Visitors to Florida already know about the natural beauty that the region is famous for, but those who visit Bok Tower Sanctuary and Gardens in historical Lake Wales are in for a really special treat. When you visit Bok Tower Sanctuary and Gardens, you're actually visiting a number of attractions that are all centrally located within one magnificent area that will overwhelm the senses with natural delight. First of all, visitors can enjoy the Olmsted Gardens, a lush and immense botanical garden featuring a huge variety of the flora that Florida is so well known for. An abundance of tropical flowers can be seen here, growing in their natural habitat — truly a breathtaking site to behold.
History buffs will also love the Pinewood Estate situated on the property. After your relaxing stroll through the gardens, you can take a tour through the estate, a Mediterranean country home that once belonged to an early 20th century industrialist, C. Austin Buck, quite famous in the region. It is considered to be one of the most famous examples of Mediterranean home architecture to be seen in Florida.
The tower from whence the area takes its name is perhaps the most intriguing of all, however. The massive structure named for Edward Bok actually houses an immense musical instrument called a carillon. Made up of a number of bells, ranging from tiny to the size of a car, the massive carillon is operated by a single keyboard situated in the tower, and its pleasing strains can be heard echoing all throughout the gardens. Truly a spectacle to behold.
