Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales

Bok Tower Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, has enthralled visitors since 1929. When founder Edward W. Bok visited the area near Lake Wales, Florida, during winter retreats, he became enchanted with the beauty and vistas from Iron Mountain. From the hilltop, 298 feet above sea level, Bok marveled at serene sunsets and was inspired to preserve the area for future generations. Famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. was brought in to create a 50-acre garden, which has ferns, palms, oaks, and pines fashioning a lush backdrop with flowering foliage. At the center of the garden, the Singing Tower, designed by Milton B. Medary, features 60 carillon bells ranging in weight from 16 pounds to 12 tons, which play daily. Also at the heart of the garden is Pinewood Estate—a Mediterranean-style mansion built in the early 1930s by Charles Austin Buck, a Bethlehem Steel vice president. The estate is open to self-guided tours and decorated during the holiday season. Visitors can look forward to special events hosted at Bok Tower Gardens throughout the year, with refreshments available at the Blue Palmetto Café and souvenirs at the gift shop.