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Palm Beach, Florida · checked Oct. 21, 2026

Flagler Museum, the Four Arts and the arts on Palm Beach island

The short answer

The Flagler Museum, in Henry Flagler's 1902 Whitehall at One Whitehall Way, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m., closed Mondays; admission is $28 for adults. The Society of the Four Arts, at 100 Four Arts Plaza, opens its gardens free daily 11 to 4 and holds concerts at the Royal Poinciana Chapel or Johnson Hall during its renovation.

Last checked October 21, 2026

Elevated view at sunset over a white mansion with red tile roofs set in a palm-lined lawn with a curving drive and front gate, the lagoon behind it with boats and docks, and the mainland skyline across the water with the low sun flaring between towers.
Photo: Rich Andrews, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

Two institutions anchor the arts on Palm Beach island: the Flagler Museum in Whitehall and the Society of the Four Arts. This page gives their hours, prices, parking and 2026-27 programs as each publishes them, then the Preservation Foundation’s Pan’s Garden, the concerts and tours at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, and the shows at The Royal Poinciana Plaza. We checked everything on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Flagler Museum: hours, admission and tours

The Flagler Museum is at One Whitehall Way, phone (561) 655-2833. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $28 for adults (13 and up), $14 for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under and for Members; visitors under 18 must be with an adult. Is it open on a given date? The date checker answers. The Museum’s free day is Founder’s Day: each June 5 it opens free of charge, and 2027 details are not posted yet.

  • The Flagler Museum is at One Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480, phone (561) 655-2833. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • The Flagler Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • Flagler Museum admission is $28 for adults (13+), $14 for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under and for Members; visitors under 18 must be with an adult. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • 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. Flagler Museum: Founder's Day

Docent-led first-floor tours run Tuesday to Saturday at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm, and Sundays at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm, free with admission and limited to 35 people. A visit covers both floors of Whitehall, the grounds and the Flagler Kenan Pavilion, which houses Flagler’s Railcar No. 91. Food, drink, large bags, backpacks of any size and indoor strollers are not permitted, nor are flash, tripods or portrait, wedding and engagement shoots. The free lot is open during Museum hours only, with entrances on Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way. The Cafe serves a Gilded Age-style Tea Service from the day after Thanksgiving through Easter Sunday, plus a casual Picnic in the Cocoanut Grove.

  • The Museum offers docent-led first-floor tours Tuesday to Saturday at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm, and Sundays at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm, limited to 35 people, free with admission. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • The Museum says the visit includes the first and second floors of Whitehall, its grounds, and the Flagler Kenan Pavilion, which houses Flagler's Railcar No. 91. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • The Museum does not permit food or drink inside, large bags, backpacks of any size, or strollers indoors; flash, tripods and portrait, wedding or engagement photography are not permitted. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • The Museum says free parking is available in its lot during Museum hours only, with entrances on Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
  • The Museum says its Cafe offers a seasonal Gilded Age-style Tea Service from the day after Thanksgiving through Easter Sunday, plus a casual Picnic in the Cocoanut Grove. Flagler Museum: Visitor Information
A dark green wooden railway passenger car lettered 'Florida East Coast' in gold with the number 91, under a pavilion of arched cast-iron columns painted pale green, lamp fixtures and tall arched windows.
Railcar No. 91 in the Flagler Kenan Pavilion at the Flagler Museum, February 2021. Photo: Khowald, CC BY-SA 4.0

Flagler Museum 2026-27 season

  • Exhibitions: America Takes the Stage: From the White City to Whitehall, November 10, 2026 to May 30, 2027, and Gilded Age Jewelry: The Making of Modern Luxury, with Boucheron, February 18 to May 2, 2027.
  • Music Series: Wednesday, November 11 and Wednesday, December 16, 2026; Sunday, February 28, Tuesday, March 23 and Tuesday, April 13, 2027. Each is a 5:30 PM reception and 6:00 PM concert, $95, with complimentary valet. Programs are on the Music Series page.
  • Exhibition lectures: Geoffrey Baer on Wednesday, November 18, Gerald Larson on Wednesday, December 9, 2026, and Alice Rawsthorn on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, each with 5:30 PM cocktails and a 6:00 PM lecture, ticketed, per the fall exhibition page.
  • Holidays: Holiday Evening Tours December 18 to 23, 26 and 27 at 6:00, 6:20, 6:40 and 7:00 PM ($65 adults, $35 children), and Fleurs de Villes: THE GILDED AGE, 15 flower-dressed mannequins, December 18 to 27.
  • Outdoors: Bluegrass in the Pavilion on Saturday, April 3, 2027 at 3:00 PM.

Society of the Four Arts

A garden lawn bordered by flowering shrubs and a vine-covered stone pergola on columns, with tall palms and dense tropical trees behind under a bright sky with big white clouds.
A pergola in the gardens of the Society of the Four Arts, August 2013. Photo: User:MVASCO, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)

The Society of the Four Arts says it is a nonprofit founded in 1936, with programs mostly concentrated from November through May on a 10-acre campus along the Intracoastal Waterway. It lists its address as 100 Four Arts Plaza, customer service 561-655-7226. The Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden and the Demonstration Garden are open daily, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, with no admission charge; on Tuesdays from January through March the gardens are closed and the lots are for members with a parking pass. Pets (except leashed service dogs), bicycles, skateboards, weddings and formal photography are not permitted in the gardens. The Four Arts is not offering docent or guided tours, but a free self-guided Sculpture Garden pamphlet waits at the garden entrances.

The Gioconda and Joseph King Library, 101 Four Arts Plaza, is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; annual memberships are $25 for Town residents and $30 for non-residents. The Children’s Library is on the second floor of the Dixon Education Building, 240 Cocoanut Row, Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Four Arts this season: renovation venues

The Four Arts says it has begun its most significant renovation since 1936, on the O’Keeffe and Rovensky buildings, funded by a $250 million Centennial Campaign, and that the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building is closed. During the work, the O’Keeffe Speaker series (now on Mondays) and the Lambert Concert Series move to the Royal Poinciana Chapel, and films, including the Met Opera screenings, move to the Palm Beach Day Academy. The speaker schedule for 2026-27 has not been announced. Limited free campus parking is kept for program attendees and library or garden visitors, with hourly ParkMobile street parking around it.

The Lambert series opens Wednesday, December 2, 2026 with Seth Rudetsky and Friends in Johnson Hall at 7:00 PM ($40). The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center plays Baroque Concertos at the Royal Poinciana Chapel, 60 Cocoanut Row, on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 PM ($40, free for members, complimentary valet only), Carols on the Lawn is free on Sunday, December 13 at 4:00 PM, and Metropolitan Opera singers Aleksandra Kurzak and Matthew Polenzani perform Sunday, January 31, 2027 at 7:00 PM. Later dates run to April 21, 2027 without posted times. The exhibition The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds runs December 5, 2026 through May 2, 2027.

Preservation Foundation and Pan’s Garden

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach says it was founded in 1980; its headquarters is at 311 Peruvian Avenue, (561) 832-0731, and closes December 24 to January 4 for the holidays. Its Pan’s Garden, established in 1994, is Florida’s first all-native botanical garden, a half acre of native plants at 386 Hibiscus Avenue, open every day 10 am to 4 pm. The Foundation lists Violinist in the Garden with Ilana Zaks there on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 5:00 pm, open and complimentary. Its events listing shows no public walking-tour schedule for 2026-27.

Bethesda-by-the-Sea and Glazer Hall

The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, 141 South County Road, offers free docent tours on the second and fourth Sunday of each month after the last service: 12:15 p.m. from November to April and 11:15 a.m. from May to October, no reservations. Its Christmas Concert is Wednesday, December 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., and its Centennial Concert is Friday, April 23, 2027 at 7:00 p.m.

The Royal Poinciana Plaza lists ticketed performances at Glazer Hall, including Miami City Ballet on Saturday, November 21, 2026, The Hot Sardines on Thursday, December 3, and an evening with pianist Emanuel Ax, plus Thursday-evening jazz at Sant Ambroeus. Details are on our Royal Poinciana Way page, and every date is in the events calendar.

Arts and culture FAQ

What is on at the Flagler Museum this season?

The fall exhibition America Takes the Stage runs November 10, 2026 to May 30, 2027, and Gilded Age Jewelry runs February 18 to May 2, 2027. The Music Series opens November 11, 2026.

Source: Flagler Museum: home page

Is there a Christmas concert on the island?

Bethesda-by-the-Sea's Christmas Concert is Wednesday, December 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., followed by a tree lighting reception; tickets go on sale in November.

Source: The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea: Christmas Concert

When was Whitehall built?

The Flagler Museum says Whitehall was completed in 1902; it is a National Historic Landmark.

Source: Flagler Museum: home page

What are the Flagler Museum's hours and admission?

Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 to 5 p.m., closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission $28 adults, $14 ages 6 to 12, free 5 and under.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

Can I bring a backpack into the Flagler Museum?

No. The Museum does not permit backpacks of any size, large bags, food or drink inside, and has no storage for personal items.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

What is the Society of the Four Arts?

A nonprofit cultural center founded in 1936, on a 10-acre campus on the Intracoastal at 100 Four Arts Plaza, with programs mostly from November through May.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: About

Are the Four Arts gardens free?

Yes. The Sculpture Garden and Demonstration Garden are open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, with no admission charge; they close on Tuesdays from January through March.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: General information and hours

Where are Four Arts concerts this season?

During its renovation, the Four Arts holds the Lambert Concert Series at the Royal Poinciana Chapel or Johnson Hall in the Dixon Education Building, and films at the Palm Beach Day Academy.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: Renovation FAQs

Can I use the Four Arts library as a visitor?

The King Library at 101 Four Arts Plaza is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; annual memberships are $25 for Town residents and $30 for non-residents.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: General information and hours

Are there docent tours at the Flagler Museum?

Docent-led first-floor tours run Tuesday to Saturday at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm, and Sundays at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm, free with admission, up to 35 people.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

Can I eat at the Flagler Museum?

The Museum Cafe offers a Gilded Age-style Tea Service from the day after Thanksgiving through Easter Sunday, and a casual Picnic in the Cocoanut Grove. No food or drink is allowed inside the house.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

Is the whole Lake Trail open right now?

The Four Arts says access where the trail crosses its campus is closed during its construction project, with on-site signs pointing back to the trail.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: Renovation FAQs

Where do I park for the Flagler Museum?

The Museum offers free parking in its lot during Museum hours only, with entrances on Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

Which bridge goes to the Four Arts?

The Four Arts says to cross the Royal Park Bridge from West Palm Beach and make the first left onto Four Arts Plaza.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: Directions

Can I take photos at the Flagler Museum?

Personal keepsake photos are allowed except in some special exhibitions; flash, tripods and portrait, wedding or engagement shoots are not permitted.

Source: Flagler Museum: Visitor Information

Can I bring a dog to the Four Arts gardens?

No pets, except leashed service dogs. Bicycles and skateboards are also not permitted in the gardens.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: General information and hours

When will the Lake Trail reopen across the Four Arts campus?

No reopening date is published. The Four Arts says access where the trail crosses its campus is closed during construction, with signage showing the route back to the trail, and the west half of the campus will be fenced for the duration of the project.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: Renovation FAQs

Does the Four Arts offer docent tours?

No. The Four Arts says it is not offering docent or guided tours; a free self-guided Sculpture Garden walking tour pamphlet is available at the garden entrances.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: FAQs

When is The High Life exhibition at the Four Arts?

The Four Arts lists The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds from December 5, 2026 through May 2, 2027.

Source: The Society of the Four Arts: Exhibitions

What is Fleurs de Villes at the Flagler Museum?

The Museum says Fleurs de Villes: THE GILDED AGE is on view throughout the Museum December 18 to 27, with 15 mannequins adorned with fresh flowers.

Source: Flagler Museum: Holidays at Whitehall

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Town of Palm Beach (official site)

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