Lake Wales, Florida: Bok Singing Tower and Gardens
Opened in 1929 and has been an unusual Florida attraction since. A 205-foot-tall rock tower with a 57-bell carillon.
- Address:
- 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL
- Directions:
- I-4, East or West: Exit 55, head south on U.S. Highway 27 for 23 miles. Two traffic lights past Eagle Ridge Mall, left on Mountain Lake Cut Off Road. At caution light, turn right (south) onto County Road 17 (Scenic Highway) for 3/4 miles. Turn left (east) onto Burns Avenue (County Road 17-A). Proceed on Burns Avenue for 1.3 miles.
- Hours:
- Daily 8 am - 6 pm. (Call to verify)
- Phone:
- 863-676-1408
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Visitor Tips and News About Bok Singing Tower and Gardens
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Bok Singing Tower and Gardens If you've seen all of Bok Tower that photos typically capture, and tend to get camera-happy yourself from time to time, take a drive! Only a handful of locals know about this: The entrance to the gardens is on SR-17, or Burns Ave. If you follow SR-17 East it will curve north into an appropriately named Masterpiece Rd. You'll be driving through open pastureland. Looking west, the tower is breathtaking, especially around dusk. Stay on SR-17! It loops back west and you can see the tower the whole way.
Here's another secret for those following Masterpiece Road: Just before you leave "Old Florida" and get back to civilization, take a left onto Tower Road. It's an orange clay road that cuts through an orange grove that makes travelers will feel like they're back in the 1920s among the first people to see Bok Tower. It's a very cool experience and a rare environment to be in these days.
[Jane Geoh, 08/23/2012]
Bok Singing Tower and Gardens This is a very nice place to visit. Not enough benches, so bring a blanket and a picnic basket and you can enjoy the bells. Disappointing that you cannot go inside the towers, but great gardens, and the tower itself is magnificent.
Thought that the educational area was a lot of fun and learned some new things about Florida and how it has changed over millions of years.
[Brickner3, 07/30/2010]Highest point in Florida. Large, beautifully landscaped, peaceful botanical gardens. Huge Koi pond/moat around tower. Not for theme park crowd.
Nice staff will transport those unable to walk distances up to tower.
[Denzel, 07/13/2010]The Bok Singing Tower and Gardens is a sanctuary located atop a hill near Lake Wales. This was a favorite spot of mine as a child when I lived in nearby Clermont (the home of the Citrus Tower, where my mom and grandmother worked!) This attraction is dwarfed by all the bussle of nearby Goliaths such as Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. But it is worth a side trip and half-a-day tour by anyone traveling nearby. It is believed to be the inspiration for the pedestal on which Birmingham's Vulcan statue stands.
[S McDonald, 05/31/2005]Nearby Offbeat Places
- Spook Hill, Lake Wales, FL - 2 mi.
- Legoland Florida - USA in Miniature, Winter Haven, FL - 8 mi.
- Home of The Boogerman, Haines City, FL - 11 mi.
- In the region: Forgotten Citrus Center Monument #3, Lakeland, FL - 30 mi.
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Bok Singing Tower and Gardens was one of Florida's earliest tourist attractions, opening in 1929. The 205-ft. tall marble and rock tower features a 57-bell carillon. The Tower interior has never been open to public tours.