The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, which is also called “Whitehall”, is a famous historical landmark located in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was built as a residence in 1902 by Henry Flagler, one of the founders of Standard Oil company. Flagler built the 100,000 square foot estate for his third wife as a large wedding gift. He personally enjoyed it for only 11 years until his death in 1913. It is an official National Historical Landmark located right on the water.
The architects of the mansion, John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, also worked on designing other major landmarks of the era, including the New York Public Library. The place was first opened to the public as a museum with a restoration ball in 1960.
Over 100,000 visitors come to the museum every year. There are special events such as concerts, lectures, and exhibitions. It has a grand marble entrance with a double staircase to wow visitors as they enter the mansion. While astonishing all year, Christmas is one of the best times of year to visit with astonishing holiday decorations.
The mansion has 75 rooms for you to explore and visitors can typically complete a self-guided headset tour in one or two hours. English speakers can also download the free Flagler Museum App on their phones to get information and images as they look through the estate. But perhaps the best way to explore the property is by the docent-led tours which leave from the first floor. They are free with admission.
Beyond doing your tour and wandering the grounds, you can really delve into the history of the mansion and its era with lectures by historians of the Gilded Age, the Roaring 20s, and the crash of 1929.
Visitors can go for some afternoon tea and try the Whitehall Special Blend tea served with the luxurious Whitehall Collection China. During tea, customers enjoy panoramic views of Lake Worth and the Palm Beach skyline.
If you appreciate sublime music, you might want to listen to the Flagler Museum Music Series. One unique feature of these concerts is that you get to meet the performers over desserts immediately after every concert. You can purchase a ticket for an individual concert or in a package deal five concerts.
The museum is closed on Mondays, but otherwise open for almost every day of the year. It’s a fabulous way to learn about local history and turn-of-the-century architecture during your travel in West Palm Beach.
You can also visit West Palm Country Club – The Club at Ibis.
