A Wheelchair-Accessible Itinerary in West Palm Beach

As a person with a spinal cord injury, I travel with my folding scooter and manual wheelchair. My husband and I like to pack in as much as possible into our vacation days. We enjoy fine dining, botanical gardens, art and theatre performances.

Here is a suggestion for a fabulous one-day itinerary to West Palm Beach!

Hilton West Palm Beach

Address: 600 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone Number: (561) 231-6000

My husband and I arrived at the Palm Beach International Airport in the morning and drove to the Hilton West Palm Beach. A friendly staff member greeted us, who took our luggage inside the hotel, and the valet parked our rental car. I rolled to the front desk to confirm my reservation and was given the room key.

The lobby was beautiful, with tropical plants, contemporary furniture, and large windows adjacent to the swimming pool area. The marble floor was easy to roll on.

We settled into our wheelchair-accessible room with a curbless shower and king-sized bed. The room was spacious. There were ample drawers and a low closet rod to hang my clothes. We had a view out our window of West Palm Beach.

The bathroom had grab bars next to the toilet and in the shower. The counter by the sink was spacious, and knee space was under it.

The shower chair was sturdy. There was a handheld shower that could be height adjusted. The shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner were in bottles attached to the wall.

There were 36 inches between the wall and the bed. The mattress height was 24 inches. This made it easy for me to transfer from my wheelchair into and out of bed.

We ordered breakfast from the menu in the dining room. There was also an extensive breakfast buffet. The waiter was attentive, the service was quick, and the meals were delicious.

Visit at Mounts Botanical Garden

Address: 531 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415

Phone Number: (561) 233-1757

After breakfast, we visited Mounts Botanical Garden. My husband and I were greeted in the accessible parking lot by Misty Stoler, Interim Co-Director of Mounts Botanical Garden. There is a map of the gardens at the entrance with a QR code so people can download the map to their smartphone. This 20-acre garden has 25 unique garden areas.

In my scooter, it was easy to roll throughout the botanical garden on the many wide, hard surface pathways. Almost all areas are accessible by wheelchair. There are gentle ramps when the grade changes to allow people with mobility devices to get to various parts of the garden.

As a horticulturist, I appreciated the plant collection’s diversity and the educational components. Many plants were identified by name with labels that could be viewed easily.

The gift shop was accessible and contained an accessible restroom. There was a second accessible restroom in the Hutcheson Complex at the back of the garden. Both restrooms had ample room for a wheelchair, grab bars and accessible sinks.

Service animals are permitted but must be kept on a leash.

The gardens have benches for people to rest and enjoy the views.

While we were visiting, there was a special Origami in the Garden exhibit with 20 sculptures.

Accessibility features at Mounts Botanical Garden:

• Accessible parking near the entrance
• The gift shop can be navigated easily in a wheelchair
• Accessible paths of travel throughout the garden
• Accessible restrooms
• Service animals are permitted on a leash
• Benches are throughout the garden for people to rest and enjoy the views

Mounts Botanical Garden offers visitors a serene environment, educational programming, and special exhibits throughout the year. People who use mobility devices can rest assured that they will have access to enjoy this horticultural paradise. Visitors will enjoy the beautiful vistas and the fragrances of the flowers in bloom. Have your cameras ready to zoom in closely at some very unusual plant specimens.

Lunch at Elisabetta’s West Palm Beach

Address: 185 Banyan Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone Number: (561) 342-6699

For lunch, my husband and I were dropped off at the entrance of Elisabetta’s Ristorante. In my manual wheelchair, rolling up the ramp and entering the restaurant was easy.

We were escorted to a table that was easy for me to roll under. There was a lot of energy generated by the conversations of the other patrons and the music. There are many options for those who prefer a quieter environment outside without the music. Views of the West Palm Beach harbor can be seen from multiple seating locations.

This Italian restaurant had an extensive menu written in Italian and in English. There are several appetizers, pasta dishes, pizzas, and desserts.

Our waitress told us that the food was all made in-house, including the bread. For appetizers, we shared a plate of meatballs and Arancini Con Tartufo (crispy rice with truffle aioli). I enjoyed a shrimp skewer while my husband enjoyed his plate of pasta for his entrée. My husband loved the Budino Al Cioccolato, a dessert made with chocolate pudding, hazelnuts, and caramel sauce. I savored the Tiramisu.

Our waitress took care of us throughout the meal, explaining the menu thoroughly and checking with us occasionally to ensure we were enjoying our meal.

Downtown West Palm Beach: CityPlace, Clematis Street, and the Waterfront

Addresses:

• CityPlace, 700 South Rosemary Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33401
• Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

After lunch, we explored downtown West Palm Beach. I was on my scooter as my husband and I toured CityPlace in West Palm Beach and along the waterfront and Clematis Street. The sidewalks were wide, with large curb cuts and crosswalks. There was a wide variety of restaurants, pubs, and shops along the way. I was pleased that the area was level and had no obstacles. The Clematis Splash Park is fully accessible with a public green space and shaded seating areas under trees and trellis.

Tour of The Norton Museum of Art 

Address: 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone Number: (561) 832-5196

We then decided to tour a beautiful art museum in downtown West Palm Beach. As we arrived at the Norton Museum of Art, my husband and I were greeted in the accessible parking lot by Scott Simmons, Public Relations Manager. There was a pushbutton at the entrance to open the main door.

I rolled along in my manual wheelchair as he led us through the three-story museum. It was easy to roll on the flooring throughout the museum. The museum is fully wheelchair-accessible and features ramps and elevators.

Accessibility Features:

• Accessible parking.
• Complementary manual wheelchairs and walkers are available on a first-come first-served basis.
• Assistive listening devices are available during guided tours, lectures, or other events.
• Accessible group gallery tours can be requested.
• Audio description and automated captioning are available online for selected programs.
• American Sign Language interpretation can be arranged upon request.
• The accessible restrooms have ample space for mobility devices and grab bars.
• Braille signage is on the elevators and many public spaces.
• Large print materials, including exhibition labels and museum maps, can be provided upon request.
• Service dogs are welcome.

Dinner at Galley Restaurant in the Hilton West Palm Beach

Address: 600 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone Number: (561) 231-6100

My husband and I had dinner at the beautiful Galley restaurant in the Hilton West Palm Beach hotel. There were many seating locations, including outside by the pool or inside by the bar. I could easily roll throughout the restaurant in my manual wheelchair and position myself at a table.

The restrooms were accessible.

The waitstaff was attentive and courteous.

Various menu options included small plates, main entrées, food cooked on a wood-fired grill, side dishes, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

I enjoyed the black grouper, and my husband raved about his filet mignon. We shared a side of creamed corn. My husband was overwhelmed by the large size of the chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. I relished my crème brulee topped with caramel popcorn.

This meal was memorable because of the setting, the service, and the exquisitely crafted cuisine.

Hamilton at The Kravis Center

Address: 701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone Number: 561-651-4444

At night, my husband and I were invited to see the musical Hamilton at the beautiful Kravis Center. I rolled in my manual wheelchair across the street from the Hilton West Palm Beach hotel where we were staying. There was a wheelchair-accessible ramp leading from the sidewalk to the main entrance.

We arrived an hour before showtime to tour the accessible features and see the services the theater provided to patrons with disabilities. Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations Phala Murray led the tour.

I could easily roll across the hard surface flooring and carpet and travel up and down the ramps leading from one floor to another.

Complimentary wheelchairs and assistive listening devices were available for patrons to borrow during performances.

After the tour, I was led to my seat, located on an aisle. I was awestruck by the beauty and magnitude of this theater! To facilitate me transferring from my wheelchair into the theater seat, the armrest on the seat was folded back. This allowed me more clearance to transfer into the seat safely.

During the intermission, I went into the single-person accessible restroom and found it spacious, with grab bars next to the toilet.

The Kravis Center is committed to providing accessible features and services to its patrons. The building was designed with accessibility in mind. The staff is dedicated to ensuring all patrons can fully enjoy their performances regardless of ability.

Rosemarie Rossetti

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized accessibility consultant, speaker, author, and president of Rossetti Enterprises LLC. www.RosemarieSpeaks.com

Having been paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury, she speaks from her wheelchair, sharing her dramatic personal story. She presents to audiences throughout the U.S. and beyond as a recognized expert on inclusive design.

Rossetti and her husband led a design team, built and live in the Universal Design Living Laboratory, North America’s top-rated universal design home. www.udll.com