Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beaux-Arts in Paris and collaborators on other Gilded Age landmarks such as the New
York Public Library, the elaborate 75-room house was the first residential home to feature
both a heating system and an air-con system. Its modish, pink aluminum-leaf wallpaper
was more expensive, at the time, than gold.
Downstairs, public rooms such as the 4750-sq-ft Grand Hall, the Library with its
painted cast plaster ceiling and the silk- and wood-lined Drawing Room wow visitors with
their detailed craftmanship and opulence. Upstairs, intimate bedrooms give a insight into
family life. Of particular interest is the
Flagler/Kenan History Room
, which chronicles,
through letters, newspaper clippings and photographs, Flagler's personal and professional
life and Mary Lily's family history.
If you'd like more than to simply wander around the house, take a look at the website for
a whole host of lectures, talks and exhibits, as well as the critically acclaimed
Music Ser-
ies
that features intimate chamber concerts in the Music Room followed by a champagne
reception ($60 per person).
Time your visit right and you can segue into a 'Gilded Age Style' lunch in the
Café des
housed in the
Pavilion
, a 19th-century, iron-and-glass railway palace, which also displays
Flagler's private railroad car. Here you can dine on finger sandwiches, scones and custom-
blended teas while looking out over Lake Worth.
Worth Avenue
STREET
This quarter-mile, palm-tree-lined strip of more than 200 high-end brand shops is like the
Rodeo Dr of the east. You can trace its history back to the 1920s when the now-gone Ever-
glades Club staged weekly fashion shows and launched the careers of designers from Bon-
wit Teller to Elizabeth Arden. Even if you don't have the slightest urge to sling a swag of
glossy bags over your arm, the people-watching is priceless.
Bethesda-by-the-Sea
CHURCH
561-655-4554;
www.bbts.org
; 141 S County Rd;
9am-5pm Mon-Sat,
7am-4pm Sun)
