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Whether you’re an opera aficionado, theatre guru or fine art lover, your cultural passions are represented in the northern Palm Beach County area.
Those who enjoy plays are eager to head out to one of the many theatres nearby. Ranging from small playhouses with 250 seats to grand performing arts centers with over 2,000 seats, you’re sure to find a venue that suits you.
In addition to the wide variety of museums, North Palm Beach County also hosts an assortment of music and dance groups, including the acclaimed Ballet Florida, Palm Beach Pops, Miami City Ballet and Palm Beach Opera. For a star-studded night, catch a concert at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre, with its open festival lawn perfect for gazing at the nighttime sky while listening to live music.
The following venues and groups make up the vast cultural landscape of the northern Palm Beaches.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
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ArtsLine
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(800) 882-ARTS (882-2781)
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Ticketmaster
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(561) 966-3309
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Palm Beach County Cultural Council
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(561) 471-2901
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Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau
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(561) 233-3000
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THEATRE
Eissey Campus Theatre is northern Palm Beach County’s center for education and the arts. Located on Palm Beach Community College’s beautiful Palm Beach Gardens campus, the theatre has become a showplace for the performing arts. This 750-seat professional facility presents a season of international artists in its Arts in the Gardens series as well as regular performances by local companies such as Ballet Florida, Sunset Entertainment and many more. For more information, call (561) 207-5900.
Florida Atlantic University Auditorium has dramatic and other performances, concerts, films and ballet. Located in Boca Raton, call (561) 297-2977 or visit www.fauevents.com for more information.
Florida Stage, located in Manalapan, presents new American plays, play readings and discussion groups in an intimate 250-seat theatrical setting. The theatre also provides a comprehensive arts-education program. Call (561) 585-3433 or (800) 514-3837 for more information.
Lake Worth Playhouse is a professionally operated community theatre offering traditional musicals, comedies and dramas in the mainstage theatre; contemporary plays and new play readings in the Stonzek Studio Theatre; an international cultural exchange program; and an active children’s theatre with classes in theatre arts, plus performances by the students. For more information, call (561) 586-6410 or visit www.lakeworthplayhouse.org.
Palm Beach Community College’s Duncan Theatre, the No. 1 dance venue in the state of Florida, presents professional chamber music, dance, theatre, jazz, folk, popular music and children’s performances. The 720-seat hall, located in Lake Worth, also showcases PBCC music and theatre students’ productions. Call (561) 868-3309 for more information.
Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is an arts and education theater organization dedicated to classical-to-contemporary theater. Their home is the Carlin Park Amphitheater in Jupiter, with the indoor home at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. For more information, call (561) 575-7336.
Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a multipurpose performing arts center with a 2,200-seat concert hall, a 300-seat “black box” theater and an outdoor amphitheater. The center’s Cohen Pavilion houses the Weiner Banquet Center for meetings, weddings and trade shows, as well as The Picower Foundation Arts Education Center with a rehearsal hall, practice rooms, lecture halls, a dance studio and recording studio. For more information, call (561) 832-7469.
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre opened in February 2004 as a 550-seat, nonprofit community-based professional regional theatre and is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres. Open all year, the theatre offers a five-play subscription series and many one-night events and special engagements. The theatre features comedy, music, dance and more. Groups are welcome. Call (561) 743-2666 for more information.
MUSIC & DANCE
Ballet Florida is the resident professional dance company of the Palm Beaches. Founded in 1986 by Marie Hale, Ballet Florida is ranked among the top 20 dance companies in the country and is a cornerstone of Palm Beach County’s cultural landscape. Ballet Florida is also home to one of the area’s most prestigious dance schools. The company performs at the Kravis Center and Eissey Campus Theatre. For more information, call (561) 659-1212, or visit www.balletflorida.org.
 Bob Lappin and the Palm Beach Pops, Florida’s premiere pops orchestra, now entering its 14th anniversary season, performs at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and Florida Atlantic University Auditorium in Boca Raton. From Broadway to Hollywood, Gershwin to Mancini, the Palm Beach Pops is recognized for offering the most exciting and popular concerts in the area. Special discounts for groups. Call (561) 832-7677, or toll-free (800) 448-2472 for more information.
Miami City Ballet, under the artistic direction of dance legend Edward Villellas, is considered one of the top professional companies in the United States, with a repertory that includes works by George Balanchine and modern masters like Paul Taylor. Regular performances are presented in four South Florida counties, with Palm Beach performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, plus national and international tours. For more information, call (877) 929-7010.
Palm Beach Opera celebrates its 45th year with a season featuring internationally renowned singers and directors with the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. All operas are performed in the language of composition with English translations projected above the stage. All mainstage performances take place at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Four opera productions are held annually, with four performances per opera. Tickets start at $23. For ticket information, call (561) 833-7888, or visit www.pbopera.org.
Raymond F. Kravis Center for Performing Arts, in West Palm Beach, offers a wide range of performances including comedy, classical, ballet, pop, jazz, Broadway, opera and more. For more information, call (561) 832-7469.
Sound Advice Amphitheatre is a state-of-the-art, outdoor concert facility with a capacity of nearly 19,000. The Sound Advice Amphitheatre delivers the biggest names in superstar entertainment. Located in suburban West Palm Beach on the South Florida Fairgrounds, the award-winning amphitheatre features nearly 6,500 reserved seats under a covered pavilion, and a lush festival lawn. For more information, call (561) 795-8883. The amphitheatre is a Live Nation venue.
MUSEUMS & MORE
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, located in West Palm Beach, is a permanent exhibition of Ann Norton sculptures in a tropical garden setting, featuring over 300 species of rare palms. Call (561) 832-5328 for more information.
The Armory Art Center is the Palm Beaches’ leading visual arts education and exhibition center offering year-round art classes for adults and youth, art workshops, lecture series, special events and rotating gallery exhibitions. Exhibitions feature internationally recognized talents, accomplished local professional artists and Armory faculty and students. The center also provides a Summer Art Camp and the nationally recognized Master Artist workshops and lectures. For more information, please call (561) 832-1776, or visit www.armoryart.org.
DuBois Pioneer Home, located in DuBois Park in Jupiter, is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 1-4 p.m. The rare 1898 home sits atop an ancient Native American Shell Mound and contains an abundance of period furnishings, clothing and artifacts. The home, built by Harry and Susan DuBois, provides a glimpse of life in the area at the turn of the century. Closed August-September. Call (561) 747-6639 or visit www.jupiterlighthouse.org for more information.
The Elliott Museum houses one of the finest collections of American antiques, decorative arts, baseball memorabilia and vintage automobiles that celebrate the Golden Age of American creativity as well as local and Florida history. The museum is also home to the Historical Society of Martin County and its archives. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. For more information, call (772) 225-1961 or visit www.elliottmuseumfl.org.
The Flagler Museum is the former home of Henry Morrison Flagler. Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway and luxury hotels linked the entire east coast of Florida, establishing agriculture and tourism as Florida’s top industries and Palm Beach as one of the world’s great winter resorts. Today, Whitehall, Flagler’s Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach completed in 1902, is open to the public as the Flagler Museum. For more information, call (561) 655-2833, or visit www.flaglermuseum.us.
The Hibel Museum of Art is a non-profit located at 5353 Parkside Drive in Jupiter. The museum is dedicated to preserving and protecting the art of Edna Hibel and promoting arts and cultural education within the community. Established in Palm Beach in 1977, the museum moved to its current location in 2002 and serves as a key cultural institution in North Palm Beach and southern Martin counties. For more information, visit www.hibelmuseum.org or call (561) 622-556.
The House of Refuge is a museum operated by the Historical Society of Martin County. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the House of Refuge, built in 1875, is Martin County’s oldest building and once served as a refuge for shipwreck victims. Copies of shipwreck reports can be viewed at the house along with a pictorial history of its various incarnations. It is open every day. For more information, call (772) 225-1875. The Lawrence E. Will Museum explores local history through Calusa and Seminole Indian exhibits. A 1928 hurricane exhibit as well as a migrant exhibit are also on display. Located in Belle Glade, please call (561) 996-3453 for more information.
Lighthouse Center for the Arts is the oldest and largest visual arts museum serving northern Palm Beach and southern Martin Counties. The center offers high-quality art exhibitions, a school of art, a gift and art supply store, jazz and lecture series and facility rental. Since its inception in 1965, the center continues to grow the number, content and scope of its cultural programs. Call (561) 746-3101 or visit www.lighthousearts.org for more information.
Mos’Art Center, “The MAC,” offers a multitude of opportunities for the art and entertainment enthusiast. The MAC Gallery displays the works of local and regional artists, and exhibitions change on a four- to six-week schedule. The MAC’s Kelsey Club is the auditorium, stage and bar section of the Mos’ Art Center. The 20-by-40-foot stage has a fully equipped sound and lighting system. For more information, please call (561) 296-1407.
 The Norton Museum of Art is one of the Southeast’s premier art museums—a 65-year-old flagship institution known for its extensive permanent collections, traveling special exhibitions and innovative educational programming. Since its founding, the Norton has been widely recognized for its masterpieces of 19th- and 20th-century painting and sculpture by artists such as Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, Hopper, O’Keeffe and Pollock. Shop in the museum store and have lunch in Café 1451.
Society of the Four Arts is an architectural landmark and cultural center with a museum and an auditorium for concerts, films and speaker programs which is open from November to mid-April. A library and a children’s library are open to the public throughout the year, free of charge. For more information, please call (561) 655-7226, or visit www.fourarts.org.
South Florida Science Museum, located in West Palm Beach, features interactive scientific exhibits, Egypt Gallery, laser light shows, planetarium, outdoor science trail, observatory, aquarium and the state’s only science-themed mini-golf. It also has rotating exhibits and special events throughout the year. Call (561) 832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org for more information.
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