Bok Tower Gardens is centrally located between Tampa and Orlando in Polk County, Florida. Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark, contemplative garden, and bird sanctuary located north of Lake Wales, Florida, United States. It consists of a 250-acre garden, the 205-foot tall Singing Tower with its carillon bells, Pine Ridge Trail, Pinewood Estate, and a visitor center. The tower is built upon Iron Mountain, one of the highest points of Florida, estimated to be 295 feet above sea level.
The gardens were opened in 1921 when Edward W. Bok, a Dutch 
immigrant, and his his wife were spending the winter beside Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge and decided to create a bird sanctuary on its highest hill, 298 feet above sea level.
The first year was spent digging trenches and laying pipes for irrigation. The plan included the planting of 1,000 large live oaks, 10,000 azaleas, 100 sabal palms, 300 magnolias, and 500 gordonias, as well as hundreds of fruit shrubs such as blueberry and holly.
The Singing Tower is the centerpiece of the gardens and was built at the highest elevation of the site. The tower is 51 feet square at its base, changing form at 150 feet high to an octagon with 37 feet sides that include sculptures. The tower’s interior is not open to the public.
The Pine Ridge Nature Preserve and Trail is an ecosystem typified by an over-story of Longleaf Pine. The trail is located on one of the highest points in Florida and long ago the Ridge was a chain of islands. The plants and animals found on the Ridge are unique because they evolved on the chain of islands, which is why the most rare plants and animals can be found in this area.
8 acres of the Gardens include the Pinewood Estate, which features a twenty-room Mediterranean Revival mansion. This mansion was built as a winter residence. Its original name was “El Retiro”, and it has been restored to its 1930s appearance.