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I waited about 10 months to write a review, and returned the other day to see how the park had weathered since it opened in October 2022, and I would rate it a "D", for DISAPPOINTMENT. Let's provide some background information. The City acquired this piece of land from its private owners in approximately 2006/2007 for $10 million dollars through a bond initiative. The land sat vacant for many years and after countless public hearings and political jockeying, it was decided that a restaurant would be built and for many, this was an attractive prospect. Ya see, there is not one Resturant on or facing a beach or any water in The City of Boca Raton. Not one. This property sits right on the intracoastal. Plans evolved for a discrete, one level structure with boat docking and it was open to bids as who would operate the restaurant, and eventually a decision was made. The deal basically allowed the City to own the land, lease it back to the entity who developed and operated it for "x" years, and the City would receive "y" percent of the revenue from the restaurant. It appeared to be a win-win idea. Until the residents in the area vociferously objected, and the local real estate developers and merchants in the area (mainly restaurant owners) whined and whined about how this would destroy the property, cause havoc with traffic and lead to getting us closer to the end of the world. Bottom line, the City spent ~ $8 million to acquire the land, and after many years of hearing and more hearings and then even more hearings, a design concept was finalized which met approval. And wow, the fighting and bickering over that design was close to vicious. The City then spent close to $10 million to build the park and parking lot. What do we have now? Note, this is my subjective assessment and many might not agree. We have a park which is bland in its design and its color scheme. Nothing is bold. The stones and other concrete on the ground are muted colors. There is absolutely no shade unless you are under a covered area with tables bolted to the ground. Lots of young trees, mostly palms, were planted and lots of low greenery, which will likely grow in beautifully. There are numerous pieces of abstract-ish sculptures placed around the park and they have some "punch" to them. There are also numerous abstract chunks of concrete which are meant for kids to jump on and off. As of now, the paint is peeling from many of them and there are many cracks in the cement. A lawsuit waiting to happen when a 3 year old jumps on one and cracks their head! The water feature should be a stellar aspect of the park and I've been there on weekdays, weekends, holidays, and there are few kids running through it. And in many occasions there are none. It is bland. No, it is very very very bland. No color on the ground. Currently it is stained from whatever is in the water which meekly sprays up. Want to see an awesome water feature? Go the City of Deerfield Beach park on the intracoastal. It is brilliantly designed. It is bright. It attracts many people. And didn't cost $18 million and 15 years to design and build. (It is located on the north side of Hillsboro Blvd, west of the bridge). You'll see the striking difference. The bathrooms are modern and immaculate. The men's room contains one (1) urinal and one toilet, a sink, and a baby changing table. One urinal? One? Give. Me. A. Break. When I was there in late September 2023, it was occupied by one (apparently) homeless man bathing himself and another waiting outside on his bike with an incredible large wagon attached for his belongings. Sad. Very sad. Oh, there are two water fountains, one at the height for someone in a wheelchair. Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I embarrassed that this was the best we could develop? Yea. Am I dismayed at the exorbitant costs, as a taxpayer, yes. The view onto the intracoastal is spectacular. The joining of the Silver Palm Park connects under the Palmetto Park Bridge, to the south, was well planned. Parking is limited to two hours. There are disabled spots, but not many. There are a few EV charging stations. The signage identifying the park is discrete and small and can only be seen from Fifth Avenue, driving south. Like why? I guess to keep the place underutilized as it appears to be. Come and check it out and decide for yourself whether my observations are close to reality and my criticisms warranted. I write this with a heavy heart.
Beautiful park overlooking the Intracoastal and East Palmetto Park bridge. Nice covered area for eating along with benches by the water. Cool fountain attraction that's great for little kids to play in. Nice spot to watch boats and just soak in the views.
The name Wildflower comes from the name of a night club restaurant in the 1980's that used to sit on the 2.3 acres the city purchased for the park in 2009 for 7.5 million dollars. The club has since been demolished and the land has sat vacant for 10 years. The land was originally slated to be a restaurant but the city decided to keep the space open to appease people who are objecting to how the area is becoming built up by developers. The height limit on buildings was raised to 14 stories in 2008 which allowed for more towers to be built in Boca Raton. Instead of another tower, the city wanted to create a place that will revitalize the downtown water front area. They agreed to spend $483,700 to design the park and to spend up to 8 million dollars to build it. Wildflower connects to Silver Palm Park next across the street via a walkway under the bridge. Opened on Saturday, October 22nd, Wildflower Park has a wide walkway, a children's play area with splash fountain and shower, an open area for events, tables and seating, and restrooms. The park has a fantastic view of the intracoastal and it will be the perfect place to watch the holiday boat parade. I really loved the wildflower art added to the park. On the day I visited kids were enjoying the fountain while other people were watching the boats sail by. Boca has plans to hold events, exercise classes, and food truck nights in the park. On November 21st a local sand artist will create a sand sculpture to commemorate the opening of the park. The city did a really great job creating a park that people will want to spend time in.
Wildflower Park is a beautiful park with a great waterfront view. Kids love the splash pad and the small climbing structures right next to the fountains. There is a drinking fountain, clean restrooms, covered picnic tables, and even double swings facing the water, which make it a perfect place to relax. Watching the yachts pass by along the waterfront while enjoying the breeze makes this park feel very peaceful. It's an ideal spot for a picnic, family gathering, or even a birthday party. One thing I really appreciate is that the pier has life ring stations for emergencies. It's nice to see that safety details like this were thoughtfully planned. The area is also regularly patrolled by police, which adds a sense of security. The only downside is that there are almost always homeless people around. They haven't caused any issues during our visits, but it's something to be aware of. Overall, it's a lovely park with beautiful views and plenty of amenities for families with kids. read more
Wildflower Park is located on the inter coastal at Palmetto Park Road. The parking has a quite a large parking lot, you can park free for 2 hours. The restroom facilities are newer and nice. Beyond a gorgeous inter coastal view the park itself is pretty basic, no swings or jungle gyms for the children but there is a splash pad and some bright abstract art I think intended for kids to climb on. The is a covered pavilion with tables and chairs. There is a walking path and you can walk under the bridge to the other side of Palmetto Park Road. There are benches around the park. I visited to see the traveling flock of flamingos celebrating Boca Raton's 100th birthday. read more
1 year ago
I love coming here it's a five minute walk to the beach and it's free parking. There is also a splash pad for kids. And walk under the bridge to the other side to look for cool fish. Spotted a massive sting ray out there. Plenty of parking and have yet to come here and not find a spot. There is also Tesla charging stations. Restrooms available for use . read more
3 years ago
I waited about 10 months to write a review, and returned the other day to see how the park had weathered since it opened in October 2022, and I would rate it a "D", for DISAPPOINTMENT. Let's provide some background information. The City acquired this piece of land from its private owners in approximately 2006/2007 for $10 million dollars through a bond initiative. The land sat vacant for many years and after countless public hearings and political jockeying, it was decided that a restaurant would be built and for many, this was an attractive prospect. Ya see, there is not one Resturant on or facing a beach or any water in The City of Boca Raton. Not one. This property sits right on the intracoastal. Plans evolved for a discrete, one level structure with boat docking and it was open to bids as who would operate the restaurant, and eventually a decision was made. The deal basically allowed the City to own the land, lease it back to the entity who developed and operated it for "x" years, and the City would receive "y" percent of the revenue from the restaurant. It appeared to be a win-win idea. Until the residents in the area vociferously objected, and the local real estate developers and merchants in the area (mainly restaurant owners) whined and whined about how this would destroy the property, cause havoc with traffic and lead to getting us closer to the end of the world. Bottom line, the City spent ~ $8 million to acquire the land, and after many years of hearing and more hearings and then even more hearings, a design concept was finalized which met approval. And wow, the fighting and bickering over that design was close to vicious. The City then spent close to $10 million to build the park and parking lot. What do we have now? Note, this is my subjective assessment and many might not agree. We have a park which is bland in its design and its color scheme. Nothing is bold. The stones and other concrete on the ground are muted colors. There is absolutely no shade unless you are under a covered area with tables bolted to the ground. Lots of young trees, mostly palms, were planted and lots of low greenery, which will likely grow in beautifully. There are numerous pieces of abstract-ish sculptures placed around the park and they have some "punch" to them. There are also numerous abstract chunks of concrete which are meant for kids to jump on and off. As of now, the paint is peeling from many of them and there are many cracks in the cement. A lawsuit waiting to happen when a 3 year old jumps on one and cracks their head! The water feature should be a stellar aspect of the park and I've been there on weekdays, weekends, holidays, and there are few kids running through it. And in many occasions there are none. It is bland. No, it is very very very bland. No color on the ground. Currently it is stained from whatever is in the water which meekly sprays up. Want to see an awesome water feature? Go the City of Deerfield Beach park on the intracoastal. It is brilliantly designed. It is bright. It attracts many people. And didn't cost $18 million and 15 years to design and build. (It is located on the north side of Hillsboro Blvd, west of the bridge). You'll see the striking difference. The bathrooms are modern and immaculate. The men's room contains one (1) urinal and one toilet, a sink, and a baby changing table. One urinal? One? Give. Me. A. Break. When I was there in late September 2023, it was occupied by one (apparently) homeless man bathing himself and another waiting outside on his bike with an incredible large wagon attached for his belongings. Sad. Very sad. Oh, there are two water fountains, one at the height for someone in a wheelchair. Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I embarrassed that this was the best we could develop? Yea. Am I dismayed at the exorbitant costs, as a taxpayer, yes. The view onto the intracoastal is spectacular. The joining of the Silver Palm Park connects under the Palmetto Park Bridge, to the south, was well planned. Parking is limited to two hours. There are disabled spots, but not many. There are a few EV charging stations. The signage identifying the park is discrete and small and can only be seen from Fifth Avenue, driving south. Like why? I guess to keep the place underutilized as it appears to be. Come and check it out and decide for yourself whether my observations are close to reality and my criticisms warranted. I write this with a heavy heart. read more
2 years ago
Beautiful park overlooking the Intracoastal and East Palmetto Park bridge. Nice covered area for eating along with benches by the water. Cool fountain attraction that's great for little kids to play in. Nice spot to watch boats and just soak in the views. read more
The name Wildflower comes from the name of a night club restaurant in the 1980's that used to sit on the 2.3 acres the city purchased for the park in 2009 for 7.5 million dollars. The club has since been demolished and the land has sat vacant for 10 years. The land was originally slated to be a restaurant but the city decided to keep the space open to appease people who are objecting to how the area is becoming built up by developers. The height limit on buildings was raised to 14 stories in 2008 which allowed for more towers to be built in Boca Raton. Instead of another tower, the city wanted to create a place that will revitalize the downtown water front area. They agreed to spend $483,700 to design the park and to spend up to 8 million dollars to build it. Wildflower connects to Silver Palm Park next across the street via a walkway under the bridge. Opened on Saturday, October 22nd, Wildflower Park has a wide walkway, a children's play area with splash fountain and shower, an open area for events, tables and seating, and restrooms. The park has a fantastic view of the intracoastal and it will be the perfect place to watch the holiday boat parade. I really loved the wildflower art added to the park. On the day I visited kids were enjoying the fountain while other people were watching the boats sail by. Boca has plans to hold events, exercise classes, and food truck nights in the park. On November 21st a local sand artist will create a sand sculpture to commemorate the opening of the park. The city did a really great job creating a park that people will want to spend time in. read more
New park in Boca Raton on the intracoastal just north of Palmetto Park Road & NE 5th Ave (Entrance access). The park features a water park, small objects to climb on for kids, covered seating, bathrooms, green space and beautiful views of the intracoastal. The area is connected to Silver Palm Park through a path under the bridge. This park doesn't have any boat launches, simply a viewing spot. There are two EV charging spots, a couple of sculptures and a wide open green space for picnics with quite a bit of parking. The park is pretty but it feels like it missed an opportunity to be really special with a large covered playground. I'm sure it will be a popular spot for visitors and residents for hanging out by the water or under covered seating for boat viewing. read more
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More info about Wildflower Park
551 E Palmetto Park Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Directions
(561) 393-7810
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Hours
Outdoor Amenities
