West Palm Beach — What to Do.

This is really two towns to explore, a bridge apart. Two days covers it: one on the island (Worth Avenue, Flagler, the Lake Trail), one on the mainland (the Norton, the waterfront, Clematis after dark). Here's what earns your time — and, where there's a real choice to make, how we'd make it.

The essentials, decided

🛍️ The island stroll → Worth Avenue + the vias. The shops, yes — but really the vias: Mizner-era covered passageways (Via Mizner, Via Parigi, Via Amore) that thread off the avenue into courtyards with tiled fountains and spiral stairs. Free to wander, and the prettiest 20 minutes on the island. Go morning or late afternoon; it winds down at night.

🏛️ The Gilded-Age landmark → Flagler's Whitehall. Henry Flagler's 1902 "marble palace" — a 75-room estate that's Florida's answer to a Newport mansion, now the Flagler Museum (closed Mondays). The island's grand-interior stop.

🚶 The quiet way to see old Palm Beach → the Lake Trail. A 5.5-mile paved waterfront path along the island's Intracoastal edge, past the Gilded-Age mansions and the Flagler Museum. Free, flat, and lovely on foot or by bike.

🎨 The mainland's culture anchor → the Norton Museum of Art. The region's leading fine-art museum, its Foster + Partners expansion a draw in itself (closed Tuesdays; Saturdays are reported free — confirm).

🌃 The mainland after dark → Clematis Street + Rosemary Square. Downtown's main street turns into one of South Florida's liveliest strips — live bands, DJs, open-air patios — with the piazza-style Rosemary Square and the Kravis Center a few blocks west. The mainland's pulse, opposite the island's hush.

🎭 A night at the theater → the Kravis Center. The region's major performing-arts venue on Rosemary Square's western edge — Broadway tours, concerts, dance. Worth it when the calendar aligns, so check what's on for your dates and book tickets ahead; pair it with a Rosemary Square dinner.

The beach decision

The honest part first: much of the island oceanfront is private — resort or residential — so a beach day here means a specific public spot, not a walk-on-anywhere plan. Four ways to go, by what you need:

🏖️ Midtown Beach — the convenient island-town beach. Right by Worth Avenue, easy to fold into an island day. Metered parking, limited amenities; go in the morning in season.

🌴 Phipps Ocean Park — the roomier island public beach. A larger county-run park to the south, with more parking and facilities. The island option when Midtown's lot is full.

🎡 Lake Worth Beach — amenities, a pier, and energy. A lively public beach just south with a pier, restaurants, and easy parking — the amenities-and-energy pick, an easy drive from the mainland.

🤿 Peanut Island — the boat-access snorkel day. A man-made island with a calm snorkel lagoon, reached by a short boat or water-taxi. The adventure option; check the current ferry schedule and fare.

Our take: match the beach to the day — Midtown if you're already near Worth Avenue, Lake Worth Beach for a pier and easy parking, Peanut Island for a boat-and-snorkel adventure. Want sand at your door instead? That's a beach-resort booking (see Where to Stay), not a public-beach plan.

A Two-Day Itinerary

Day-shapes, not a minute-by-minute plan. We've split it the way the destination splits: one day on the island, one on the mainland. Each core walks; the bridge, the beaches, and the Norton want a car or rideshare.

Day 1 — The Island (Old Palm Beach).

• Morning: start on Worth Avenue — the shops, yes, but really the vias: Mizner-era covered passageways (Via Mizner, Via Parigi, Via Amore) that open into hidden courtyards with tiled fountains and spiral stairs. Free to wander, and the prettiest 20 minutes on the island.
• Midday: tour Flagler's Whitehall — Henry Flagler's 1902 "marble palace," Florida's answer to a Newport mansion (closed Mondays) — then walk a stretch of the free Lake Trail along the water, past the Gilded-Age houses.
• Afternoon: a beach hour — Midtown Beach is the convenient island-town spot near Worth Avenue; just know island parking is metered and fills early in season (the full beach call is above).
• Evening: an island dinner — see Where to Eat.

Day 2 — The Mainland (West Palm Beach).

• Morning: the Norton Museum of Art — the region's leading fine-art museum, its Foster + Partners expansion a draw in itself (closed Tuesdays; Saturdays are reported free — confirm).
• Midday: the downtown waterfront and marina; a free trolley loops the core if you'd rather not walk it all.
• Afternoon: Rosemary Square — the piazza-style district of shops and restaurants, with the Kravis Center on its western edge.
• Evening: Clematis Street after dark — dinner on the mainland (see Where to Eat), then live music and open-air patios along the street.

Add a third day for a beach day (the four options are above), a slow morning on either side, or a day trip from a Palm Beach base: Peanut Island's snorkel lagoon by boat, the winter manatees at Manatee Lagoon (best November–March), the Palm Beach Zoo for kids, or up the coast to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.

Basis: West Palm Beach and Palm Beach firsthand (the city). Museum hours, tour and ferry schedules, and the winter manatee season move seasonally, and much of the island oceanfront is private — confirm before you build a day around one. Last verified 2026-08-19. We never rank by commission.