly, but highlight local history. Other history tours from the museum include Boca Raton Resort, the Town Trolley, and the Train Museum.

71 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL, Phone: 561-395-6766

Since 2002, the Mizner Park Amphitheater has been providing a very popular venue for outdoor concerts and live theatre performances in Boca Raton. The huge amphitheater and the concert lawn can accommodate more than 4000 theater-goers and is also available to rent for private functions. The amphitheater forms part of the affluent Mizner Park residential and shopping district which is located in downtown Boca Raton. During the festive season the park is transformed into a winter wonderland when more than 50,000 LEDF festive lights adorn 75 palm trees. You can check their website to find out when the lights-on ceremony takes place.

590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432, 561 393 7890

The 44,000-square-foot Boca Raton Museum of Art opened at its present location in Mizner Park in 2001. The museum is the leading cultural institution and official fine arts museum of Boca Raton. It receives over 200,000 visitors annually. Visitors can expect a rich collection of exhibitions. Past exhibitions have included Contemporary Photography, Deep Line Drawings of Carlos Luna, Glasstress Boca Raton, Summer Showcase, and many others. The museum’s collections are wide and varied, from the modern and contemporary collection to the Pre-Columbian collection. There is also an outdoor sculpture garden, museum store, artists’ guild gallery, and art school.

501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL, Phone: 561-392-2500

Beginning as a butterfly hobby farm in 1984, Butterfly World has evolved into a 3-acre butterfly aviary and botanical garden, research center, 2-acre tropical bird aviary, interactive lorikeet experience, and aviculture care and research center. Proceeds from Butterfly World support the Boender Endangered Species Laboratory at the University of Florida. Butterfly World has also been important to saving endangered butterflies and bringing them off the endangered species list. Guests can explore Butterfly World on self-guided tours using a site map. Guests can learn about butterfly facts like their average life span and more. After touring the park, visitors can shop for butterfly-related products at the on-site Butterfly World shop.

3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek, FL, Phone: 954-977-4434

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

The Children’s Science Explorium offers families with kids aged 5 to 12 the perfect way to spend a few hours. Located in the 132-acre Sugar Sand Park, this hands-on science center provides kids with interactive exhibits where they can learn about physical science. Kids can investigate fascinating science and technology concepts in an array of permanent exhibitions as well as traveling exhibits that the museum brings in for 4 months each during fall and spring. Sensory-Friendly Saturdays are on the first Saturday of the month and offer visitors enhanced sensory experiences at the Explorium. The museum is open every day and admission is free.

300 South Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL, Phone: 561-347-3912

Families who appreciate the outdoors will love the Daggerwing Nature Center. A 3,000-square-foot exhibit hall features interactive exhibits and live animals, along with a reading center, classrooms, and a laboratory. Visitors can explore the swampy surrounds via two trails of elevated boardwalks with seating and an observation tower. Guests can expect to see lots of plant life and an array of wildlife like woodpeckers, alligators, osprey, endangered wood storks, and the Ruddy Daggerwing butterfly. Nature trails are open to the public from sunrise to sunset, and the nature center is open afternoons Wednesday through Friday and all day on Saturday.

11435 Park Access Road, Boca Raton, FL, Phone: 561-629-8760

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Environmental Complex is located on a Boca Raton barrier island. Its purpose is threefold: education, conservation, and research. Visitors will have a plethora of natural experiences here. The Ashley Trail provides a relaxing nature walk, the butterfly garden gives guests with a feast for the eyes, and Seminole Chiki offers a serene place to sit overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, where visitors may spot a manatee or sea turtle. The nature center has a number of informative exhibits for the whole family. Four outdoor salt water aquariums showcase South Florida marine life, and a sea turtle rehabilitation facility offers visitors a peek into turtle conservation efforts.

1801 North Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL, Phone: 561-544-8605

Activities and Attractions for Couples:

The historic Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is a family-friendly attraction for those who love history and seafaring. The lighthouse, completed in 1907, was built in Michigan and made a 4,000-mile journey to the site, with the lens making a trip from Paris, France. Tours begin at the Alsdorf dock, where guests board a boat and head to the lighthouse. The museum is open Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and offers Saturday and Sunday tour days. The lighthouse is known as Big Diamond, because of the shape of the glass in the lantern room. Climbing to the top of the lighthouse requires closed-toe shoes. The entire tour from dock to lighthouse and back is 1 hour.

A1A 2700 North Ocean Boulevard, Pompano Beach, FL, Phone: 954-226-3566

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens memorializes the Yamato Colony of the 1920s. The area was originally settled by Japanese farmers, who eventually moved to other parts of the country. The remaining Japanese families lost their land during World War II when the government seized it to create a military installation. The museum’s mission is to share Japanese culture with a diverse audience. Visitors can expect rotating exhibitions from the museum’s permanent collection. The six Roji-En gardens complement the museum and were inspired by traditional Japanese gardens. Guests will appreciate the tranquil surroundings. The museum hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year.

4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach, FL, Phone: 561-495-0233