Florida is sometimes called the sixth borough because so many New York City residents go there, especially in the wintertime. NYC-area residents are used to having a lot of cultural and historical places to go to. So here are some things to do in South Florida, north of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.
Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum
Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation
34725 West Boundary Road
Clewiston, FL 33440, 877-902-1113
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki means a place to learn, a place to remember, in the Seminole language. The museum explains their history and how they adapted to living in the Everglades swamp land. Family roles are explained, such as teaching a trade to boys starting at 13 years old and elders explaining history and traditions.
There is also a mile boardwalk. At the midpoint are re-created ceremonial grounds and huts, including a traditional meeting place for political and religious events.
The Seminole Indians are very proud of never being conquered by White people. The entire reservation is made of Seminole Indians: the police, the teachers, etc. Check out nearby shops for tax-free purchases of clothing, souvenirs, etc.
YesterYear Village
South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions
9067 Southern Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 793-0333
The history of South Florida from 1895-1945. Ten acres include a schoolhouse, a General Store, several houses, a fire department, a chapel, and a building with household items used 50-100 years ago.
A call center building shows how Operators make people’s phone calls. History interpreters explain life before 1940, a blacksmith, and a Cow Hunter (sometimes called a Cowboy). Pre-arranged tours are available.
Nearby is the only big band museum in the United States, the Sally Bennett Big Band Hall of Fame Museum.
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
4000 Morikami Park Road
Delray Beach, FL 33446
(561) 495-0233
In 1904, Jo Sakai, a recent graduate of New York University, tried to get people from his native Japan to create a community, and to farm the land in Florida. By the 1920s, the experiment had failed.
The museum documents their community, culture, and art. The ¼-mile trail around the lake has Japanese bridges, bushes, plants, and water features that are very calming.
Flagler Museum
One Whitehall Way
Palm Beach, FL 33480
(561) 655-2833
Henry Flagler built the railroad from Jacksonville to Key West, opening up Florida to commerce and tourism along the East Coast. The train tracks to Key West were eventually paved over and is now Highway 1. Flagler had a train station built on the grounds of his mansion.
Henry Flagler was part of “The Gilded Age” of super-wealthy Industrialists. Flagler worked for many years for Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Corporation before taking on development in Florida.
Flagler’s mansion along the Intracoastal Waterway had 12 bedrooms for guests and 13 bedrooms for servants.
Peanut Island
President Kennedy’s Nuclear Bunker
President John F. Kennedy had a bunker here in case of nuclear war. The Kennedys had a house in nearby Palm Beach. The bunker is decorated with 1960s-era memorabilia. Tour the former Coast Guard station on the island, as well. People can swim, snorkel, picnic, fish, and canoe on this 80-acre island.
The island is accessible by ferry only, like by the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat. Check beforehand if the Kennedy Nuclear Bunker is open, because there has been a legal dispute between the port, which owns the island, and Palm Beach Maritime Museum, which leases the attraction.
Mizner Park
Boca Raton, Florida
Built by Addison Mizner, an architect, it’s a high-end outdoor shopping mall with Mediterranean-style buildings. It has coffee shops and ice cream.
Nearby are the kosher restaurants: Carmella’s Restaurant with Italian and Mediterranean food; Bowl’d, offering meat, as well as food for vegetarians and vegans; and Jon’s Place, with pizza and falafel.
Boca Raton Museum of Art
501 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Right next to Mizner Park is the large, modern museum with paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photography.
Norton Museum of Art
1450 S. Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Three floors of Impressionism, post-Impressionism, Chinese, European, and American art. Sculptures and a garden, as well.
Panther Ridge Conservation Center
2143 D Road
Loxahatchee, FL 33470
(561) 795-8914
Learn about cougars, panthers, cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, and other big cats at this small zoo. A tour guide explains the cats’ amazing hearing, eyesight, and speed. Reservations for a tour by their workers are required.
Lion Country Safari
2003 Lion Country Safari Road
Loxahatchee, FL 33470
(561) 793-1084
Part drive-through safari, part zoo. The safari has zebras, rhinos, large ostriches, and many other animals. Walk through the zoo to see fish, reptiles, alpacas, and many others. Feed giraffes, goats, and parrots. The zoo also has a boat ride, a carousel, and other small rides. It’s a fun place for adults and children.
West Palm Beach Zoo
1301 Summit Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
A large enough but not too large zoo, with tigers, jaguars, otters, koalas, and flamingos, as well as many others.
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
Boca Raton
Small educational museum, an aquarium with sea turtles and other fish, nature trails on boardwalks, a beach, and a souvenir shop.
Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands
12800 Hagen Ranch Road
Boynton Beach, Florida 33437
Small educational museum, nature trails on a boardwalk, and a souvenir shop. There are numerous nature trails on boardwalks in South Florida where you might see exotic birds and alligators. A must-see is booking an airboat to see alligators and crocodiles in the Everglades.
Article and Photos by David Schneier
