Things to Do in Boca Raton

The thermostat at Awaken Yoga pumps out the heat, sending out waves of warmth to melt tension and toxins. In the balmy climate, Awaken Yoga instructors lead classes designed to burn fat, dilate capillaries, boost metabolism, and soothe muscular tension for a greater range of motion. They introduce fundamental flows in warm yoga and a challenging blend of sun salutations and choreography during hot Vinyasa classes, as well as lead a slew of other sessions designed for everyone from beginners to seasoned yogis. Early-morning Rise & Flow classes get students geared up for daily activities such as lifting boxes, sitting at a desk, or filling in for a Picasso sculpture at the local museum.

A Romana’s Pilates certification is more than just a piece of paper. Named after Romana Kryzanowska, the hand-chosen protégé of Joseph Pilates, it reflects a tireless dedication to continued Pilates education and total mastery over the sport's mat exercises and varied equipment. Studying under Romana Kryzanowska herself, Pilates Space Florida owner Kerstin Korzekwa tallied the requisite 700 hours of training to receive her certification in only six months, adding it to a resumé that includes master's degrees in both physical education and dance performance.

Though Korzekwa doesn’t credit her previous career as a dancer and choreographer for her quick mastery of Pilates, it did provide her with an acute understanding of how the sport can benefit dancers, athletes, and everyday exercisers alike. Pilates gently conditions the body with a series of moves that shape and strengthen the core and tone the body without adding bulk. The routine—often aided by equipment such as a Reformer, chair, tower, or repurposed taffy pull—can also help practitioners to lengthen their limbs and straighten fatigued spines, and with continued practice, many note that they sleep better, stand straighter, and have more endurance.

Boca Raton Children's Museum, located inside a quaint home built by hand around 1913, unfurls an array of exhibits designed to feed children's creativity and enhance critical-thinking skills. Visitors venture to Dr. Dig's Back-Porch to learn about artifacts and fossils, stage dramas in a miniature theater with hand puppets, or head to the Faces Multicultural Room to play musical instruments and play dress-up with garments from around the world. They can also wheel pintsize shopping carts through a replica of Boca Raton's first grocery store, where orange juice was invented, or chart a course across the lawn's grasses aboard an outdoor pirate-ship fort. The museum has recently added a gift and snack shop, and also offers classes that teach nonverbal tots to use sign language and summer camps that provide opportunities for play and learning in a group setting.

The instructors at American Dancesport Center are trained in 23 different styles of dance, from the elegant waltz to the lively merengue. Firmly believing that everyone has the potential to be a dancer, they welcome students of all ages and experience levels into their spacious, oak wood–floored studio. The seasoned instructors offer both private and group classes and host weekly practice parties with a live DJ.

Once attendees master segway skills during a 20- to 30-minute orientation session, the expert guides at The Electric Experience whisk them away on a one- or two-hour trek through Delray Beach. Tours whizz down serene paths and quiet neighborhood streets in between stops at public beaches and the Sandoway House, where guests can take turns feeding a shark. As guides expound on Delray Beach's history, tours amble into Veterans Park, swing by manatees luxuriating in their natural habitats, and weave their way among the marina district's striking architecture. Afterward, The Electric Experience can equip visitors with sun-shielding gear for the beach, electric bikes for unguided rides, or folding bicycles that patrons can refold into origami swans to ride on ocean expeditions.

Even in the midst of a recession, Drew Tucker couldn't ignore his passion for music. By founding The Tucker Academy For The Arts in 2007 and partnering with the Arts Garage to address the dearth of music education in South Florida, Drew built up a flourishing cadre of performers and educators at the Delray Beach music emporium. Programs run the gamut from private lessons to drum circles for kids, while a focus on performing inspires fledgling artists to share their talents with an audience not made up of only stuffed flamingoes.