"Admission to the Lake Wales attraction has been $20 since 2023."
That line comes from the Lakeland Ledger's October 1 report, and the report itself was about the end of that price. Since October 1, 2026, adult admission at Bok Tower Gardens has been $25. Tickets for kids ages 6 to 17 went from $10 to $12, and children 5 and under still get in free.
If you live in Lake Wales and Bok is your Sunday walk, the $5 matters less than what it does to the membership math. A higher gate price means every membership level now pays for itself one visit sooner, or in one case just about. The increase also landed right before the stretch of the year when the Singing Tower is played live, which is the season that gives you the most reasons to go back.
The new price moves every break-even point up a visit
Bok sells memberships at six levels. Every level comes with unlimited general admission, presale access and member pricing for events and concerts, 10% off at the cafe and shop, and reciprocal privileges through the American Horticultural Society. The three levels most households look at are Individual at $75 for one adult, Duo at $95 for two adults, and Family at $150. Family covers two adults, unlimited children under 18 and two dogs, and it adds two El Retiro tickets.
Here is how many paid visits it takes to match each membership, using gate prices from before and after October 1:
| Membership | Annual cost | Gate cost per visit, old price | Visits to break even, old price | Gate cost per visit, new price | Visits to break even, new price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual, 1 adult | $75 | $20 | 4 | $25 | 3 |
| Duo, 2 adults | $95 | $40 | 3 | $50 | 2 |
| Family, 2 adults and 2 kids ages 6–17 | $150 | $60 | 3 | $74 | 2, plus El Retiro tickets |
The Family row needs one more line. At the new prices, two visits for that family cost $148 at the gate, which is $2 under the membership. The Family level also includes two El Retiro tickets, though. Those tours are a $10 add-on per adult on top of garden admission, so the membership comes out ahead on the second visit. Dogs push the gap further, because they now cost $10 each at the gate and the Family membership covers two.
If you've already paid at the gate that day, you don't have to write it off. Bok's admission page says you can apply that day's admission fee toward a membership. Memberships run for one year.
Why the timing works in a member's favor
The Singing Tower plays every day of the year. Concerts are at 1 and 3 p.m., with short selections on the hour and half-hour, and they carry across the whole garden without a separate ticket. What changes is who's playing. Bok's FAQ says the summer schedule runs on historic recordings from the Anton Brees Carillon Library by carillonneurs Milford Myhre and William De Turk until mid-October. From mid-October through mid-May, carillonneur Geert D'hollander plays live, Thursday through Sunday.
So the price went up about two weeks before the live season began. This post goes up on a Thursday, which is one of the live days. A live season that runs about seven months with four performance days a week gives a nearby resident a steady reason to come back, and that's the kind of visiting pattern the table above rewards. Anyone visiting once in the cool months now pays $5 more for that afternoon. A neighbor who comes back three times between now and May on an Individual membership pays the same as three gate tickets, and every visit after that costs nothing extra.
The garden has longer hours than the concert schedule suggests. Bok is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the last entry is at 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, Blue Palmetto Cafe and the Shop at Bok are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garden admission also covers the 3.5-mile Pine Ridge Preserve hiking trail, so an early walk on the trail and the 1 p.m. concert can fit into one paid day.
The first free day for members is Halloween
The first event on the calendar where membership pays off is the Boo-tanical Bash on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members get in free, and so do children 5 and under. Non-members pay $25 per adult and $12 per child ages 6 to 17, which is the new gate price, and that ticket includes the day's garden admission. You don't need to register.
The day includes a Monster Mash DJ dance party, pumpkin painting, festive tattoos and photos in the gardens. There's also a Kids Carillon Concert on the Singing Tower and two performances by Asolo Rep of Beanstalk: The Adventures of Jack and the Giant. A family with two adults and two school-age kids would pay $74 at the gate that Saturday. On a Family membership bought earlier in October, that's half the cost of the membership covered by one event.
Dates for the rest of the fall
Bok lists most of these by holiday or season rather than by calendar date, so the 2026 dates below come from the calendar.
- Mid-October: The live carillon season with Geert D'hollander begins, Thursday through Sunday, and runs until mid-May.
- Saturday, October 31: Boo-tanical Bash, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free for members.
- Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day. Retired military, who otherwise pay the regular price, get free garden admission.
- Thursday, November 26: The gardens are closed for Thanksgiving Day.
- Friday, November 27: El Retiro moves to its winter hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which run through April 30.
- Friday, December 25: The gardens are closed for Christmas Day.
About El Retiro on Mondays: the admission page lists the winter tour hours as Monday through Sunday, and the same page also says El Retiro is closed on Mondays from Thanksgiving through April 30. If you're planning a Monday tour, call Bok at 863-734-1222 first.
El Retiro is the 20-room Mediterranean-style mansion built in the 1930s for Bethlehem Steel executive Charles Austin Buck. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The docent-led tour costs $10 per adult and $5 per child ages 6 to 17 on top of garden admission, so the combined ticket is $35 for adults and $17 for kids. Members pay $7 for the tour.
What the membership card does not stretch to cover
A membership pays off for the people named on it, and that's where the math has limits. Bok's membership FAQ says the named member has to be present, and guests don't get a discount on admission. If relatives visit for the holidays, they pay the new gate price unless your membership level includes guest passes. Friends, at $250, covers two adult members plus two adult guests, unlimited children under 18 and two dogs, along with four El Retiro tickets.
Brass Door, at $500, covers six adult guests and comes with a reserved Founder's Room tour for eight. Daily visitors can't go inside the Singing Tower, because the building has a single door and safety rules don't allow daily public tours. Brass Door members and above are invited on Founder's Room tours.
Reciprocal privileges are also limited to named members. Individual and Duo members get access to AHS gardens, and Family members and above get AHS gardens plus museums in the North American Reciprocal Museum program. Bok's reciprocal list was last updated in August 2025, and the page says participation can change, so check with the other garden or museum before you count on free entry.
Ways in that don't involve a membership
A few Polk County households won't need the table at all. Bok for All gives free general admission to eligible Polk County residents with SNAP or WIC EBT cards, covering up to four adults and six children under 18. You show proof of Polk County residency and your EBT card at the gate. The program doesn't cover dogs or ticketed events.
Active-duty military get free general admission every day of the year, and up to four friends or family members with them get in at half price. AAA members get $3 off combo admission with a valid card. Bok also says discounted tickets are sold at the Visit Central Florida Welcome Center at 101 Adventure Court in Davenport. If you're a member of another garden that takes part in the reciprocal agreement, show that card at the gate.
If Bok Tower Gardens is part of your regular routine in Lake Wales and you're curious about your home's value, The Small Team can give you a straight, local answer. We're glad to talk it over before or after the 3 p.m. concert. Know Your Home's Value.
