West Palm Beach Tourist Attractions

Norton Museum of Art features a comprehensive collection of 19th and 20th century French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, American paintings from the 20th century and a Chinese collection of bronze artifacts, jade, ceramics and monumental Buddhist sculptures. The 5,000 piece collection began when Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife developed a sizable collection of paintings and sculpture. Some examples of the artists represented are Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin in the European section and Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keefe and Edward Hopper on the American side.The museum has also made a name for itself in modern and contemporary art, as well as photography.

The house and gardens of sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (1905-1982), are now the setting for the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. The widow of industrialist Ralph Hubbard Norton, Ann took up art at an early age and is known for her works in bronze, stone, and wood. The estate features over 100 pieces of her work, with many of the sculptures located within the English-style garden.The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens also hosts traveling shows and exhibitions. Gardeners will appreciate the 1.7 acre property which is home to a collection of over 300 rare species of tropical palms.

Lion Country Safari allows visitors to drive their cars through this 500-acre, cage-less wildlife preserve to view more than 900 animals from around the world. The park is divided into seven sections, each containing a different variety of animals such as elephants, giraffes, rhinos, chimps, lions, and more. There's also a mini-golf course, water sprayground, and other animal exhibits inside a visitor's center.Although the "safari" section requires visitors to remain in their cars with their windows up, the facility does allow opportunities for animal interaction, with a petting zoo and various animal presentations.

The Palm Beach Maritime Museum conists of four facilities the former U.S. Coast Guard Station, Boathouse and President John F. Kennedy command post and bomb shelter; the marine science field office and dock; an educational center and ferry dock at Currie Park in West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Maritime Academy Charter School.Marine ecosystems and underwater archaeology are the highlights of the museum including an exhibit on the Battleship Maine, which blew up in Havana Harbor in 1898. A 125-passenger ferry brings visitors out to the Peanut Island site, between the Port of Palm Beach and Singer Island.

Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park houses more than 400 animals from Florida, Central and South America, Asia and Australia. Visitors can get wet at the Zoo's Fountain with 325 water jets or take a ride on the carousel with traditional horses as well as exotic animals such as tigers, jaguar, sea dragons, manatees and a hummingbird. The zoo also features an interesting bird show and offers a variety of programs.This is generally quite a popular mid sized zoo with many interesting options for kids.

Hands-on, interactive exhibits at the South Florida Science Museum focus on a number of scientific disciplines including physics, biology, chemistry and more. There are displays on electricity, light, acoustics, natural history, animal life and the weather. The displays are designed to entertain as well as educate children and it is a popular outing for school trips and families.The Aldrin Planetarium presents daily star shows and laser concerts. The Spitz star projector turns the planetarium's dome into the night sky.The museum also maintains a small aquarium.

Mounts Botanical Garden features 14-acres of large variety tropical and sub-tropical plants and flowers as well as native Floridian species. As Palm Beach County's oldest and largest public garden, Mounts highlights plants from six continents, from North American trees to the rarest of tropical fruits.

The Palm Beach Opera presents an ongoing program of classic and contemporary opera featuring international performers. The Palm Beach Opera staged its first production back in 1962 and now there are normally four major operas a year.Performances are held at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.