The founder of the City of Palm Beach Gardens was John D. MacArthur…read more When he created his new community he wanted it to have a garden theme with streets named after flowers and trees. In the late 1960's MacArthur heard about someone who was going to cut down a banyan tree that was damaging her home. MacArthur arranged to have the tree moved to his new city new and pl;anted at the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and MacArthur Boulevard, formerly Garden Boulevard. Since the tree weighed 75 tons and was 60 feet high the city needed six months to prepare the tree for the move to its new location. On the morning of April 26, 1961 the tree was ready to be transplanted. Two cranes on two cargo trailers were sent to bring the tree to it's new home five miles away. Unfortunately disaster struck when a feed mill truck burst on the road cleared for the tree. Ten thousand gallons of molasses were dumped raising the height of the roadway. As it traveled the tree snapped several railway signal lines causing crossing gates to close. While the tree was crossing the train tracks one of the cables supporting it snapped. Workers had to saw off limbs of the tree to allow the blocked 1:30 train to get back on it's way. Just after 2 PM the tree was dropped into it's prepared hole. The Rev. A. P. Snyder of St. John's Evangelical Church said a prayer over the tree and MacArthur threw the first shovel of dirt over the roots of the tree. The entire process cost $30,000 and 1,008 hours of manpower. One year later, a second forty ton tree was moved from Lake Park next to the first tree. When people criticized Mr. MacArthur for spending so much to move the tree he replied "I can buy anything but age. This tree will be the centerpiece of our entrance, and while we could plant a little one there, I wouldn't be around 80 years from now to see it as it should be." Moving the tree gave MacArthur the nickname Banyan Mac. Although he was a developer, MacArthur was able to claim that "I built Palm Beach Gardens without knocking one tree down, I moved the biggest tree ever moved in Florida." MacArthur would go on to eventually move more than 200 trees including a sixty foot Norfolk pine that he replanted at the Colonnades Hotel on Singer Island and four more banyans which he floated on a barge from West Palm Beach. Today the landmark banyan trees have a limb span of half an acre. The trees are featured on the Palm Beach Gardens city shield. In 2007 Alexandre Renoir, a great-grandson of artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, presented the City of Palm Beach Gardens with a painting of the trees. A historical marker was installed across from the trees in 2011.

Pioneer Memorial Park is also known as Lakeside Cemetery. It is the final resting place of the…read morepioneer families of West Palm Beach. The cemetery was maintained by the Lakeside Cemetery Association until it became too small to meet the needs of the community. Woodlawn Cemetery opened across the street on land deeded by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, and the Lakeside Cemetery Association deeded the land to the city in 1921. The Association had three requirements for the land, it be kept as a park, a plaque naming the pioneers buried there be maintained, and that the Lake Worth Pioneers Association be allowed to hold their meetings there. When Ralph and Elizabeth Norton wanted the land to build an art museum the association dropped the requirement of keeping it as a park. If families could be contacted for permission than the graves were moved across the street to Woodlawn. Norton Museum was built on top of the remaining graves. The 1902 grave of Richard Hone who was murdered and his two infant sons lie in the northwest corner of the gallery in a crawl space under the auditorium. A plaque was placed on the Norton Gallery by the Palm Beach Arts League who built the museum. It is dedicated "in memory of those whose names appear below." It is unclear which of the names on the plaque of the 40 people still remain beneath the museum. If you visit the cemetery all you will see are the signs. There is a historical sign posted outside with the cemetery information. Many people pass it everyday without bothering to read it. Although it is not a secret that bodies lie under the museum not many people know about it. This is not an uncommon phenomenon in South Florida. The African-American section of Lakeside Cemetery now lies under the Flamingo Park neighborhood. So next time you are at the museum pause for a moment of respect for the Palm Beach. Pioneers who lay beneath your feet.

Discovered this old cemetery and this is where many of the pioneers were buried. Many have been…read moremoved but forty remain.The list of pioneers from 1873 to1886 are. H Hammon W Moorse H Dye C Moorse H Pierce M Dimick F Dimick J McFarland E Bradley V Spencer A Wilder J Brelsford W Lainhart F Lennon E Dimick I Hendry A Geer C Lane D Brown G Potter M Spencer R Moore B Lainhart C Haight U Hendrickson C Cragin E Brelsford G Gale G Charters J Porter J Hoagland O Porter E Heyser J White W Lainhart R Potter J Davidson J McKenna E Gale A Garnett R McCormick G Rowley

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum -- it's truly one of my favorite museums…read more The building itself is breathtaking. The atmosphere feels grand and almost surreal -- high ceilings, intricate hand-crafted details, beautiful paintings, and original interiors that have been preserved so carefully. Walking through the rooms feels like stepping back in time. The closets, bathrooms, and living spaces are all still there, untouched, which makes the experience even more special. One detail that really surprised me was the shoes -- they were incredibly tiny, almost like doll shoes. It's amazing to see how different things were back then. On my recent visit, I noticed they opened a new section on the second floor that I hadn't seen before. It's a mix of contemporary art and historical fashion elements -- including clothing details, vintage shoe boxes, and personal items from the original residents. I especially loved the miniature handbags and a wall art piece featuring delicate gloves -- so small, elegant, and made from very fine leather. There are so many unique details to take in. There's also a gift shop on the first floor with a great selection -- we even picked up a Monopoly game themed around the museum, which was such a fun find. They also have books, coloring items, posters, jewelry, accessories, and even small unique souvenirs -- something for everyone. Another highlight is the separate glass building . They recently opened a café there that serves breakfast on weekends. The view is stunning -- overlooking the water with the historic train nearby. The space is bright, clean and very peaceful. The only inconvenience I experienced was when my kids were younger -- strollers are not allowed inside, so keep that in mind if you're visiting with small children. Luckily, I had a baby sling with me, which helped a lot.

Spent the day here as part of our anniversary celebration and it was a bit of a mixed bag…read more - The museum / estate tour was great. Learning about the history of the game and the grounds was good, and our charming docent was a wealth of knowledge which made it even better. - The staff and servers were all very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. - But... - The "high tea" designed to replicate a luncheon of the gilded age failed to live up to expectations. * I understand it's "tea" and not an AYCE buffet but when you pay almost $100 per person, you should reasonably assume you won't be leaving hungry. Au Contraire! * 2 finger sandwiches and mini tarts per person, plus 1/2 a deviled egg? My daughter's tea parties have more food than this... Plan on stopping for lunch after you eat here.

Grandview Heights is one of Palm Beach's oldest historical districts having been established in…read more1910. It was built as an extension of the Palm Beach Heights Neighborhood. Grandview Heights is bordered by Park Place, Alabama Ave, M Street, and Lake Ave. Most of the construction took place between 1910 and 1925. The homes were purchased by ministers, merchants, and construction workers who were building the luxury hotels in the area. The houses were designed in many different architectural style including, Spanish Mission, Craftsman Bungalow, American Four Square, Art Deco, Mission Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, and smaller Mediterranean Revival homes. At the time it was built, Grandview Heights had the highest elevation in the area and residents had a view of the Lake Worth Lagoon. In the 1980's Palm Beach had the highest crime rate for a city of it's size in the nation. Crack and prostitution were an epidemic. In 1989 the city used eminent domain to complete an urban revitalization project for the downtown area that resulted in all of the Palm Beach Heights neighborhood and part of Grandview Heights neighborhood being torn down. The houses that were razed became City Place, The Kravis Center, and the Palm Beach Convention Center. The remaining houses were restored in the 1990's when people were looking for affordable housing close to downtown. Today the neighborhood consists of mostly single family homes, townhomes, and apartments. Also in this neighborhood are two historic churches, several bed and breakfasts, and small businesses. Grandview Heights is one of thirteen historic districts in West Palm Beach and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. I love walking around this neighborhood. So many of the homes have been recognized by the West Palm Beach Historic Preservation Board and display a plaque with the date they were built. While this area has full time residents it also attracts tourists seeking a reasonably priced Airbnb close to the attractions of downtown. There are so many cute places to rent for a vacation. It is fortunate that Grandview Heights was spared from complete destruction.

Hidden gem! Beautiful garden right in the heart of downtown west palm beach by the intercostal. So…read morepeaceful and beautiful in here. The garden grounds were nicely kept.

This place is a sleeper. It's hidden in a cool little neighborhood. Great little walk-through…read morelittle surprised they ding you for 15 bucks but it's only 15 bucks is worth it. Nice to walk so cool. The walk is actually cooler than the statues. Honestly, I don't know who the artist is they're OK I don't love them. I don't hate them. They remind me of some cool Monuments from Aztec, but they're not as cool as the Aztecs but they're well positioned the nature walk is just relaxing except for the planes coming in for a landing but aside from that it's a cool thing. It's a nice little place to hang. It could be great for like cocktail hour cocktail parties

This clock tower is the centerpiece of the beach across from the two rock columns with Worth Ave…read moreengraved at the top. Plenty of tourists today waiting for their chance to take that memorable picture. The fifteen foot tall tower is made out of coquina and coral stone. The center lower dome of the tower could hold seven people comfortably.

The Worth Ave Clock is directly on the beach with lots of people fighting for a chance to take a…read morepicture. The clock time was actually correct so it's working. There is a faded bronze plaque inside the clock tower that gives info about the Palm Beach pier in 1925. Nice pictures here on the beach.

I booked a 90-minute tour with Palm Beach Water Tours through Groupon, and it was money well spent…read more You climb on this Catamaran at the Riviera Beach Marina to go up and down the Intracoastal Waterway. They had some light snacks on board with water and soda. The tour included a nice mix of local history and sightseeing. They pointed out well-known or celeb homes and gave context about Palm Beach County, plus we cruised around Peanut Island. I wouldn't say I remember much about the guides' conversation on the tour, they were nice and friendly but honestly, the day and scenery did most of the talking for me. I tuned into that peace and serenity. It was a beautiful day on the water, calm ride, great views--just an all-around relaxing experience. I love being on the water, so this was right up my alley. Damnit, I should've been born a mermaid!!! If you're looking for something easy and scenic, this is a great way to spend an hour and a half. Definitely worth it, especially at any reduced price.

My mom wanted to try the palm beach guided tour for Mother's Day since we tried the Jupiter one a…read morefew years ago and loved it! They also had a great deal for mothers to come on free. It was such a lovely day and our tour guide, Sydney, and captain, Luke were great. They provide snacks and beverages on board and you can bring your own as well. It was so nice to learn all about the houses and history of Palm Beach and Peanut Island! Definitely recommend!

The founder of Palm Beach Gardens was John D. MacArthur. He was born in poverty in Pennsylvania in…read more1897 and he made his first million at the age of 48. He became the owner of a $1 billion empire of insurance companies, land in eight states, including 100,000 acres in Florida, and investments that included Alamo car rental and MacArthur Scotch. Words used to describe him include "cantankerous. intelligent, tenacity, ruthless" By the time he died in 1978 at the age of 80 he was the second richest man in the country. He left his $1 billion fortune and his stewardship over northern Palm Beach County with no instructions to a foundation in his name that was set up the year he died. John D. MacArthur State Park is named for him. A statue of John D. MacArthur sits at the city hall entrance on Military Trail. The $140,000 bronze statue is seven-feet-six-inches tall and weighs 750 pounds. It was made by Philadelphia-based artist Zenos Frudakis and was paid for by the John D. MacArthur Foundation. The statue was unveiled November 21, 2010 as part of the city's 50th anniversary celebration. MacArthur sits on a three-foot-high granite base from a quarry in Vermont surrounded by park benches, concrete sidewalks, and landscaping. The artist planned to have MacArthur smoking his omnipresent cigarette so his arm is held up like he is holding one. I guess the city thought better about promoting something that causes cancer because there is no cigarette in his hand leaving a sort of awkward gesture. Behind the statue is a marker that talks about John D. MacArthur's life and the formation of Palm Beach Gardens. This is a good stop if you are interested in the history of the area.

Very helpful gentleman who owns the establishment. No pressure or sales gimmicks. Great selection…read moreof pedals, instruments and amps. This store is very pricey!!