Bucket list: 60 best must-try things to do, tourist attractions in Palm Beach County
From the beaches to the shores of Lake Okeechobee, this list covers everything from world-famous attractions to hidden gems, fine dining to fun (bike) riding, not to mention the arts, architecture, history, shopping and sports.
Presented loosely in geographic order from north to south, here's our list of fun things to do.
1. Go mountain biking on the trails at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
2. Take the one-and-half hour Trapper Tour (available only at higher tides) aboard the Loxahatchee Queen III at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and see Trapper Nelson's homestead.
3. See Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve on Jupiter Island and watch as crashing waves send plumes of water through the rocks along the beach.
4. Take a selfie (very carefully) from the top of the Jupiter Lighthouse.
More ways to enjoy Palm Beach County: Best waterfront restaurants in and around West Palm Beach
5. Visit the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and see native Florida animals up close and learn about their biology, habitats and conservation efforts. The center also offers fun events including Yoga in the Wild, their Walk on the Wild Side Tour, and much more.
6. Do a drift fishing trip out of Square Grouper Marina with Capt. Bill Taylor aboard the Black Dog.
7. Have lunch, dinner or drinks at the Square Grouper Tiki Bar at Jupiter Inlet. A beautiful spot to see the Jupiter Lighthouse and watch boats come and go, it has been featured in several music videos.
8. See the Miami Marlins' Single-A affiliate minor league team, the Jupiter Hammerheads, play at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.
9. Catch a stage performance at the fabulously renovated Maltz Jupiter Theatre, complete with 216-screen LED wall that adds a new twist in theater production.
10. See and learn about sea turtles at Loggerhead Marinelife Center where they do research as well as rescue and rehabilitate injured turtles. They also host popular beach releases after the turtles are healthy and ready to return to the wild.
11. Kayak or paddleboard at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park where, depending on the season, you could see manatees, dolphin, mullet, snook, rays, wading birds and more.
12. Head to Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach to snorkel Palm Beach County's very own natural aquarium: the snorkel trail under the Blue Heron Bridge.
13. In the summer months, get wet and wild at the Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach and experience the park's nearly three dozen slides and attractions.
14. Visit Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach and see the manatees as they congregate, especially after a cold front, around the nearby power plant's warm water discharges. Learn about these endangered, gentle giants and how to help save them.
15. Head to Grassy Waters Preserve in West Palm Beach and explore the nearly 23 square miles of this expansive wetlands ecosystem on foot or via canoe or kayak.
16. Take a bicycle ride down the Lake Trail in Palm Beach from the Palm Beach Marina to Annie's Dock.
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17. Have a meal at Green's Pharmacy, opened in 1938, in Palm Beach where the Kennedys used to stop in for breakfast and lunch.
18. Venture to the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Whitehall, a 75-room, 100,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion, was built by Henry Flagler as a wedding gift for his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler.
19. Take a walk down world-famous Worth Avenue in Palm Beach from the clock tower down to the Everglades Club (do not miss the alcoves, or "vias," along the way).
20. When the president is not in town, drive ridiculously slow by Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach while holding your cell phone out of either the window or sunroof — and infuriate all the local motorists behind you.
21. Begin the day at sunrise on Palm Beach with photos at the clock tower and finish with it watching the sunset over Lake Okeechobee.
22. Dine at one of the dozen or more restaurants at CityPlace, including El Camino, Maman, Adrienne's Pizzabar and more, in downtown West Palm Beach, then see a traveling Broadway show at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
23. From October through April, stop by the award-winning West Palm Beach GreenMarket featuring over 130 vendors and held along the city's beautiful waterfront.
More: After brief closure, West Palm Beach's Blind Monk restaurant opens in larger space
24. Over the winter holidays, visit Sandi Tree, the 35-foot tall, 800-ton holiday sand sculpture, along the West Palm Beach waterfront. At night, the tree is bathed in a light show accompanied by music.
25. Catch some live music at Respectable Street on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. The club helped spark the downtown area's resurrection and has been going strong for over 35 years.
26. Stop in at Roxy's Pub on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. Established in 1933, the pub features 64 beers on draft, an extensive menu and a rooftop bar and even a now-open rooftop pool.
More: Outdoor dining at its best! Top rooftop restaurants, bars in Palm Beach County
27. Take a sunset cruise from the West Palm Beach docks aboard the Hakuna Matata. Take in the beautiful architecture located on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway during the two-hour trip.
28. Walk below and snag Insta-worthy pics of the amazing 600-piece Chihuly glass ceiling at the Norton Museum of Art found along the Dixie Corridor in West Palm Beach. The colorful pieces combine to make an artwork that looks like light pouring through a coral reef and is called the "Persian Sea Life" ceiling.
29. Have breakfast at the iconic, 75-year-old Howley's Diner where "cooked in sight, must be right" is proven true. Try their Gino's Meatloaf or the beautiful behemoth, the Big Mouth Burger.
30. Work your wheels — skateboard, in-line or BMX bike — at West Palm Beach's recently renovated Phipps Skate Park off Dixie Highway.
31. Bring a lawn chair and watch a movie outdoors on the waterfront during West Palm Beach's Screen on the Green nights — the second Friday of every month.
32. Enjoy the mini golf oasis Pop Stroke with two amazing 18-hole putting courses. Co-owned by Tiger Woods, their slogan is Eat, Put, Drink.
33. See cougars, capybaras, jaguars, tigers, tapirs, bears, otters, koalas, kookaburas and more at the Palm Beach Zoo. Bring swimsuits for the zoo's fountain and splash pad. Bring your appetite for the Tropics Café.
34. See rotating exhibits, learn about science, enjoy food truck events and even travel back to the 1970s with in a laser light concert at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium.
35. Hit the links at West Palm Beach's meticulously-maintained golf course The Park. While there dine at the restaurant The House or grab a quick bite at The Cabana.
36. Enjoy a very "Palm Beach-style" afternoon and play croquet at the 10-acre National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach.
37. Play 18 holes of golf on the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course where the front nine is along the Atlantic Ocean and the back nine is along the Intracoastal Waterway.
More: At the Table: Local open-to-the-public golf course clubhouse restaurants offer tasty fare
38. Head to Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds to see the Riddle House, which was featured on the show "Ghost Adventures."
39. Visit the family-run Bulk Candy Store where you can experience the History of Candy tour and sink your teeth in their incredibly vast selection including Smarties, Dad's Root Beer Barrels, Bit O Honey, Laffy Taffy, Necco, Pop Rocks and much more.
40. Learn to ski, wakeboard or kneeboard at the Shark Wake Park located in the vast Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach.
41. See a polo match at the National Polo Center in Wellington during the winter season.
42. Visit one of the nation's top "safari parks" — Lion Country Safari, a 600-acre, drive-through open zoo in Loxahatchee. It features more than 1,000 wild animals from six continents, including lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras and chimpanzees.
43. Grab some friends and battle it out in a round of paintball at Piquet Entertainment & Race Track in Loxahatchee Groves. The property also has a kart track and mini golf.
44. Watch the streets of Lake Worth Beach get transformed into an art gallery as over 600 artists use the pavement as their canvas during the annual Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival.
45. See a performance in the historic Lake Worth Playhouse in the city's vibrant downtown. The theater, built in a Moorish Deco style, first opened in 1924 and puts on award-winning dramas, comedies, musicals, Broadway favorites and more.
46. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Benny's on the Beach on the Lake Worth Pier. Though there are many restaurants that boast "water views," there aren't many perched on a pier actually out over the water. You could even have a celebrity encounter as rocker Jon Bon Jovi and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay have been spotted at the fun location.
47. A hike through the Lantana Nature Preserve is a great way to see a coastal hardwood hammock, great tree and plant specimens as well as many species of birds, reptiles and insects.
48. Drink or dine at the Old Key Lime House, a family-owned restaurant and bar built in 1889. This vintage-island spot in Lantana is like one big, sprawling tiki bar docked on the Intracoastal Waterway.
49. Put on a bib and get dinner at Riggins Crabhouse, the area's only authentic Maryland-style crabhouse, in Lantana.
50. Stop in at Two Georges Waterfront Grille in Boynton Beach and enjoy lunch or dinner while watching the boats pass along the Intracoastal Waterway. In business for over 60 years, they are well-known for frozen cocktails, crab cakes and more.
51. Hike, bike, canoe or kayak the miles of waterways and trails throughout The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge's nearly 150,000 acres.
52. Take a relaxing stroll and learn about Japanese culture at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in western Delray Beach. Be on the lookout for special evening hours when summer arrives and the days are longer.
53. Spend an afternoon shopping and eating your way down Delray Beach's hippest street: Atlantic Avenue. Check out newcomers like Gabriella's, Gesto and Bourbon Steak.
54. Visit the Silverball Retro Arcade in Delray Beach, play endless modern and retro arcade games along with pinball while imagining you're in a video for the song "Pinball Wizard" by The Who.
55. Watch sharks and stingrays chow down at the Sandoway Discovery Center on A1A in Delray Beach. There are other animal encounters as well at the beachfront property that features the beautifully restored Sandoway House built in 1936.
56. Submerge yourself in Delray Beach's art scene by heading to the Pineapple Grove Arts District, where you'll find murals, sculptures and vibrant art galleries.
57. See Wakodahatchee Wetlands, which was created from 50 acres of unused utility land and transformed into a wetlands area that features and boardwalk and is usually packed with wildlife.
58. Get your groove on with a free or ticketed concert at the Mizner Park Amphitheater at Mizner Park in Boca Raton. While you're there, check out the current exhibits at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
59. Go kayaking from the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, where you can learn about the center's sea turtle rehabilitation program. They also host hikes and canoe trips.
60. See the Florida Atlantic University Owls take on AAC rivals in a division 1 college football game during football season at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton.
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best things to do, tourist attractions near West Palm, Jupiter FL
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