01 May Beyond the Beach: A Cultural Guide to Delray’s Hidden Gems
Palm Beach County is often referred to as the cultural capital of Florida, and that’s thanks in no small part to the vibrant art-and-cultural haven that is Delray Beach.
Just steps from its award-winning beach, Delray Beach’s Pineapple Grove Arts District is located in the heart of its walkable downtown, just off Atlantic Avenue. Here, you will find dozens of local galleries, independent restaurants, murals, and sculptures around every corner and Delray’s Artists Alley- a warehouse community that houses 30+ artists in various studio spaces. Pineapple Grove is also the home of Arts Garage, which houses both an art gallery and maintains an ongoing schedule of live music, as well as adult and youth performance art classes.
Just a bit further west into Delray Beach you’ll find the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, which is housed in the former home of the late Solomon David Spady, who was a prominent African-American educator and community leader in Delray between 1922 and 1957. In that same spirit, the Spady Museum is dedicated to educating and celebrating black history in Palm Beach County and beyond. The museum maintains an educational center, ongoing art exhibitions, and conducts regular historic walking and bus tours of the city.
Perhaps the destination’s most well-known cultural institution is the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which is the most western region of Delray and celebrated as the center for Japanese arts and culture in South Florida, complete with rotating exhibitions, a permanent museum space, and breathtaking, sprawling Japanese gardens and strolling pathways. There are also programs for children throughout the day, as well as a tea house with tea ceremonies for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Many people come to Delray to enjoy a quiet beach vacation, but are surprised to learn about these and many other arts and cultural experiences that await them. Here at Crane’s Beach House, we encourage our guests to find a nice balance of taking in the culture and enjoying downtime at the beach or one of our refreshing saltwater pools, because that is, after all, what makes Delray such a unique and special way to experience Florida.