Bok Gardens, Florida 🇺🇸

Part of my Real Florida Guide

Bok Tower Gardens is a 250-acre garden and bird sanctuary located on Iron Mountain, in Lake Wales. It has been there since the 1920s and is famous for its 205 foot, 60 bell, neo-gothic ‘singing’ tower carillon – surrounded by a reflection pool.

Bok gets its name from its creator, Edward W. Bok, a one time Pulitzer-Prize winning author who had a vision of creating a peaceful place with birds, hills and sunsets. It’s a really pretty place to spend a lazy morning (or afternoon) if you are in the Lake Wales/ Polk County area and fancy respite from the traffic and tourists.

It costs just $16 per person which gives you access to the extensive gardens (one of which is edible), two hiking trails, museum and onsite shop and cafe. For a few dollars more, you can get access into the El Retiro Mediterranean-style mansion and estate too. Bok reminds me a little of a National Trust property in the UK – albeit with much nicer weather!

If you love exotic plants, you’ll love a walk around Bok. Although the flowers change with the seasons, in the spring and summer months you can expect to find giant Victoria water lilies, Japanese stone peace lanterns, Southern magnolia, Caladiums and Coral Ardisia trees, to name but a few.

There’s also an array of wildlife to keep and eye out for, including squirrels, lizards and herons. In fact, Bok is home to 126 different species of birds, the threatened gopher tortoise and the endangered eastern indigo snake! So, if you’re in the slightest bit squeamish about what might run or slide past your feet, wear trainers and not flip flops!

During the Covid pandemic, unlike many of the theme parks and other attractions in Central Florida that were forced to shut, Bok could largely remain open. In 2021 alone, attendance went up to the highest it has ever been – providing a tranquil, meditative and safe space for people to escape the stresses of every day life.

The same goes for anyone reading this section of the guide today. If you want somewhere a little different to mainstream Florida, somewhere you can soak up the sunshine and see nature in all its glory – then Bok Gardens may well be the trip you want to take.

Whilst in the Lake Wales area…

Honestly, you can’t visit Bok Gardens and not drive a couple of miles up the road to experience ‘Spook Hill’….

This is a magnetic hill, also described as a gravity hill. Visitors stop their car on the painted white line, put the car in neutral and watch what happens. This supposedly gives the illusion that your car is rolling uphill as opposed to down. I’m not sure we quite understood the hype, but it was a fun few minutes deviation no less!

And for those wondering, the sign reads:

“Ages ago an Indian Town on Lake Wales lake was plagued with raids by a huge gator. The town’s Great Warrior Chief and the gator were killed in a final battle that created the huge swampy depression nearby. The chief was buried on its north side, later Pioneer Haulers coming from the old army trail atop the ridge above found their horses laboring here at the foot of the ridge…and called it Spook hill. Is it the gator seeking revenge, or the Chief protecting his land?”

Make of that what you will!

Thanks for reading this part of the guide. If wildlife interests you, take a look at the Apopka Drive too!