10 things to do in Delray Beach
One of The Palm Beaches’ local and visitor favorites, Delray Beach is known as “Florida’s Village By the Sea” thanks to its small-town vibe with a glamorous edge. Here, you’ll find a happening dining and nightlife scene, beautiful beaches, arts and culture, and more.
An intimate beach town with a big-city personality, Delray Beach is a vibrant South Florida community situated between Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. With accolades like Most Fun Small Town in the USA and one of America’s Happiest Seaside Towns, it’s no surprise Delray is such a popular destination.
Soak up the Florida sun on the beach along the crystal-clear Atlantic Ocean by day, and enjoy the lively atmosphere downtown by night. When you visit “Florida’s Village by the Sea,” you can’t help but feel the warm and friendly atmosphere that makes this resort town such a joy to visit.
Don’t believe us? Then explore it for yourself, starting with these 10 things to do in Delray Beach.
1. Take a Craft Food Tour
Craft Food Tours operates walking food, drink and culture tours in Downtown Delray Beach. This food tour gives you the convenience to explore Delray Beach’s award-winning culinary scene for one price. You will learn about Delray Beach’s history, architecture, and culture from your local guide. Each stop along the way will last 20-30 minutes, and you’ll meet the restaurant staff and chefs who shape the Atlantic Avenue culinary scene. You will taste your way through South Florida’s up-and-coming neighborhoods as local foodies provide a behind-the-scenes VIP culinary experience by introducing you to the owners and chefs that help shape the food scene in South Florida.
Craft Food Tours, Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.craftfoodtours.com
2. Taste craft cocktails on a Happy Hour Tour
Embark on this 2-hour cocktail tour (food included) in Delray Beach. Walk through Atlantic Ave. with your local guide and stop for tastings and 4 cocktails along the way. Your stops may include Cabana El Rey, El Camino, Death or Glory Bar, and more. Learn about the history, culture, and architecture of the city as well as their food. Your tour will include stops at 4 of the top Happy Hours in Delray Beach! You will also see several historical sites along the way, like Old School Square, the cultural hub of Delray Beach and Colony Hotel and Cabana Club, a historic hotel in the heart of downtown.
Craft Food Tours, Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.craftfoodtours.com
3. Saltwater Brewery
Saltwater Brewery is Delray Beach’s first local production microbrewery with a “Reef Room” for tastings on site. The brewery is run by a team of Floridians who give special care to each batch of the handcrafted beer, made using only natural ingredients. The brewery promotes education on ocean conservation, and tours are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis every Saturday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
1701 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.saltwaterbrewery.com
4. Silverball Museum
Featuring more than 150 video games and pinball machines dating as far back as the 1930s, this museum brings a bit of nostalgia to visitors, evoking childhood memories for adults while creating memories for younger generations. The 9,000-square-foot museum offers classic video games such as Ms. Pac-Man, two floors of pinball machines, arcade games and even the original skeeball alleys from New York’s Coney Island – Eldorado Arcade. The best part about it is that all the games are set to free play, which means unlimited plays are included in your admission.
19 NE 3rd Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483
www.silverballmuseum.com
5. Dine out on a Progressive Dinner
‘Progressive Dinners’ focus on providing tastings that include locally sourced ingredients and are representative of the unique blend of culture and spontaneity that the Delray Beach community embodies. You will spend the day walking Delray Beach’s vibrant Atlantic Avenue strip, making frequent stops in some of the staples of the neighborhood’s restaurant scene to speak with chefs and mixologists alike about what goes into the dishes and craft cocktails that you will get to enjoy.
Craft Food Tours, Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.craftfoodtours.com
6. Delray Municipal Beach
Named as the top beach in the southeastern U.S. by Travel Holiday magazine, Delray Municipal Beach is popular by people of all ages. You’ll see families on vacation, young people playing volleyball, and older folks basking in the warm sun. Visitors looking for excitement can rent equipment – from snorkeling gear to paddleboards – at the Delray Beach Watersports shack on the beach near Casurina Drive. Parking is also available nearby, as are several restaurants and eateries you can walk to when you’ve worked up your appetite, such as Boston’s on the Beach and Caffe Luna Rosa. Lifeguards are posted along the shore, and the beach itself is free, with metered parking nearby costing $1.50 an hour.
South Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach, FL 33483
www.downtowndelraybeach.com/beaches
7. Old School Square
Old School Square is a multi-use entertainment center hosting cutting-edge art exhibits, performances of Broadway cabaret with New York’s hottest stars, music and comedy acts, and more. Serving for more than 25 years as the community’s gathering place, the historic campus includes the Crest Theatre, Cornell Art Museum, and the Fieldhouse. The Pavilion hosts outdoor concerts and festivals, and the Creative Arts School offers art, photography and writing classes for all levels and ages.
51 N Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.oldschoolsquare.org
8. Sandoway House Nature Center
The Sandoway Discovery Center offers a glimpse into South Florida’s fragile marine and freshwater environments through educational exhibits and programs. Visitors of all ages can get an up-close view of some of Florida’s native and invasive reptiles, meet sharks and other fish at the coral reef pool, explore Southeast Florida’s largest private shell collection, and learn about natural history and the environment at the center’s library. The nature center’s activities include daily shark and stingray feedings, weekly alligator feedings, beach and dune walks, garden walks, live animal exhibits, and fossil digs.
142 South Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483
www.sandoway.org
9. Pineapple Grove Arts District
Pineapple Grove is a colorful arts district featuring public art pieces, boutiques, fine art galleries, and custom furniture stores filled with local pieces – and the giant pineapple mural is the perfect backdrop for a Delray Beach selfie. Travel a few blocks down and discover Pineapple Grove’s “industrial” section known as Artist’s Alley, where a thriving community of artists come together to display innovative works of art available to the public.
2nd Avenue, North of Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.downtowndelraybeach.com
10. Putt’n Around
Thirty-six holes of miniature golf await in a little pink building and garden tucked away downtown. Don’t be fooled by the color, though – this isn’t a cliché mini-golf experience with windmills or clowns. On the Ocean course, you’ll find beautiful fish statues, seashells, and a magical mermaid. On the Everglades course, you might find quite a few bird statues and life-like alligators. (Don’t worry, the alligators don’t bite!)
350 NE 5th Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483
www.puttnaround.net
Bonus: We know we said 10, but this one’s too good to miss … and it’s actually several things in one. Each year, Delray Beach hosts a number of must-do events, from its massive Fourth of July celebration to the popular art fair Delray Affair.