Beat the heat! Best indoor activities in Palm Beach County, including museums, trampoline park
It's hot outside! Take a break from the heat and enjoy being inside with these fun activities. Here are some of our favorite indoor things to do in Palm Beach County for you to explore.
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
The Science Center is the perfect place for kids. Enter the wonderfully puzzling world of Mindbender Mansion, an eclectic place full of brainteasers and interactive challenges. Or take a Journey Through the Human Brain. Or see the 10,000-gallon Aquariums of the Atlantic, house to some of Florida’s most beautiful native fish. Or experience the first and only public planetarium in Palm Beach County. Plus much more!
New telescope: South Florida stargazers have an improved option to see the wonders of the universe
Info: General admission is $19.95 for adults; $17.95 for seniors; $15.95 for children 3 to 12 years old; children under 3 are free.
South Florida Science Center: 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach; 561-832-1988
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
Think large-scale playground for families! Yes this center has trampolines, but also: wall climbing, dodgeball, ropes course, battle beam, tubes playground, virtual reality, and a lot more. Height requirements vary per attraction.
Info: Admission is $15.99 for ages 5 and under, and start at $25.99 for ages 6 and up. Accompanying parents pay half price, and Ultra Air Socks are required ($3.49).
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park: 10560 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington; (561) 408-0809
Rhythm & Hues
Let your kids be creative and experience the arts, with no cleanup needed! Dance, art, music, yoga, birthday parties for children 12 and under. Classes are held at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach, at the Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach, and other locations.
Rhythm & Hues: 561-216-1027; [email protected]
Schoolhouse Children's Museum and Learning Center
The Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center in Boynton Beach has two floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits and many other educational programs. It’s a fun place to take smaller kids and toddlers — there aren’t many things for older children to enjoy.
Info: Admission is $6.50 for children and adults. Kids under the age of 1 are free. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Schoolhouse Children’s Museum: 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach; 561-742-6780
Fun Depot
There are lots of activities for kids and adults to enjoy in this amusement center in Lake Worth Beach. The place features a huge arcade, go-karts and laser tag. Single go-kart drivers must be at least 54 inches tall to ride.
Info: Admission is free. There are individual prices for each activity.
Fun Depot: 2003 10th Ave. N., Lake Worth Beach; 561-547-0817
iPic Theaters
Experience movies in a dine-in cinema at two locations in the county, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Watch the latest films and enjoy freshly-made gourmet food and signature drinks, delivered straight to your reclining seat. Admission prices start at $9 for standard seating.
iPic Delray Beach: 25 SE 4th Ave., Delray Beach; 561-359-5844
iPic Boca Raton (Mizner Park): 301 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-299-3000
Escape rooms
You and your team are trapped in a room, with 60 minutes to escape. Find the clues, solve the puzzles, and win your freedom back! There are several rooms in the county, each with their own themes, and prices are generally in the $35-per-person range. Here are a few to choose from:
The Escape SoFlo: 10800 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-318-8973
West Palm Beach Escape Rooms: 209 S. Olive Ave, West Palm Beach; 561-660-5120
Master Escape Room: 1700 North Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton; 561-571-5381
Silverball Museum
This isn’t your typical museum. The Silverball Museum is interactive with classic pinball machines and arcade games that date as far back as the 1930s. Plus, there’s also original Coney Island Skee-Ball, shuffle boards and a restaurant with a full bar.
Info: All games are set to free play with an entry pass. The passes start at $15 for a one hour of play.
Silverball Museum: 19 NE Third Ave., Delray Beach; 561-266-3294
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
When it was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, offering self-guided tours, changing exhibitions, and special programs.
Info: Admission is $26 for ages 13 and up, and $13 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free.
Flagler Museum: 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach; 561-655-2833
Norton Museum of Art
The Norton Museum of Art has set itself up as the place to be for the summer.
And it’s not just that all Saturdays through Sept. 5 are free admission for Palm Beach County residents. Or that there will be “Yappy Saturday” events in which area residents can bring along their canine companions to hang out on the museum grounds.
It’s also that the museum is staying true to its mission and opening three new exhibitions during the hot months, one of which focuses on the work of a major African-American painter active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Norton’s regular Art after Dark series continues through the summer each Friday, offering live performances, film screenings and other events, and is debuting a new interactive art space called the Project Room. In this room, visitors can explore works from the Norton’s permanent collection in hands-on activities.
Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Wednesday. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors age 60 and older, and $5 for students with a valid ID. Children 12 and younger enter free.
The Norton Museum of Art: 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-832-5196
Recreation Centers
Pick up a game of basketball and other indoor activities at one of the many recreation and community centers in the county. Check the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation website for a list of centers.
Palm Beach Ice Works
Get out of the heat at South Florida's newest ice skating facility! The Olympic-size rink is open to the public during select hours. Admission is $15 and includes skate rental. You can also rent an ice scooter ($5) to assist skaters 3? feet tall or shorter.
Palm Beach Ice Works: 1590 N Florida Mango Rd, West Palm Beach. 561-656-4046
Palm Beach Skate Zone
Another option for ice skating is Palm Beach Skate Zone, a 3-rink, 75,000 square feet facility just off the Florida Turnpike. Admission starts at $12 and includes skate rental. You can also rent an adjustable support bar ($5) for assistance.
Palm Beach Skate Zone: 8125 Lake Worth Rd. Lake Worth Beach. 561-963-5900
Indoor/outdoor fun: Lion Country Safari
Lion Country Safari offers both outdoor and indoor fun. Visit Florida’s largest drive-through safari on nearly 600 acres with over 900 animals roaming wide open habitats, often within inches of your car. You'll see rhinos, giraffes, zebras and many other species.
Info: Admission is $41 for ages 10 and up, and $31 for ages 3-9.
Lion Country Safari: 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee; 561-461-8297
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best indoor activities in West Palm Beach: Trampoline park, museums
