Flagler Museum
The Flagler Museum was the residence of Henry Flagler, called Whitehall. Today, this National Historic Landmark is open to the public so that others may marvel at the beautiful estate. My husband (Blake), mom (Melody), and I took a day trip to Palm Beach to visit the Flagler Museum. What an incredible time we had!
History of Whitehall
Henry Morrison Flagler, a founder of Standard Oil, played a crucial role in the expansion of Florida. With the construction of the Florida East Coast Railroad, the Atlantic side of Florida was able to be developed. Referred to as the father of Palm Beach, Henry built a home there as a wedding present for his third wife, Mary Lily Kenan. This Palm Beach estate, Whitehall, became the Flagler’s winter destination.
Upon completion in 1902, Whitehall was “more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world,” according to the New York Herald. This mansion is built around an open-air courtyard and uses marble throughout.
Since 1960, Whitehall has been open to the public as the Flagler Museum.
Visiting The Museum
The Flagler Museum is open to visitors all year, except on Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Admission prices are as follows: Adult $18, Youth (13-17) $10, Child (6-10) $3, and Groups of 20 or more $14. You may purchase tickets online or at the Museum.
In addition to a self-guided tour, there are 4 tours available at the Flagler Museum. The first is led by a Museum Docent and lasts 1 hour. The second is a free audio tour. Simply visit the audio attendant at the Museum’s entrance to pick up your headset. Download the Flagler Museum App to your smart device and explore the museum using it as a guide. The last tour option is for children and it includes an activity guide.
For more Flagler history, visit The Breakers hotel, Henry’s Palm Beach winter resort.
Our Tour Of The Flagler Museum
The museum’s Public Affairs Director, David Carson, took Blake, Melody, and I on our tour of Whitehall. From the moment that we stepped inside of this beautiful home, we were speechless. It is incredible! The house is exactly as Henry Flagler left it, extravagantly decorated. We loved seeing all of the Gilded Age architecture and learning about its origin.
My favorite part of the tour was getting to see Railcar No. 91. Located in the Kenan Pavillon, this was Henry’s personal railcar that he used to travel the entire East Coast. Another highlight was seeing the master bedroom closet. It is quite impressive! Not only were there designated spaces for hanging clothes and shoes, but also trunks, and lots of them.
Afternoon Tea At Café des Beaux-Arts
The Flagler Museum offers afternoon tea in the Hotel Royal Poinciana’s Coconut Grove, just as it could have been in the early 1900’s. The price is $22 per person for members of the museum and $40 for non-members, which also includes museum admission. Both prices include both tax and gratuity. Afternoon tea is available from 12-3PM on Sundays and 11:30AM-2:30 PM Tuesday-Saturday.
Blake, Melody, and I had a great time having afternoon tea! We had stellar views of Lake Worth and enjoyed the Kenan Pavilion’s glass room. The only thing that could have made our experience better was if Henry Flagler himself had joined us.
Our beverage options were Whitehall Special Blend Tea or Berried Lemonade. The Harney & Sons’ Whitehall tea is exclusive to the Flagler Museum and can be purchased in the gift shop. We had quite a selection of sandwiches to choose from Cucumber, Smoked Salmon, Turkey Breast (pinwheel with Chestnut Stuffing and Cranberry relish), Curried Egg Salad, Organic Chicken Salad, and Caesar Salad. There was also seasonal bread (Apple and Raisin) and sweets (Mini Pumpkin Pie, Cappuccino Mousse, Cupcakes, and Cranberry Scones with whipped cream and strawberry preservatives) on our tray. Melody appreciated the beauty of crafting delicate portions and the selection of bread (mini Naan, phyllo pastry, and flour tortillas).
Come See Whitehall
The Flagler Museum is the most beautiful home that I have ever seen. The tiny, intricate details in each room are spectacular. Henry Flagler certainly had exquisite taste! If you find yourself in the Palm Beach area, visit the Flagler Museum. You are sure to leave in shock and awe after touring this magnificent home.
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Flagler Museum
One Whitehall Way
Palm Beach, Florida 33480
(561) 655-2833
Sunday 12-5 PM Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
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Taylor Pittman Hardy wrote this article.
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I love your black and white shot – it’s so dramatic! Sounds like a fun day 🙂
It’s the museum’s picture! I think it is stunning.
I’m a museum goer so I would love to see this in person. What a beautiful home – aka a heck of wedding present. The tea option sounds really nice, and I’d want to do the museum lead tour. I like that they have a kid tour option with an activity guide (very smart!).
Lara, it is an incredible wedding present! I love that they offer a kid option, too. Makes it fun for all ages!
The house looks beautiful, and I bet the old railcar was interesting.
The railcar was my favorite part 🙂
I love your black and white shot of the museum – it”s so dramatic! I could photograph the opulence of the interior all day too – those ceilings are to die for and the little details are a photographers dream! The afternoon tea looks pretty amazing too 🙂
Vicki, the museum let us use their picture and yes, it is beautiful! Some of the details were mind-blowing. So much work went into this house.
Looks like a wonderful way to spend the day – would love to visit the Flagler house and museum looks like a grand place! The afternoon tea also looks like a great way to end the day!
Afternoon tea was the icing on our wonderful day!
This looks like a cool place and I love the bit of history you’ve given us! Thanks for the post 🙂
Thank you for reading! 🙂
The house looks beautiful and the afternoon tea looks amazing, but it seems a bit pricey. Not sure I’d pay that much for either experience. I’d rather park myself on the beach 😛
I understand. I live at the beach and never really visit it. I need to make a point to enjoy it from time to time.
I have never heard of it before, but it’s impressive that it was considered better an Europe at that time!
And any place that offers tea is a good place! Glad you had a great time there!
It was a wonderful experience. The house was absolutely amazing!
Wow, what a beautiful historic building! I love the interiors just as much. I also love how you can get afternoon tea there. One of my favesssss 🙂
I love afternoon tea, too! 🙂
It’s such a beautiful property! Your photos are so lovely, especially of the interiors. I must visit – thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much Carmen!
That would have been quite a claim to say it’s more beautiful and majestic home than any in Europe. I’ll put this on my Palm Beach must-see list for sure. Even the tea looked wonderful, and the prices seemed very reasonable for both admission and the tea.
Agreed! I really enjoyed it and it had been on my bucket list for years. 😉