1:15 pm
4:15 pm
West Palm Beach is a city that balances its tremendous growth with the charm of its historic structures, particularly the residential districts surrounding downtown. Come explore the diverse architectural offerings in districts that are both on the Local and National Register of Historic Places. See how buildings have been saved from demolition and adaptively reused as bed and breakfasts; or, how relocation has been used as an option. On this tour, you’ll learn how West Palm Beach has successfully adopted lot coverage and floor area ratios into its zoning code to ensure quantitatively compatible infill construction. Additionally, we’ll tour other areas of the City to give you a comprehensive overview of this booming coastal community that was recently dubbed “Wall Street South”. Enjoy this bus tour while you take in the beautiful sites.
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Enjoy a tour of Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Steps from the ocean, the half-mile landmark destination features an array of boutiques and al fresco dining. Through colorful anecdotes and commentary, this exciting and informative tour explores the origins and character of Worth Avenue, its unique architecture, the historical significance of many of the legendary landmarks and some of its famous residents. Marvel at the buildings and learn about how the Town of Palm Beach continues to preserve and maintain its charm through the use of design guidelines and architectural review.
8:00 am
4:00 pm
Take a walking tour of two of Miami’s historic neighborhoods, Little Havana and Brownsville. First, HistoryMiami will lead a tour of Little Havana’s unique architecture and culture. Tour-goers will then travel to the historic Brownsville neighborhood, where they will visit the National Register listed segregation-era motel that served as the setting for the noted play and movie ‘One Night in Miami…’ A boxed lunch will be provided at the same counter where Muhammad Ali celebrated his big victory against Sonny Liston. Finally, participants will embark on a short walking tour through the Brownsville neighborhood to one of the area’s historic African American cemeteries.
8:30 am
11:30 am
Visit the mass burial site of 674 African Americans who perished in the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Established in 1913, the “pauper’s cemetery” includes approximately 1.03 acres of land and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about this significant climate event that resulted in post-disaster disparities and how efforts are being made to honor the site with nonprofit and City collaboration. This tour will include an overview of the devastating hurricane, a review of the chronological treatment of the site, and plans for the future. It will also include a “mini-book club discussion” of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” While not required, attendees are encouraged to read Hurston’s book prior to the conference.
8:30 am
11:30 am
Explore two historic areas on the Loxahatchee River that tell the story of 5,000 years of history. The first tour at Jupiter’s Sawfish Bay Park, once home to indigenous people from 500 B.C., is currently home to the Jupiter Florida East Coast Railway Depot and the Aicher House (adaptive reuse in progress). The second stop is operated by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, the waterfront lighthouse, and grounds exhibits that feature over 5,000 years of regional history. In addition to offering climbing tours of the landmark 1860 lighthouse, the site is part of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area, operated by the Bureau of Land Management. Both tours will discuss the impacts and mitigation strategies to address the effects of sea level rise.
9:00 am
3:00 pm
Join us for a tour of downtown Fort Lauderdale including a visit to the oldest structure in Fort Lauderdale, the Stranahan House, home of the city's founding father, Frank Stranhan and his notable wife, Ivy. Following the visit to the Stranahan House, we will tour the New River via the City’s Water Taxi then visit historic downtown, History Fort Lauderdale, and the New River Inn. At the end of our tour we will have lunch at the House on the New River, located in the homes of the Bryan brothers who came to Fort Lauderdale with their pioneering father, Philemon Bryan, to lead local construction of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway.
There will be limited walking outdoors, travel outdoors on a water taxi, with portions of the tour taking place inside.
1:15 pm
4:15 pm
Palm Beach is rich in history and architecture. Delight in a 120-minute, partially-narrated and entertaining Intracoastal Waterway sightseeing cruise of the beautiful Palm Beaches aboard Visit Palm Beach’s 50′ Catamaran ‘Motunui’! This excursion gives you the opportunity to see and learn about impressive estates from the perspective of being on the water. Attendees will also enjoy riches of a different kind, as you cruise past some of the Palm Beach’s beautiful barrier islands full of tropical flora and fauna that also call the Palm Beaches home. Enjoy all of the above in a relaxing environment that allows you to move about, take photos and enjoy the comfortable breezes. Beverages available for purchase onboard.
7:00 am
8:00 am
Looking to get a little morning exercise while enjoying West Palm Beach's charming historic districts? Rise and shine for a brisk, guided morning stroll through these residential streets just steps away from the conference hotel. The Florida Land Boom era is represented here in a concentration of architecturally significant homes in Mission and Mediterranean Revival and Frame Vernacular styles, constructed between 1921 and the mid-1930s. Enjoy numerous examples of architectural styles ranging from art moderne to craftsman bungalow as you walk through these treasured neighborhoods.
12:00 pm
4:00 pm
Explore the rich cultural heritage of the ‘Heart and Soul’ of West Palm Beach in the Historic Northwest District. Trace the neighborhood’s history through the intricate details of historic buildings and learn about the influential figures who shaped the area's past.
Join us for a day filled with history, culture, and culinary cuisine from local favorite Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheeba followed by a guided tour of the redevelopment taking place in the CRA district. Predominantly residential, the majority of the area is designated as a historic district. Attendees will be able to see the iconic Sunset Lounge, a historic music and entertainment venue which served as one of the premier African-American venues in the South in the 1940s and 1950s. This historic site has been renovated with interior finishings underway. The expansion includes a new two-story 7,200 square foot building with a full restaurant and bar along with other amenities. The tour will also feature the ‘Styx Promenade’ project that includes the redevelopment of several buildings reminiscent of the shotgun-style homes, once seen throughout the area, into mixed-use concepts for commercial use.
10:15 am
12:00 pm
Tour downtown West Palm Beach by foot and see the sites where a robust Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program has resulted in the preservation of numerous historic buildings. The concept of transferring development rights from sending (historic sites) to receiving sites (areas identified with more development potential) has been a success in both lean and robust economic times. The nuances of the process and program will be explained and a site visit to St. Ann’s Church (the most successful preservation project utilizing TDR’s) is included. Please meet in the courtyard area of City Hall in West Palm Beach at 401 Clematis Street.
10:15 am
12:00 pm
Explore the rich history and evolution of Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. Attendees will gain a better understanding of preserving a historic main street by delving into the architectural, environmental, and cultural transformation of Clematis Street. This captivating walking tour will commence at the iconic 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse building and conclude at the Clematis Centennial Fountain. Enjoy an immersive experience that promises insights into the historical events and facts that have shaped Clematis Street throughout the last century, unraveling the tales behind its most distinguished buildings.
7:00 am
8:00 am
Looking to get a little morning exercise while enjoying West Palm Beach's charming historic districts? Rise and shine for a brisk, guided morning stroll through these residential streets just steps away from the conference hotel. The Florida Land Boom era is represented here in a concentration of architecturally significant homes in Mission and Mediterranean Revival and Frame Vernacular styles, constructed between 1921 and the mid-1930s. Enjoy numerous examples of architectural styles ranging from art moderne to craftsman bungalow as you walk through these treasured neighborhoods.
8:00 am
10:00 am
“That which is so universal as death must be a blessing.” These are the thought-provoking words visitors encounter as they enter Woodlawn Cemetery. Learn from local experts about Henry Flagler’s development of the burial ground in 1904 on what was 17 acres of pineapple fields. Was it the greatest final resting place in all of Florida? Woodlawn also tells the tale of a developing West Palm Beach through the lives and legacies of those buried here whose graves are both marked and unmarked. The world has changed since 1904; however, cemeteries continue to be a source of reflection on the past and hopes for the future.
8:00 am
11:30 am
The Cottages of Lake Worth tour allows visitors to get a behind-the-scenes feel of historic Key West-style cottages, while also experiencing the hidden beauty of Lake Worth. The municipality has a cottage heritage that is distinctive to South Florida. There are about 1,000 cottages in Lake Worth – many on 25-foot-wide lots, under 1,000 square feet and built prior to 1939.
On an Inside the Cottages Home Tour, guests can check out more than 10 of these whimsical cottages, as well as get the opportunity to chat with the welcoming homeowners who embody living large in small spaces.
8:30 am
11:30 am
Palm Beach is world-renowned for its outstanding architecture and landscapes, and like most coastal communities, has begun to grapple with how to address saving this heritage in light of the changing environmental conditions. This bus tour of Palm Beach plans to stop at three key parks in Palm Beach that each take unique approaches to resiliency. Bradley Park, the former site of E.R. Bradley’s illegal gambling casino, underwent a restoration funded by the Preservation Foundation in 2017. Visitors can see a unique tidal garden that is designed to flood and recover, as well as a portion of the historic Lake Trail, and the tea house remnants from the Casino. Next, the tour will travel to Pan’s Garden, also a project of the Foundation, established in 1994 and is the first all-native botanical garden in the State of Florida. We will discuss how native plants play a role in creating sustainable communities. The tour will culminate at Phipps Ocean Park, the Foundation’s most ambitious project to date – a $30 million transformation of this ocean-front park. The park features the oldest schoolhouse in Southeast Florida, which will be relocated to address flooding, resiliency, and accessibility. The park will also feature an all-native-plant coastal conservancy, new educational facilities, and a nursery and propagation facility that will grow the plants needed to sustain the park long-term. Throughout the tour, the guides will also point out other unique structures, landscapes, and stories along the way.