Lake Wales was established in 1911 on the Lake Wales Ridge in Polk County. It is one of the few American cities with an Olmsted Brothers master plan — and the ambition to actually finish building it, a century later.
Why visit Lake Wales
- 01
Bok Tower Gardens
Edward Bok's 1929 gift to the American people: a 205-foot neo-Gothic and Art Deco carillon tower designed by Milton B. Medary.
- 02
Pinewood Estate
Charles Austin Buck's 1930s masterwork, on the grounds of Bok Tower Gardens.
- 03
A boom-era downtown
Brick storefronts, the restored Rhodesbilt Arcade, castellated Moorish Revival on Stuart Avenue, and Art Deco lettering on the former newspaper building.
- 04
A plan still in progress
The Olmsted Brothers plan shaped the town's streets and lakefront, and current revitalization work keeps returning to it.
History
Lake Wales was established in 1911 and grew through the 1920s Florida boom, which left the Mission Revival, Moorish Revival and Art Deco buildings still standing downtown.
Edward Bok dedicated his singing tower in 1929, and the Olmsted Brothers drew a master plan for the young city that remains a reference point for its civic projects today.
Culture
The carillon at Bok Tower Gardens is the town's signature sound. Downtown, the Rhodesbilt Arcade is home to coffee and conversation, and the city's churches and boom-era facades make Lincoln Avenue and Stuart Avenue a walking tour of 1920s architecture.
The Lake Wales city record also tracks the town's open mic and its podcast coverage on the Lake Wales page.
Businesses
Independent businesses fill the historic storefronts — coffee in the Rhodesbilt Arcade and barbecue (brisket, ribs, wings and cornbread) among the local favorites featured on the city record.
A newer layer is the town's startup scene. Read the full story in “Build It Here: Lake Wales Already Has What It Takes”: /blog/build-it-here-lake-wales-startups.
Events
Startup Night: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 6 PM, at The Thirsty Dragon, 126 N 1st St. Free, with sign-up through the Lake Wales Startups site, https://lwstartups.lovable.app/.
Disclosure: Lake Wales Startups and Startup Night are organized by Florida Slice's editor, Jason AI Wade.
Photo credit
Rhodesbilt Arcade, Lake Wales, by Pokemonprime via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
How to spend a day
Start at Bok Tower Gardens in the morning and stay for a carillon recital and Pinewood Estate. In the afternoon, walk downtown from the Rhodesbilt Arcade to Stuart Avenue, then end with dinner at a local spot.