Bok Tower Gardens with Kids
Are you planning a day at Bok Tower Gardens with kids?
Located in Lake Wales, Florida, about an hour and a half south of Orlando, and an hour and a half east of Tampa, lies the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens.
Bok Tower has been open since 1929, and it remains a gorgeous place to spend a day.
My family started visiting Bok Tower Gardens on Christmas Day and discovered it was a calm and peaceful place where the kids could run freely and explore Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden.
I only wish we lived closer.
Keep reading to see what Bok Tower Gardens has to offer and to help you plan out the best day with kids.
Bok Tower Gardens Basic Information
Bok Tower Gardens is open daily from 8 am-6 pm, except for Christmas, when they open at 12 pm.
You can bring your dog, but dogs are not allowed in Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden.
There are many gardening, art, yoga, and cooking special events which vary in price, but almost always include entry to the gardens.
Entry to Bok Tower Gardens
After parking in the lot, enter the Bok Tower Gardens Visitor Center and speak with a representative who will give you a map, tell you what time events are occurring, and help you plan out your day.
Across from the Visitor Center are the Blue Palmetto Cafe and The Shop at Bok.
Bok Tower Gardens Visitor Center and Museum
We tend to move straight to the Children’s area, but for those interested, there is a small museum inside the visitor’s center.
A 15-minute film about Bok Tower Gardens, Pinewood Estate, and the Singing Tower is on a continuous loop throughout the day.
Visitors can see the original carillon keyboard and a variety of artwork.
Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden
Our first stop at Bok Tower, after the Visitor Center, is the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden.
There is an area right outside the Children’s Garden where cooking classes take place. I always think that it looks like a fantastic place for a cooking class, and I would love to take one there one day.
Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden has something for every age, including adults.
There are 17 different exhibits in the Children’s Garden at Bok Tower Gardens. Usually, we let the kids play in the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden for about 2 hours, though they could play there all day long.
We always start to the right, with a giant sandbox.
Sand buckets and shovels are located inside the sandbox. The sandbox is covered with a sun shade, and the outside can be sat on by those who do not wish to sit in the sand.
There is a water play exhibit, River Walk, which only turns on if you press the button. Small streams of water squirt out randomly across the riverwalk.
My personal favorite area inside the Children’s Garden is the hammocks.
My kids love to climb on the spider web, play music on the Song Bird Music Tree, and hunt for fairy houses on the Fairy House Trail.
They love dressing up and using props to play on the stage.
The water pump is always a big hit, as is climbing across the rocks.
Art supplies are set up as well. Kids can use them to create whatever they want. There is an area where they can hang up their art, or you can bring it home.
We tend to play in Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden until lunchtime. The kids are never ready to leave, but the timing works for us.
Hammock Hollow alone is worth the trip to Bok Tower Gardens with kids.
Hammock Hollow is 2.5 acres, located among the 50 acres of Bok Tower Gardens.
Kids Enjoying the Day at Bok Tower Gardens
Lunch Options at Bok Tower Gardens
Blue Palmetto Cafe is open daily and located near the entrance to Bok Tower Gardens.
The cafe is open daily from 9-5, but opens late on Christmas. We try to get there as they are opening at 12 to get a table.
You can bring a picnic and eat at the designated spots in the garden as well, or you can take your food from the cafe and enjoy it in the gardens if you do not want to sit at the cafe. Blue Palmetto Cafe offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
Blue Palmetto Cafe serves a variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches. They also have ice cream and other desserts.
We have never been to Blue Palmetto for breakfast, but they serve eggs, bagels, and yogurt.
Vegan and gluten-free items are available.
Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens
There are a few times a day when music is played from the Singing Tower.
We like to head there straight from lunch to see the 1 p.m. show. There is also a 3 p.m. show.
It is about a 15-minute walk from the cafe. There is a cart that is used to shuttle people around the gardens. We have never used the shuttle.
There is plenty of room around the Tower, so you do not need to be close to anyone.
There are a few benches, but we do not get there early enough for a seat.
We usually head to the hill and sit in the grass so that the kids can run around during the show.
For those interested in watching the person perform, an area with a TV and benches is set up for viewing.
The Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens is 205 feet tall. The Singing Tower was built on one of the highest points in Florida, making it about 295 feet above sea level. There is a reflecting pool, that is also a koi pond, around The Singing Tower.
Can You Go Inside The Singing Tower Bok Tower Gardens?
While entry into Bok Tower Gardens is open to the public with a paid ticket, the public can not go inside the actual Bok Tower, the Singing Tower, so do not expect to be able to climb it.
Certain annual pass membership levels for Bok Tower Gardens can tour the Singing Tower, but general ticket holders can not. At this time, it looks like those members can only view the 1st floor of Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens.
Bok Tower Gardens
After listening to the Carillon music, we walk back to the entrance through the gardens.
The Peace Tower is close to the Singing Tower, so that is our first stop.
Then we wander to the Exedra and Sunset Overlook, through the Wetland Boardwalk, and to the Window by the Pond.
On the way, there is the Pinewood Estate and Gardens, which is sometimes open. You can always walk around the gardens, but there is a fee to take a tour inside the estate.
Pinewood Estate and Gardens
We took a tour of Pinewood Estate one year when it was decorated for Christmas.
I do not need to tour the estate multiple times, especially with little kids, but we got a Groupon deal that included the tour, and it was interesting for all of us to see.
They had a scavenger hunt for kids, which is always a good idea. It definitely helps keep my kids interested, and they love getting prizes.
Pinewood Estate is a 20-room Mediterranean-style mansion that was built in the 1930s.
If you have the chance, it is worth visiting Pinewood Estate.
Lanie’s Tip: Not everyone in your group needs to go into the Estate. It may be worth it for your family to have one of the adults stay with the children in Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden. All 4 of us took the tour, and that worked for us.
Leaving Bok Tower Gardens
We drive to Bok Tower Gardens just for the day, so we usually leave mid-afternoon.
Sometimes we stop at Blue Palmetto Cafe for ice cream, and the kids eat their ice cream while I look around the shop.
Of course, the kids always want to head back to the Children’s Garden, and ice cream is how we get them to leave Bok Tower Gardens without a fuss.
Bok Tower Gardens FAQ
The amount of time you spend at Bok Tower Gardens is dependent on your family. We like to arrive by 10 am and leave around 3 pm.
There is plenty to keep us busy all day at Bok Tower Gardens. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine how long you will need at Bok Tower Gardens.
Will you be hiking? Bok Tower Gardens has walking trails of varying lengths.
What time is the Carillon music playing?
What season is it? While Florida can be hot year-round, it is often nicer during the winter months, and easier to spend more time outside.
Do you plan to tour the Pinewood Estate?
Yes, you are allowed to bring your own food into Bok Tower Gardens. There are picnic tables set up outside by the parking lot.
Yes, there is a fee to enter Bok Tower Gardens. The fee is paid at the entrance while you are in your car. At the gate, they ask how many people are in the car, how many are adults, and how many are children.
Where to Stay Near Bok Towers
Oak Hammock Resort
We ended up staying in the cabins at Oak Hammock Resort the night before a trip to Bok Tower. Oak Hammock is a campground about 20 minutes from Bok Tower Gardens.
We stayed in 2-bedroom cabins and enjoyed relaxing by the lake and playing in the game room.
Holiday Inn Express
Just 5 miles from Bok Tower Gardens is Holiday Inn Express Lake Wales North. Holiday Inn is pet-friendly, has a swimming pool, and offers a hot breakfast buffet.
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