Visit The Flagler Museum
Formally known as Whitehall, the Flagler Museum is one of the most famous homes and landmarks on the island of Palm Beach. The grand estate features 100,000 square feet and was built in 1902 by Henry Flagler as a wedding gift to his wife Mary.
Flagler was an American Industrialist and founder of Standard Oil and is known for developing Florida’s East Coast and responsible for making Palm Beach, America’s first resort destination. For the construction of the estate, Flagler commissioned John Carrere and Thomas Hastings to design and build the mansion. Carrere and Hastings were also the architects for the New York Public Library and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City during the Gilded Age.
The front of the estate has a red barrel tile roof and giant white marble columns, a central courtyard surrounding the home, two stories with an attic and a full basement. The home features 75 rooms.
When Flagler passed away in 1913, he gifted the estate to his wife who later gifted the estate to their niece in 1917 who sold the home to a group of investors. The investors added onto the home and transformed the home into a hotel that housed famous guest such as Walt Disney and other Politicians when they visited the island. The hotel closed in 1959 and was restored back to its beauty by Flagler’s granddaughter in 1959.
Today, the home is now a museum and is open to the public for tours and special events. The home features antiques, artwork, information and history from the Gilded Age. More than 100,000 people from around the world have visited the museum since opening to the public.
The museum is open year-round for tours.
The museum hours include:
Sunday: 12 pm to 5 pm
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
The museum is closed Monday’s, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Click here to visit their website.
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