If you have to drive the long route from Orlando to Miami and don’t feel like driving all the time on the boring Florida’s Turnpike along the coast, you may have found the article for you. In fact, I’m ready to prove to you that – in addition to saving on tolls – it can be worth avoiding at least a piece of the Florida Turnpike to reach Lake Wales, an anonymous town in central Florida that hides a truly worthwhile attraction: Bok Tower.
I found out about this place long before I toured Florida, but I knew that seeing it in person would completely change my perception of it. Indeed it did, and my expectations were totally exceeded! But I’ve kept you on your toes too long! Let’s find out what this mysterious Bok Tower is, what to see in the gardens that host it and how to get to the site.
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How to get to Bok Tower
The address of Bok Tower Gardens is 1153 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales. As anticipated, it is located in an area that is not very interesting or on the beaten tourism trail, at a distance of about 1h 20 minutes travel from both Orlando (north) and Tampa (west), the main cities nearby.
It lies 211 miles from Miami, which can be covered in about 3 and a quarter hours by car. The distance discourages any attempt to visit Bok Tower as a day trip but, as I said, makes it perfect as an intermediate stop in traveling between Miami and the above locations.
- from Orlando: drive on I-4 W to exit 55 towards Haines City. Then drive on US-27 to Lake Wales.
- from Tampa: drive on I-4 E to exit 27 towards Lakeland/Winter Haven. From there follow to Highland City and Lake Wales on FL-570 and FL-60.
- from Miami: drive on the Florida Turnpike to exit 193 (Jeehaw Junction), then follow FL-60 W (Hesperides Road) to Lake Wales.
Wherever you’re coming from, as soon as you reach the town of Lake Wales you’ll have to take FL-17 N (Burns Ave) to the intersection with Tower Boulevard, the road that goes up the hill where the tower stands. A few hundred feet from the entrance of the road you will find the box office where you can pay for tickets; from there on you will follow a beautiful road through the orange groves that will offer you several panoramic views of the tower in the distance. The large parking lot where you will leave your car will appear pleasantly shaded by charming rows of banyan trees.
How much time to devote to the site
Since I only wanted to see the Bok Tower, when I got there I thought I could get by with a half hour. In fact, impressed by the beautiful gardens, I ended up staying a little over an hour and I can consider myself quite satisfied with what I saw, albeit a little hastily. If you have 2 hours, you can visit almost all the attractions at your leisure.
What is Bok Tower?
Among the lakes, plains and orange groves of central Florida, on a hill called Iron Mountain (295 feet above sea level, one of the highest points of all Florida!), and set in the middle of a beautiful tropical garden a 203 feet-high tower dominates the horizon, with its bright colors that capture the light and are reflected in a pond: this wonder is Bok Tower. Also known as the Singing Tower, this unusual monument in neo-Gothic style with Art Deco influences was built between 1927 and 1929 and designed by architect Milton B. Medary. The tower and gardens exist thanks to the desire and efforts of the Dutch journalist Edward W. Bok, who had his winter residence in Lake Wales. There are many features that make the tower unique, but the most notable are as follows:
- it was entirely built using rare and sought-after materials: Etowah marble, known as pink Georgia marble, from Tate (GA); grey Georgia marble, quarried in Pickens County (GA); and coquina, a type of sedimentary rock often used for ornamental purposes due to its characteristic content of fragments of shells, corals and fossilized invertebrates.
- the tower is further enriched by mosaics (the work of a Philadelphia artist, J.H. Dulles Allen) and sculptures by Lee Lawrie depicting herons and eagles. On the striking brass door – in front of which Edward Bok is buried – there are scenes from Genesis by Samuel Yellin, who also made some wrought-iron decorations for the tower.
- inside the tower there is a carillon with 60 bells of variable weight (from 7 kg to several tons). Built by Englishman John Taylor Bellfoundry, the carillon is one of the most precious in the world: it propagates its very light melodies throughout the park, creating a truly remarkable acoustic effect.
- in addition to the carillon, the tower also houses the Anton Brees Carillon Library, considered the richest carillon-themed library in the world.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see the library or the bells, because the tower cannot be visited inside except on special occasions dedicated to members and donors. On the other hand, every day at 1 and 3 p.m. you can make yourself comfortable at the foot of the tower and watch a carillon concert, given live by “resident” carilloneur Geert D’hollander, the fourth in Bok Tower’s history. If you don’t plan to visit the gardens during those hours, don’t despair: you can listen to a few recorded pieces every half hour, a schedule of which can be found at the Visitor Center.
At the front of the tower there is a quiet shady park with benches where you can rest while observing the surrounding panorama.
Things to Do at Bok Tower
The first buildings you’ll encounter are the Visitor Center with adjoining museum, the Blue Palmetto Café and the Shop, all three gathered around a nice, small flowered patio that will immediately give you the idea of the attention to detail reserved for this place.
The Singing Tower is definitely the main reason you’ll come to Bok Tower Gardens, but once you get there, looking around, you’ll realize that the context in which the tower is located is not just a frame for it, but a place of great beauty. All of the areas shown below can be reached via short trails that branch off from the so-called Oval, an oval-shaped crossroads located just past the Visitor Center along the main trail. From the Oval it takes just 8 minutes to reach Bok Tower, and no more than 10-15 minutes to reach each of the garden’s points of interest.
Bok Tower Gardens
Wander through the placid paths of Bok Tower Gardens for a true nature-contemplation experience: you’ll meet very few people and see a wide variety of plants you’ve never seen before. Following the design of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the gardens were enriched with an impressive number of typical Florida plants, including banyans, oaks, palms, azaleas, gordonias, magnolias, ferns, pines and tropical flowers. Many plants are rare and some, being in real danger of extinction, are subject to preservation programs: you can see some of them in the rotunda called the Endangered Plant Garden.
The gardens are called contemplative garden and bird sanctuary: there are more than 100 species of birds living in the 165 acres of land of the property, a real paradise for birdwatchers. In addition to flora and fauna, it is possible to meet some small monuments along the garden paths, that are well integrated in the context, such as the Peace Lantern: a beautiful Japanese lantern (tōrō – 灯篭), the work of the artist Tsujita, who gave it to Bok in the twenties. It is located behind the tower, in a gap opened in the vegetation.
Window by the Pond
The quiet atmosphere and enchanting beauty of the gardens suggest a “spiritualistic” approach to nature, and the so-called Window by the Pond should contribute to this. It’s a tiny cabin that offers a glimpse of a swamp through a large window: the signs promise the sighting of some animals, but it takes a lot of patience. The only way is to remain in contemplation of the swamp, as if you were in a chapel.
Pinewood Estate and Gardens
A bit aside, in the west of the gardens is the Pinewood Estate and its gardens: it is a beautiful residence from the early thirties built in the typical Mediterranean Revival style so common in Florida. Also known as El Retiro, it belonged to C. Austin Buck, and was acquired by the owner of the Gardens in the seventies, followed by a careful restoration, aimed at returning the original appearance of the house for visitors. Today, the 20 rooms of the Pinewood Estate can be visited on a tour by purchasing a separate ticket.
Pine Ridge Preserve
A 2.5 mile path that allows you to see one of the most fragile habitats of Florida, which must be protected and reinvigorated through the setting of fires every 3-5 years: the role of fire is fundamental for the preservation of this type of ecosystem, typical of the savannah and highland wetlands. As you walk here, you’ll see some local wildlife, perennial grasses, and many Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) trees typical of Florida’s wetlands.
Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden
An educational trail designed for children, who can get in touch with the local flora and fauna through fun and educational games and experiences: they can run, jump, play with water, climb, learn to walk on nature trails in a respectful way, learn about Seminole culture, play various instruments trying to imitate bird sounds…
Bok Tower Hours and Admission Fee
Bok Tower Gardens are open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but last admission is at 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, Café and Shop close at 5 p.m. Admission ticket prices are as follows:
- Adults: $16
- Children (ages 5-12): $5
- Children under 5: Free
This ticket provides access to Bok Tower Gardens, the tower, Hammock Hollow, Nature Trails and the Visitor Center.
As a reminder, the Pinewood Estate can be walked to and viewed from outside with the standard ticket. However, if you would like to add the self-guided tour of the interior of Pinewood Estate, the package prices are:
- Adults: $21
- Children (ages 5-12): $10
- Children under 5 years: free
During peak season, for an additional $5, you can join guided tours of the mansion.
Spook Hill: A Curious Experience near Bok Tower
Lake Wales is not only known for the Bok Tower, but also for Spook Hill, a small depression between two gently sloping knolls, located practically on the slopes of Iron Mountain, 10 minutes from the Bok Tower.
Legend has it that an Indian village on the shores of Lake Wales was cornered by a huge alligator. A terrible fight ensued between the beast and the Great Chief of the tribe, which ended with the death of both: the small depression between the two hills was generated by the impacts of the clash. According to the inhabitants, the hill is haunted (we don’t know if by the ghost of the alligator seeking revenge or by the Great Chief who defends the area from his grave). At the exact point where the road descends to the depression, a white line is marked. Go down the hill and align your car with the sign, stop the vehicle and put it in neutral: you will have the impression that your car defies gravity, climbing uphill as if going downhill! To get to Spook Hill follow this simple route: from Burns Ave turn on Old School Ave, then left on 5th S at Dr. JA Wiltshire Ave and then left again on 5th S. Right on this street you will descend to the white line and witness the “miracle”.
This strange phenomenon is not the only one in the world and not even in the USA (see Bishop in the article on the Eastern Sierra). In reality, it is an optical illusion typical of the so-called“gravity hills“, a sort of difformity of perception. As the experts explain, “the “inverse gravity” stretch of road has an actual slope that is opposite to the apparent one, as can be demonstrated using a bubble level or a theodolite. This is an optical illusion, which can occur when a stretch of road with a very gentle slope is placed between two segments in which the slope is much steeper; this situation influences our perception that makes us see the stretch with a gentle slope as a slight descent“.
The scientific explanation is certainly less fascinating than the legend, but who feels like explaining this concept to the children of the adjacent Spook Hill Elementary School, which has a ghost as its mascot?
Where to Stay near the Tower?
If you need to sleep in the area, there is nothing better than finding accommodation in Lake Wales where I saw some residential areas surrounded by a very pleasant greenery. If instead you are passing through Miami and Orlando, take a look at our dedicated articles: where to sleep in Miami and where to stay in Orlando.
