Please Note: The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach are still available for Private Group Tours but not for tours held on the 3rd or 4th Saturday. The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach are NOT the Taste History Culinary Tours. For more about the Narrated Bus Tours read the following information on this webpage.
Narrated Bus Tours
of Historic Delray Beach, Florida
Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History
Again VOTED Best Tour of The Town
AAA Home & Away Magazine designated these tours as the "Most Unique Travel Gem"
Please note: The tour on Saturday, November 26, 2011 is NOT the culinary history tour. The tour on Saturday, November 26, 2011 is the regular Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach. Due to popular demand, effective December 17, 2011, the regular Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach will be converted into the Taste History Culinary Tour. For the culinary history tours, visithttp://tastehistoryculinarytours.blogspot.com/
Overview of History and Historic Preservation highlighted during Narrated Bus Tour
The
Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach are held on the 4th
Saturday of each month, year-round. These tours allow people to
discover historic sites through public access as part of the tours’
visits to historic buildings in Delray Beach, Florida ( Palm Beach
County). The importance of historic preservation is evident and
emphasized during the tours.
In addition to local history and the
origins of Palm Beach County, the history of the State of Florida is
also included in the narration during the tour with information about
the arrival of Spaniards in the 1500s as well as the migration of
runaway African slaves and Creek Native American slaves who came to
Florida together from the late 1600s to 1800s. The narrated local
history is told as the bus travels through historic areas such as
Swinton Avenue which was na med for one of Delray Beach’s early white
settlers named David Swinton, from Saginaw , Michigan who owned a book
store in Saginaw. He came to this area in 1894 on a trip with his
friend named William S. Linton, a Michigan Congressman. In 1894, Mr.
Linton purchased 160 acres of land and made a down payment on 640 more
acres in this area and he named the town after himself and called it
the Town of Linton which later was named Delray Beach. Soon after his
purchase, Mr. Linton began recruiting others from Michigan who began
the task of settling and laying out the town. The tour information
explains more about other tidbits of facts about the people, places
& lifestyles of Delray Beach in the early years. The tour also
highlights the Historic West Settlers District which is the African
American historic district in Delray Beach that recognizes the early
African American settlers of Delray Beach who were already in Delray
Beach before the white settlers arrived. African Americans lived in the
area West of what is now called Swinton Avenue. Other historical facts
that are featured as a part of the tour are about the Japanese settlers
who were recruited to Delray Beach in the early 1900s by railroad
tycoon Henry Flagler.
There are
10 historic sites for tour stops which are visited on a
rotating schedule where the bus makes stops so that
passengers are allowed to get off the bus and go inside to
view the inside of that particular historic building and
learn more about its history and its important role in the history of the settlement
of the community of Delray Beach, Florida:
Fees for Tour: $15 per person
$15 per person:
The fee for the history bus tour is$15.00 per person for adults and free for children and teens under age 18 when accompanying their family (maximum 5 children free per family).
The tour departs at 11:00am. Please arrive by 10:45am for the 11am tour. Pre-paid advance reservations are highly recommended. For more information, visit the museum?s new website address for the bus tours at http://www. DelrayBeachBusTours.org or e-mail: tour@DelrayBeachBusTours.org or call (561) 243-2662 or 561-734-5467.
The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach are held on the 4th Saturday of each month, year-round. The tours are now a 2-hours excursion and include visits to historic districts, historic buildings and include information about the Seminole Native American, African American, Bahamian, German and other White European settlers to Delray Beach, FL.
Private group tours are also offered and available. Call the Museum for information about special rates for private group tours.
Payment options via mail:
Check payments payable to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History should be mailed to P.O. Box 6127; Delray Beach, FL 33482
Payment options done on-site and in-person:(must be done prior to date of tour): At the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History located INSIDE the Boynton Beach Mall at 801 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 483, Boynton Beach, FL (Near the Sears wing). Do not mail payments to the Boynton Beach address. Only on-site, in-person cash or check payments can be made at the Museum location in Boynton Beach. On-site/in-person payments are accepted during Museum hours which are Tue-Sat.; 10am-5pm; Sun; 1-5pm.
Payment options via credit card done on the internet/on-line: All major credit cards (American Express, Visa, Master Card, Discover) are accepted with on-line payments/ticket purchases. On-line payments must be made PRIOR to the date of your selected tour date. On-line payments are not accepted on the same day as your tour date. Please call in advance to verify that seats are available for your selected tour date.
Tours for Schools/Children Groups:
The
Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History offers Historic Preservation
tours with mathematics and geometric shapes infused for children and
school groups. The tours are available for all age groups. Please
contact the Museum for more about subsidized rates for these group
tours.
Sponsorship opportunities
are available and are much needed to help support the cost of the bus
rental and the activity workbooks that are provided for the children.
In the Frog Alley district is the newly designed sidewalk/streetscape by Miami artist Gary Moore.
Accolades for Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach
In
year 2006, AAA Travel Mid-America Home & Away Magazine designated
the MLFH Delray Beach bus tours as the “Most Unique Travel Gem”. Some
of the other prestigious national accolades that the Museum’s bus tour
program has received include being selected as the “Best” by the Guest
Informant Magazine-Gold Coast edition; the Palm Beach Post,
Sun-Sentinel, the Boca News and the Delray Forum, to name a few. The
Museum’s bus tours also received an “A+” rating by the San Antonio
Press newspaper of San Antonio, Texas in a December 24, 2007 travel
column blog. The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach was voted
for a second time, as the 2008 Best Tour of The Town by Gulfstream
Media Group who are publishers of Boca Life Magazine, The Palm Beacher
Magazine and Gold Coast Magazine. The first recognition from the
Gulfstream Media Group for the Museum’s bus tours as being the “Best”
was in year 2006.
Access Accommodations for Wheelchair Access& hearing Impaired
If
you require wheelchair access for the bus/or sign-language interpreter
for the hearing impaired, a minimum 2 months notice is required so that
a wheelchair access bus can be reserved and/or a sign-language
interpreter scheduled. No additional fees are charged for this
service.
1896 Historic Delray Beach
Train Depot
Built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler
in Delray Beach
Year 2011 Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach, Florida
Fourth Saturday Dates (please arrive no later than 10:45am) Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 11am Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 11am Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 11am Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 11am (Extra bus tour date added in April. This is a third Saturday) Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 11am Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 11am Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 11am Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 11am Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 11am Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 11am Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 11am Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 11am (No Fourth Saturday tour in December due to Christmas)
1920 Villa Abrigo
on Historic Banker’s Row in Delray Beach
IMPORTANT! Please Note: The NEW Parking and boarding location for the bus tour of Delray Beach will be at the Museum's location at the Boynton Beach Mall at 801 N. Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, FL (near Sears). Phone: 561-243-2662 or call 561-734-5467.
The Museum is located INSIDE the Boynton Beach Mall (near Sears).
ALL bus tour passengers MUST first report inside the Museum to get signed-in and registered BEFORE boarding the bus!
Pre-paid reservations are highly recommended!
NEW RATES effective January 2010
Due to the present economy which has effected some sponsorships for the tour, effective January 2010, the new rates for the monthly bus tours are$15 per personfor adults/senior citizens and free for children free for children under age 18 (maximum five children free per family). Private group tours are also available.
Your ticket purchase for the bus tour includes admissions to view the exhibits at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History, on the day of the tour, for no additional fees.
Fees for Tour
The
Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach are held on the 4th
Saturday of each month, year-round. The tours are now a 2-hours
excursion and include visits to historic districts, historic buildings
and include information about the Seminole Native American, African
American, Bahamian, German and other White European settlers to Delray
Beach, FL. The fee for the history bus tour is $15.00 per person
for adults and free for children and teens under age 18 when
accompanying their family (maximum 5 children free per family). The
tour departs at 11:00am. Please arrive by 10:45am for the 11am tour.
Pre-paid advance reservations are highly recommended. For more
information, visit the museum's new website address for the bus tours
at http://www.DelrayBeachBusTours.org or e-mail: Tour@DelrayBeachBusTours.org or call (561) 243-2662 or 561-734-5467. Fax: 561-243-9916.
Payment can be made via check payable to the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History.
Your ticket purchase for the bus tour includes admissions to view the exhibits at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History, on the day of the tour, for no additional fees. Mail check payments to: Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History P.O. Box 6127 Delray Beach, FL 33482
On-Site payments: Advance payments, prior to day of tour, can also be made in-person, on-site at the Museum (call ahead for hours): Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History Boynton Beach Mall (near Sears) Boynton Beach, FL (Do Not Mail payments to mall address. Only in-person cash or check payments can be made at Museum BEFORE the bus tour date)
Group Bus tours Available: Group
bus tours of historic Delray Beach are available on the 4th Saturday of
each month at 11am and at a special time at 1:45pm. These tours are
2-hours in length
Call
the museum for special rates. Prepaid advance reservations are required
for group tours. Phone: 561-243-2662 or call 561-734-5467.
Private Group Tours available during the weekday: The Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion now offers combo group tours on any available Monday.
These
tours are 2 1/2 hours and include visiting and touring the Museum's
exhibits at the Boynton Beach Mall that is then followed by a bus ride
to Delray Beach for the Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray.
Call the Museum for information about special rates.
Call: 561-243-2662 or call 561-734-5467
More about the bus tours.
In
addition to local history and the origins of Palm Beach County, the
history of the State of Florida is also included in the narration
during the tour with information about the arrival of Spaniards in the
1500s as well as the migration of runaway African slaves and Creek
Native American slaves who came to Florida together from the late 1600s
to 1800s. The narrated local history is told as the bus travels through
historic areas such as Swinton Avenue which was named for one of Delray
Beach's early white settlers named David Swinton, from Saginaw,
Michigan who owned a book store in Saginaw. He came to this area in
1894 on a trip with his friend named William S. Linton, a Michigan
Congressman. In 1894, Mr. Linton purchased 160 acres of land and made
a down payment on 640 more acres in this area and he named the town
after himself and called it the Town of Linton which later was named
Delray Beach. Soon after his purchase, Mr. Linton began recruiting
others from Michigan who began the task of settling and laying out the
town. The tour information explains more about other tidbits of facts
about the people, places & lifestyles of Delray Beach in the early
years. The tour also highlights the Historic West Settlers District
which is the African American historic district in Delray Beach that
recognizes the early African American settlers of Delray Beach who were
already in Delray Beach before the white settlers arrived. African
Americans lived in the area West of what is now called Swinton Avenue.
Other historical facts that are featured as a part of the tour are
about the Japanese settlers who were recruited to Delray Beach in the
early 1900s by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler.
Accolades for Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach
The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History’s Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach were selected for the 2nd consecutive year as one of the Best Bets in Palm Beach County in the 2006 Guest Informant Magazine for the Gold Coast Edition of Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches. The Guest Informant is a hard-cover magazine distributed to hotel rooms in major hotels. When the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History tours began in 2004, they were the only tours of historic Delray Beach conducted on an on-going, year-round basis and they are still the only tour series conducted 12 months a-year. In 2006, the Museum’s tours were also selected as Best Tour of The Town in the June 2006 issue of The Palm Beacher & Gold Coast Magazines; in 2005 and 2006, these bus tours were selected as Best Bets in all of Palm Beach County in the Gold Coast Edition of the Guest Informant. The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach were also selected in 2006 as one of the “Unique Travel Gems” by AAA Home & Away Magazine Mid-America publication for the States from Ohio to Alaska and the tours were profiled in the January/February 2006 issue of Home & Away AAA Magazine of Mid-America. A certificate for this honor was sent to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History for its bus tour program. These monthly bus tours are hugely popular.
Financial Sponsors for Narrated Bus Tour of Historic Delray Beach Patricia Ann Ravo Fund Boris & Edith Rueger Fund
Sponsorship opportunities are available
There are 10 historic sites for tour stops which are visited on a rotating basis where the bus makes stops so that passengers are allowed to get off the bus and go inside to view the inside of that particular historic building and learn more about its history and its important role in the history of the settlement of the community of Delray.
Some of the historic sites that are visited on a rotating schedule include the following:
(Year denotes the year their 1st building was erected) 1926 Colony Hotel 1936 Sandoway House
1950s PriscillaHotel
1896 Greater Mt.OliveBaptistChurch 1897 St. PaulAMEChurch
1903 CasonMethodistChurch 1904 (July) TrinityLutheranChurch 1904 (August) St. Paul's Episcopal Church
1911 St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (current building used was built in 1929) 1924 First Presbyterian Church
