PALM BEACH | FLORIDA
The Best Things to do in West Palm Beach: Markets, Museums, and Waterfront Adventures
By Eric Barton | Sept. 8, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
I lived in West Palm for years and did what locals do: worked, complained about parking on Clematis, and told myself I’d get to the “touristy stuff” someday. I never took the boat to Peanut Island. I skipped the Norton on weeknights. I treated the GreenMarket like optional, even when it was two blocks away.
Now I come back with an actual plan. Coffee, then the waterfront. A kayak or ferry out to the island, a museum hour when the sun is loud, a late bite downtown, and a night walk where the city still buzzes. It’s the version of West Palm I should’ve given myself when I lived here.
So here’s the list I wish I’d had—the best things to do in West Palm Beach, from mornings on the water to nights on Clematis.
CityPlace
FREE | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Rebranded back to CityPlace, the district is a walkable mix of restaurants, shops, and events right off Rosemary Avenue. Weekends feel like a street fair; weeknights are for dinner, a stroll, and whatever’s happening on the plaza. It’s the anchor you route your downtown day around.
Best for: Eating, browsing, and people-watching in one stop
Clematis Street
FREE | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
This is the main drag—bars, restaurants, coffee, and the kind of sidewalk life that keeps downtown loud past midnight. Thursday nights bring “Clematis by Night,” a free waterfront concert that turns the Great Lawn into a block party. Start with a drink near the fountain and follow the noise.
Best for: A no-plan night out
Lion Country Safari
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
This is my go-to for any visiting kids: a four-mile, drive-through wildlife preserve in Loxahatchee where you roll past giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and more from your own car. After the drive, the walk-through Safari World adds a splash area and animal encounters, including a popular giraffe-feeding platform. It’s the big-animal experience without trekking a traditional zoo for miles.
Best for: Close-up wildlife from the comfort of the car
Manatee Lagoon
FREE | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
This free FPL eco-discovery center is where you watch manatees gather in the warm-water outflow when the temperatures drop. Prime viewing runs roughly November 15 through March 31, with an observation deck and exhibits if the sea cows are shy. It’s low-key, kid-friendly, and very Florida.
Best for: Winter manatee spotting without getting wet
Norton Museum of Art
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
The Norton is the city’s serious art stop, with permanent collections in American, European, Chinese, contemporary art, and photography. After a 2019 expansion by Foster + Partners, the museum added a subtropical sculpture garden that makes an easy loop before or after the galleries. I plan it for late afternoon: air-conditioning, a quick pass through the garden, and back out for dinner.
Best for: A cultured hour that actually feels like West Palm
Peanut Island
FREE | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
A quick boat ride drops you on Peanut Island, a county park with sandy beaches and clear, tidal water that feels worlds away from downtown. Most people come for the snorkel lagoon, but there’s also the Cold War–era Kennedy bunker here—closed for now while Palm Beach County works on a restoration to eventually reopen it. You can get there by water taxi, kayak, or private boat; time it near high tide for the best visibility.
Best for: A half-day of clear-water snorkeling with a side of Cold War history
Treehouse
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
The rooftop bar at the Canopy by Hilton does what a rooftop should: wide city views, a pool deck, cabanas, and cocktails that make sunset last longer. Daytime is mellow; nights feel like a scene without trying too hard. It works as a pre-dinner drink or the place you end up closing.
Best for: Golden-hour drinks above downtown
