Plan your visit to downtown Boca Raton

A day in downtown Boca Raton usually means Mizner Park and its museum at the north end, Historic Town Hall and Sanborn Square in the middle, Royal Palm Place to the south, and the beach at the end of Palmetto Park Road. This page helps you pick the day, build the route and know which rules apply. Everything here is from the operators’ own pages, checked Oct. 20, 2026.

Build your day

Pick how long you have and what you like. The planner chooses sourced stops from our things to do and restaurants lists, puts them in order from Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway, and suggests where to park if you drive. Three ready-made plans cover a Mizner Park afternoon, an old Boca history walk and a beach and nature day.

Decision tool · day planner

Plan your day in downtown Boca Raton

Pick how long you have and what you like. The planner chooses sourced stops downtown and out to the beach, puts them in order from Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway, and suggests where to park if you are driving.

Or start from one of three ready-made plans:

Mizner Park afternoon

The art museum, a walk under the palms of Mizner Park, then dinner on the plaza.

1. Boca Raton Museum of Art (501 Plaza Real): At the north end of Mizner Park. The Downtown Boca (CRA) page says its collection includes works by Warhol, Degas, Picasso and Matisse.
2. Mizner Park (327 Plaza Real, Ste 315 (management office)): The open-air center north of Palmetto Park Road. Its own FAQ says parking is free in garages A, B, C and D.
3. Max's Grille (404 Plaza Real, Mizner Park): New American plates and a patio in Mizner Park.

Old Boca history walk

Historic Town Hall's museum, Sanborn Square across the street and lunch in Royal Palm Place.

1. Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum (Historic Town Hall) (71 N Federal Hwy): In Historic Town Hall at 71 N Federal Hwy. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM, as the museum lists it.
2. Sanborn Square Park (72 N Federal Hwy): A City park across Federal Highway from Town Hall, with fountains and public art, lit at night.
3. Royal Palm Place (101 Plaza Real South): Its own site: 14 acres of eateries, boutiques and galleries south of Palmetto Park Road.
4. Cote France Cafe (100 Plaza Real South): A French bakery and brasserie, open every day from 8 AM (8:30 on Sundays) to 4 PM.

Beach and nature day

The beach at the end of Palmetto Park Road, Red Reef's boardwalk and the Gumbo Limbo nature center.

1. South Beach Park (400 N Ocean Blvd): Where East Palmetto Park Road ends at A1A: the closest beach to downtown. City beach parking fees apply.
2. Red Reef Park (1400 N Ocean Blvd): A City beach park on A1A with a boardwalk, snorkeling and a playground.
3. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (1801 N Ocean Blvd): A City nature center with aquariums and a boardwalk on A1A. Nature, not swimming.

Every stop comes from our sourced list of places in and near downtown Boca Raton (checked October 2026). Distances are straight-line estimates from OpenStreetMap coordinates, not measured routes. Time per stop is your chosen time split evenly, not an official duration. Check each place's hours before you go.

Spending more weekends in downtown Boca than not? See what living in Boca Raton is like.

Living in Boca Raton

Pick the right day

Monday and Tuesday

Both museums close early in the week. The Boca Raton Museum of Art is closed Monday and Tuesday, and the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum is closed Sunday to Tuesday. Twenty Twenty Grille in Royal Palm Place is closed Monday and Tuesday too. Gumbo Limbo’s nature center opens at noon on Mondays. Early in the week is a good beach and park day.

• The Boca Raton Museum of Art is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Thursday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Boca Raton Museum of Art: Visit the Museum
• The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, in Historic Town Hall at 71 North Federal Highway, is open Wednesday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and closed Sunday to Tuesday and major holidays. Boca Raton Historical Society: Plan Your Visit

Wednesday to Saturday

Both museums are open. The Museum of Art opens 10 AM to 5 PM, with a late night to 8 PM on Thursday. The History Museum opens 10 AM to 4 PM. On Thursdays this fall, the City’s Night Market fills Sanborn Square from 6 PM to 9 PM on Nov. 5 and Dec. 10, 2026; dates for 2027 are not posted.

• The City's monthly Night Market in Sanborn Square runs Thursdays 6:00PM to 9:00PM; the City lists 2026 dates of October 1, November 5 and December 10. City of Boca Raton: Night Market
• The City's Night Market page lists only October 1, November 5 and December 10, 2026. January to May 2027 dates are not posted (the 2025-26 season ran October to May). City of Boca Raton: Night Market

Saturday

Start at 9 AM with free yoga in Sanborn Square, which Downtown Boca says Yoga Journey hosts every Saturday. On the first Saturday of the month, History Museum admission is free from 10 AM to 4 PM; the next listed dates are Nov. 7 and Dec. 5, 2026.

• Downtown Boca says Yoga Journey hosts a free group yoga class every Saturday at 9am in Sanborn Square. Downtown Boca (Boca Raton CRA): Recreation
• The History Museum is free on the first Saturday of each month (Free Fun Saturdays), 10 AM to 4 PM. Listed upcoming dates include November 7 and December 5. Boca Raton Historical Society: Free Fun Saturdays

Sunday

Mizner Park keeps shorter hours on Sunday, noon to 6 PM. The Boca Green Market lists its season as every Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM, from Sept. 27, 2026 to May 2, 2027, at 5th Ave Shops, 1954 NE Fifth Ave. We have not confirmed that site sits inside downtown, so check a map before you walk.

• Mizner Park lists its hours as Monday to Saturday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Store and restaurant hours may vary. Mizner Park: Visit / FAQs
• The Boca Green Market lists its season as every Sunday, 9am to 1pm, September 27 to May 2, at 5th Ave Shops, 1954 NE Fifth Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33431, with free admission. Boca Green Market (official site)

Pick the right season

• Beach hours: lifeguards staff South Beach, Red Reef and Spanish River parks every day, 9 AM to 6:30 PM in daylight saving time and 9 AM to 5 PM in standard time. See the beach page for fees.
• Hurricane season: NOAA’s National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30.
• Sea turtle nesting: March 1 to October 31, per Gumbo Limbo. Keep beachfront lights off at night.
• Festival season: the Boca Museum Art Festival is Feb. 6 and 7, 2027, and Festival of the Arts BOCA runs March 5 to 14, 2027. The events page has a date checker.

• Boca Raton Ocean Rescue lifeguards staff South Beach, Red Reef and Spanish River parks every day, year-round, 9am to 5pm Eastern Standard Time and 9am to 6:30pm during daylight saving time. City of Boca Raton: Ocean Rescue
• NOAA's National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone Climatology
• Festival of the Arts BOCA's 21st season is March 5 to March 14, 2027. The festival was established in 2007 and presents events under a tent at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Festival of the Arts BOCA: Events (with venue page)

Getting there and parking

Brightline stops downtown at 101 NW 4th St., across from Mizner Park. By car, I-95 exit 44 is Palmetto Park Road and exit 45 is Glades Road. Park free in the Mizner Park garages or the City Hall and Library lots; the parking picker ranks lots by where you are going. Inside downtown, the City’s BocaConnect shuttle is free. Details are on getting here.

Rules worth knowing

• No drinking in public. City Code Sec. 4-4 bans drinking alcohol on streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches and public lots, except under a special event permit.
• Mizner Park’s park area is closed daily from 2 AM to sunrise, Downtown Boca says.
• No dogs on City beaches except Bark Beach at Spanish River Park, with a permit.
• Beach gatehouses take no cash from Oct. 1, 2026.

• City Code Sec. 4-4 makes it unlawful to consume an alcoholic beverage of more than 1 percent alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, right-of-way, park, beach or public parking lot, except under a special event permit (Sec. 4-5). Boca Raton Code of Ordinances (Municode): Chapter 4, Alcoholic Beverages, Sec. 4-4
• Downtown Boca notes that the park area in Mizner Park is closed daily from 2am to sunrise. Downtown Boca (Boca Raton CRA): Recreation

Where to stay

Downtown Boca’s Accommodations page lists one hotel downtown, the Hyatt Place Boca Raton/Downtown at 100 E Palmetto Park Road. South of downtown on Lake Boca are The Boca Raton, at 501 East Camino Real, which says it has five hotels, and Waterstone Resort and Marina at 999 E Camino Real. We did not confirm rates or parking terms for any of them.

• Hyatt Place Boca Raton/Downtown

  hotel

  100 E Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33432

  The hotel the Downtown Boca (CRA) Accommodations page lists, on the corner block just east of Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway.

  Source: Downtown Boca / Boca Raton CRA: Accommodations, checked 2026-10-20

• The Boca Raton

  resort (five hotels)

  501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432

  The resort's own site: five distinct hotels, eight pools, a half mile of private beach, the Spa Palmera, and a racquet club with 12 pickleball and 14 tennis courts; its historic 18-hole golf course is being reimagined and is projected to open this fall (its words, on 2026-10-20). South of downtown on Lake Boca.

  Source: The Boca Raton (official site), checked 2026-10-20

• Waterstone Resort & Marina Boca Raton, Curio Collection by Hilton

  waterfront resort hotel and marina

  999 E Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432

  On Lake Boca and the Intracoastal, with balconies in every room, a marina and Kasumi, its Japanese restaurant (its own site). Valet parking is mentioned (a resident discount on valet), rates not published on the page read.

  Source: Waterstone Resort & Marina (official site), checked 2026-10-20

Getting around FAQ

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Boca Raton (official site)