DowntownPalm Beach, the islandWorth Avenue to Royal Poinciana Way, the Lake Trail and the beach, checked at the source
Yes, Palm Beach has a downtown: the Town of Palm Beach's walkable core on the barrier island, from Worth Avenue and South County Road around Town Hall north to Royal Poinciana Way. It is not downtown West Palm Beach, across the lagoon. Worth Avenue meters run 9 AM to 5 PM through ParkMobile, and the Worth Avenue tree lighting is Tuesday, December 1, 2026.
Worth Avenue, the island's shopping street.A film cut from 10 real photographs of Worth Avenue, its vias and the Town of Palm Beach on the island. Credits
Next on the island
What is on in Palm Beach
Dates from the Flagler Museum, the Society of the Four Arts, the Worth Avenue Association, the Preservation Foundation and the Town, checked October 21, 2026. Every card adds to your calendar in one tap.
2nd annual fall family day: seasonal treats, live music, art activities and games; 2:00 p.m. talk on Whitehall's plaster reliefs by Benjamin Blythe of Hyde Park Mouldings. Ticketed.
Weekly 75-minute history walk led by docent Rick Rose; $30 per person, ticket required on Eventbrite, limited to 40, rain or shine, wheelchair accessible.
Fall exhibition on how the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition shaped Flagler's vision for Palm Beach; guest curator Mosette Broderick. Included with admission.
Tell us how long you have and what you enjoy. The planner picks sourced stops on the Palm Beach island, orders them from Worth Avenue at South County Road, and points you to Town parking if you are driving.
Or start from one of three ready-made plans:
Worth Avenue and the vias
Walk Worth Avenue, duck into Via Mizner and Via Parigi, reach the clock tower at the ocean end, then lunch on the avenue.
Worth Avenue(Worth Avenue): Three blocks from the Atlantic to the Intracoastal, in the Worth Avenue Association's words, lined with shops, dining and galleries.
Via Mizner(Via Mizner, off the 300 block of Worth Avenue): One of the vias off the 300 block of Worth Avenue, a courtyard lane of small shops and restaurants.
Via Parigi(Via Parigi, off 349 Worth Avenue): A via off 349 Worth Avenue listed in the Association's Vias directory.
Worth Avenue Clock Tower(Worth Avenue at South Ocean Boulevard): The tower at the ocean end of Worth Avenue, where the street meets South Ocean Boulevard.
Ta-boo(221 Worth Avenue): The bistro and bar at 221 Worth Avenue, serving lunch and dinner daily.
Museums and gardens
Whitehall at the Flagler Museum, the free Four Arts gardens, the native plants of Pan's Garden, then pizza in a via.
Flagler Museum (Whitehall)(One Whitehall Way): Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate, completed in 1902 and now a National Historic Landmark; open Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 12 to 5.
Four Arts gardens (Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden and Demonstration Garden)(Four Arts Plaza at Royal Palm Way and Cocoanut Row): The Society of the Four Arts' sculpture and demonstration gardens, free, open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Tuesdays from January through March.
Pan's Garden(386 Hibiscus Avenue): The Preservation Foundation's all-native botanical garden on Hibiscus Avenue, open every day from 10 am to 4 pm.
Pizza Al Fresco(14 Via Mizner): A wood-burning brick oven and an outdoor courtyard in Via Mizner, open daily 11am to 10pm.
The north end and the Lake Trail
A stretch of the Lake Trail, Bradley Park, then The Royal Poinciana Plaza and a coffee at Sant Ambroeus.
Lake Trail at Royal Poinciana Way(Lake Trail at Royal Poinciana Way): The Town's nearly six-mile Lake Trail along the lagoon, for walkers, runners and non-motorized bikes only.
Bradley Park(Royal Poinciana Way at the Lake Trail): A Town park near the Flagler Memorial Bridge, on the grounds E.R. Bradley willed to the Town, per the Preservation Foundation.
The Royal Poinciana Plaza(340 Royal Poinciana Way): John Volk's mid-century plaza on Royal Poinciana Way, now a landmarked property with shops and restaurants.
Sant Ambroeus Palm Beach(340 Royal Poinciana Way): Milanese dishes and an espresso bar in The Royal Poinciana Plaza, open from 8 a.m. daily.
Every stop comes from our sourced list of places on the island (checked October 21, 2026). Distances are straight-line estimates between OpenStreetMap coordinates, not measured walking routes. Time per stop is your chosen time split evenly, not an official visit length. Check each place's hours before you set out.
Coming back to the island more often than not? See what living in Palm Beach is like.
From the Providencia's cargo to Flagler's hotel and Whitehall, the 1911 vote to incorporate, the Town Hall on South County Road and the museum Flagler's granddaughter founded, each step as the Town and the museums record it.
1878
The Providencia washes ashore with coconuts
The Town says Palm Beach took its name, by early settler accounts, from the Providencia, which washed ashore in January 1878 with coconuts bound from Havana to Barcelona; settlers planted the coconuts.
The Town says Flagler's Royal Poinciana Hotel was completed in 1894 and was the largest wooden structure in the world; the Florida East Coast Railway arrived in 1896.
The Town says the Town of Palm Beach was incorporated on April 17, 1911, when 35 men met at the Palm Beach Hotel and voted to incorporate what was only the second recognized municipality in Palm Beach County.
The Museum says Jean Flagler Matthews, Flagler's granddaughter, established the Flagler Museum on June 5, 1959; each June 5 the Museum opens free for Founder's Day.
The front of Whitehall, the Henry M. Flagler Museum, February 2021. Photo: Khowald, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
A walk down Worth Avenue
Four stops, from the avenue into the vias
The Worth Avenue Association says the avenue spans just three blocks, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. Its courtyard lanes, the vias, open off the main street. The day planner above puts the stops in order for you.
Photo: Christopher Ziemnowicz (CZmarlin), CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
02
Off the 300 block
Via Mizner
One of the courtyard vias off the 300 block, home to Renato's and Pizza Al Fresco by their own addresses; the Association credits the avenue's courtyards to Addison Mizner.
Pick a date. We check it against the schedules the island's museums, gardens, churches and the Town publish: whether the Flagler Museum and the Four Arts gardens are open, Worth Avenue walking tours and the tree lighting, concerts and lectures, the beach, the Lake Trail detour, meter hours and hurricane season.
Dated events coming up
ThuOct 22
Live jazz at The Royal Poinciana Plaza · 6 to 9 PM
Flagler Museum open: Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday noon to 5 PM; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
Flagler Museum Cafe tea service season: From the day after Thanksgiving through Easter Sunday: November 27, 2026 to March 28, 2027 (Flagler Museum). Cafe hours are not posted. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
America Takes the Stage (Flagler Museum): On view Nov 10, 2026 to May 30, 2027, during museum hours (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: 2026 Fall Exhibition
Flagler Museum Holiday Evening Tours: December 18 to 23, 26 and 27, 2026, tours at 6:00, 6:20, 6:40 and 7:00 PM; $65 adults, $35 children (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: Holidays at Whitehall
Flagler Museum Music Series: November 11 and December 16, 2026, and February 28, March 23 and April 13, 2027: 5:30 PM reception, 6:00 PM concert, $95 (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: 2026-2027 Music Series
Four Arts concert (Lambert Concert Series): Seventeen dates from December 2, 2026 to April 21, 2027 at the Royal Poinciana Chapel or Johnson Hall; times are posted for only some dates (the Society of the Four Arts). The Society of the Four Arts: Sanda & Jeremiah Lambert Concert Series
Four Arts film or HD screening: Friday films and Saturday screenings from November 6, 2026 to April 24, 2027 at the Palm Beach Day Academy while the Four Arts building is renovated; times are not posted on the series page. The Society of the Four Arts: Films & HD Screenings
The High Life (Four Arts exhibition): December 5, 2026 through May 2, 2027 (the Society of the Four Arts). Hours are not posted on the exhibition page. The Society of the Four Arts: Exhibitions
Worth Avenue historical walking tour: Wednesdays at 10:30 AM from November 4, 2026 to May 5, 2027, from Via Amore at 256 Worth Avenue: 75 minutes, $30, ticket required, rain or shine (Worth Avenue Association). Worth Avenue Association: Historical Walking Tour of Worth Avenue
Bethesda-by-the-Sea docent tour: Second and fourth Sundays, free, no reservations: 12:15 PM from November to April, 11:15 AM from May to October (the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea). The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea: Tours
Midtown Beach open, lifeguards on duty: Sunrise to sunset, lifeguards 9 AM to 6 PM every day; meters on South Ocean Boulevard run 9 AM to midnight (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Hours & Schedules
Phipps Ocean Park closed for renovation: Closed through November 18, 2026; the racquet center and its parking stay open to tennis and pickleball players (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Phipps Ocean Park Transformation
Lake Trail: detour at the Four Arts: The Lake Trail is for walkers, runners and non-motorized bikes; electric and motorized transport is prohibited (Town of Palm Beach). The stretch across the Four Arts campus is closed for construction with a signed detour; no reopening date is posted (the Society of the Four Arts). The Society of the Four Arts: Renovation FAQs
Worth Avenue meters in force: Worth Avenue, the 200 and 300 blocks of South County Road, Four Arts Plaza, One Whitehall Way and the north end: 9 AM to 5 PM. Midtown streets and the beach: 9 AM to midnight. Pay with ParkMobile (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Park in Palm Beach
Town Hall offices open: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM, at 360 South County Road; closed on the Town's 2026 holidays. 2027 holidays are not posted (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Hours & Schedules
Atlantic hurricane season: June 1 to November 30 every year (NOAA National Hurricane Center). The Town says Palm Beach is in Evacuation Zone B. Outdoor events can be called off at short notice. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone Climatology
Flagler Museum Family Days: Autumn at Whitehall: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (presentation at 2:00 p.m.), Flagler Museum grounds (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: Family Days
America 250: Palm Beach Celebration: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Morton & Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Oakley Gage Debbs Athletic Field (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Town Events calendar
Fall Exhibition Lecture: Geoffrey Baer, From Chicago to Palm Beach: 5:30 PM cocktails, 6:00 PM lecture, Flagler Museum (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: 2026 Fall Exhibition
Flagler Museum Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities (Members): 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Whitehall, Grand Hall (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: Holidays at Whitehall
Fall Exhibition Lecture: Gerald Larson, The White City and the Making of Modern America: 5:30 PM cocktails, 6:00 PM lecture, Flagler Museum (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: 2026 Fall Exhibition
Carols on the Lawn with the Palm Beach Atlantic University Concert Choir: 4:00PM, Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden (The Society of the Four Arts). The Society of the Four Arts: Carols on the Lawn
Fall Exhibition Lecture: Alice Rawsthorn, Designing the American Dream: 5:30 PM cocktails, 6:00 PM lecture, Flagler Museum (Flagler Museum). Flagler Museum: 2026 Fall Exhibition
Town of Palm Beach Public Safety and Family Fun Day: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Town of Palm Beach Marina (Town of Palm Beach). Town of Palm Beach: Town Events calendar
Worked out from schedules checked October 21, 2026, on each organiser's own page. Where an organiser publishes no hours or no year (Four Arts film times, some concert times, 2027 Town holidays), the checker says so instead of guessing.
Spending more than a day on the island? See what living in Palm Beach is like.
The Town calls the Lake Trail nearly six miles long; Discover The Palm Beaches says five and a half. Electric and motorized transport is not allowed, and the stretch across the Four Arts campus is closed for construction with a signed detour.
The Town says all electric and motorized modes of transportation are prohibited on the Lake Trail by Town Ordinance Sec. 118-11. Town of Palm Beach: Hours & Schedules
The Four Arts says cyclist and pedestrian access to the Lake Trail where it crosses the Four Arts campus is closed for its construction project, with signage showing the route back to the trail. The Society of the Four Arts: Renovation FAQs
Photo: Christopher Ziemnowicz (CZmarlin), CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
Eat and drink
Island tables
From each restaurant's own website, checked October 21, 2026: Worth Avenue and its vias, South County Road and Royal Poinciana Way. Hours change with the season; check before you go.
'Occupying a landmark corner in the heart of Palm Beach, Cafe L'Europe has been welcoming guests from near and far since 1980' with 'fine French-inspired cuisine'.
Dinner: Monday to Sunday in season, from 5pm; brunch: Saturdays and Sundays in season. Summer: closed Sunday and Monday dinner, closed Saturday brunch.
Chef Clay Conley's 'inventive American cuisine'; 'signature small plate, big flavor creations are served in a warm and welcoming space.' The Buccan Sandwich Shop is open daily 11am to 3:30pm for take-out.
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 5pm to 9:30pm; Sunday 5pm to 9:00pm. Sandwich Shop: daily 11am to 3:30pm.
'In Japanese, the word Imoto means "little sister." Inspired by buccan next door, Imoto expands Chef Clay Conley's small plates, big flavor concept with Japanese and Asian cuisine.'
Monday to Saturday 5PM to 9:30PM; Sunday 5PM to 9:00PM.
'The menu offers elevated traditional Milanese dishes' plus 'an espresso and cappuccino bar' with pastries made on-premises daily and 'a gelateria'. At The Royal Poinciana Plaza.
Sunday to Thursday: 8:00am to 9:30pm; Friday to Saturday: 8:00am to 10:30pm.
The 2020 Census counted 9,245 people in the Town of Palm Beach, on 3.8 square miles of land. LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida brokerage serving South Florida, publishes this guide and can talk you through buying or selling here.
What does "downtown Palm Beach" mean in this guide?
The walkable commercial core of the Town of Palm Beach on the barrier island: Worth Avenue and its vias, South County Road around Town Hall, and Royal Poinciana Way. The Town lists its Town Hall at 360 South County Road.
No. The Town of Palm Beach is a separate municipality on the island. The Town says it was incorporated on April 17, 1911, after learning West Palm Beach planned to try to annex the island.
The U.S. Census Bureau counted 9,245 people in Palm Beach town in the 2020 Census. The Town adds that about 20,000 more people keep a seasonal home there for the winter.
Where is Palm Beach Town Hall and when is it open?
360 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480, phone 561-838-5400. Administrative offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, closed on town-observed holidays.
The Town says early settlers named it after the 1878 wreck of the Providencia, which washed ashore with coconuts bound from Havana to Barcelona; settlers planted them.
The Town says Palm Beach owes its existence and character more to Henry Flagler than any other individual: he built the Hotel Royal Poinciana, The Breakers and his winter home, Whitehall.
Walked Worth Avenue and wondered about staying? Ask about homes on the island.
This guide is published by LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida real estate brokerage serving South Florida. If an afternoon in the vias or a ride on the Lake Trail has you weighing a home in Palm Beach, we can talk you through buying or selling here.