Chris Linteris’s West Palm Beach: A Local’s Short Guide

I'm Chris Linteris (Christopher Linteris), and West Palm Beach is home. The longer I live here, the more I appreciate how much this city packs into a short drive: a farmers market people plan trips around, free concerts on the water, strong art, quiet gardens and, in winter, manatees. When friends ask what to do while they're in town, this is roughly what I tell them.

Hours and seasons change, so check each place's official site before you go. Most of what follows is at its best from fall through spring. For a softer take on Saturday mornings and the waterfront, see my notes on weekend mornings in Palm Beach County and easy ways to enjoy the waterfront.

Saturday mornings: the GreenMarket

If you only do one thing on a Saturday, make it the West Palm Beach GreenMarket on the downtown waterfront. The city runs it, and a typical season runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through late spring, with a couple of dates off for big waterfront events. Expect produce, baked goods, coffee, flowers and specialty foods, with live music and the Intracoastal right there. Go early if you want a little more room; it gets busy.

Thursday nights: Clematis by Night

Clematis by Night is the city's free outdoor concert series on the waterfront at the foot of Clematis Street, Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. during the season. Grab dinner on Clematis, then wander down for the band. As someone who likes music when you're actually present for it, I love that this is free and outside.

Art: the Norton and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens

The Norton Museum of Art is one of the best reasons to visit. On Fridays the museum stays open late for Art After Dark, and City of West Palm Beach residents get free Saturday admission year round. A short drive away, the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens feel like a secret: monumental brick sculptures among rare palms and cycads on a couple of acres along the Intracoastal. Check seasonal hours before you go.

On the water: the Lake Trail and Peanut Island

Across the bridge in Palm Beach, the Lake Trail is a paved path of about five and a half miles along the Lake Worth Lagoon. Walk it or ride a regular bike; motorized vehicles, e-bikes included, aren't allowed. For a beach day with a twist, Peanut Island sits in the lagoon and is reached by water taxi from the mainland. The clear, shallow water makes it a popular snorkeling spot.

Manatees, gardens and a boardwalk

Between mid-November and the end of March, Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center is one of the best free things to do in town. On cool days, manatees gather in the warm water nearby, and the observation deck puts you above them. Sightings aren't guaranteed, but a cold morning can be memorable. Mounts Botanical Garden is a peaceful few hours among tropical plants, and Grassy Waters Preserve protects a remnant of the original Everglades on the city's western edge, with a free one-mile Cypress Boardwalk.

History and a night out

The Flagler Museum is Whitehall, the Gilded Age mansion Henry Flagler built in Palm Beach, and it tells the story of how this stretch of Florida's east coast opened up. Back in West Palm Beach, the Kravis Center brings in Broadway tours, concerts and more when you want an evening indoors.

A simple first day

If you have one Saturday here, start at the GreenMarket, spend the afternoon on the Lake Trail or at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, and have dinner downtown. On a Friday, swap in Art After Dark at the Norton. On a cold winter morning, go see the manatees.

I'm Chris Linteris of West Palm Beach, and you can read more about me at chrislinteris.com. More Palm Beach notes live in this site's Palm Beach Life section.

Hours, seasons and admission details were checked against each place's official website in October 2026 and can change.

Views expressed here are my own and do not represent the views of my employer. Content is for general information only and is not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.