Bok Tower Gardens
A singing tower and sanctuary garden perched on Florida's highest hill.
Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark sitting atop Iron Mountain near Lake Wales — at 298 feet above sea level, it's one of the highest points in Florida, which sounds modest until you're standing there looking out over a landscape of live oaks, longleaf pines, and reflecting pools with no city in sight. The centerpiece is a 205-foot Gothic and Art Deco carillon tower completed in 1929, commissioned by Dutch-American publisher Edward Bok as a gift to the American people. The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., son of the man who designed Central Park, and the whole place has this rare quality of feeling both grand and genuinely peaceful.
You spend your time here wandering about 250 acres of manicured gardens and natural Florida woodland, stopping to listen when the carillon bells play — there are live recitals daily at 1pm and 3pm, and the 60-bell instrument has a sound that carries across the entire property in a way that's quietly stunning. The tower itself is sheathed in pink and gray Creagan marble and covered in carved pelicans, herons, and Florida wildlife — the decorative detail rewards a slow look. There's also Pinewood Estate, a 1930s Mediterranean Revival mansion on the grounds that you can tour separately, and a solid café and gift shop near the entrance.
Bok Tower is about 55 miles southwest of Orlando, so budget for the drive — it's not a quick detour. Most visitors spend two to four hours here, though you could easily stretch it longer if you take the Pinewood Estate tour. Go on a weekday if you can; weekends bring more families and school groups. The grounds close at 6pm but the last entry is typically around 5pm, so don't cut it too close.