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Bok Tower Gardens iconic nearly 100-year-old singing tower undergoes restoration process

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Published  June 20, 2025 7:17pm EDT
Polk County
FOX 13 News
Preservation project underway at Bok Tower Gardens

Preservation project underway at Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Management is in the process of restoring the iconic nearly 100-year-old singing tower and the moat. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports.

The Brief

    • Management is currently in the midst of restoring the nearly 100-year-old Singing Tower, as well as the tower's moat.
    • The moat's resident 28 koi fish were moved to a shelter temporarily where they'll be treated for diseases.
    • They'll return once the pond's refilled and re-oxygenated.The moat will be restored over the next three to four weeks.

LAKE WALES, Fla. - If you need to unwind and de-stress, the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens is a great place to go, although it looks a bit different now as preservation of an iconic feature is underway.

Vicky Richards and her husband Kenneth visited the gardens for the first time on Friday.  

"I heard about this place years ago from my sister," said Richards. "She took her Girl Scout troop here and I've always wanted to come here."

Big picture view:

Management is currently in the midst of restoring the nearly 100-year-old Singing Tower, as well as the tower's moat.

READ: Bok Tower Gardens raises concerns about proposed parkway potentially impacting wildlife corridor

"We've drained the moat," said president, David Price. "The moat has not been drained for about 20 years, so a lot of debris has built up in there and a lot of muck because of algae growth over the years and so we're cleaning all that out." 

The moat's resident 28 koi fish were moved to a shelter temporarily where they'll be treated for diseases. They'll return once the pond's refilled and re-oxygenated.

Price said the original moat's design and construction is fascinating.

"They actually lined the walls of the concrete liner with coquina stone so it's a lot of craftsmanship hidden underwater," he said. 

They'll clean the stone, and they'll also rebuild 25 underwater planters and refill them with soil.

As part of the state's restoration grant, work will also be done on the tower including replacing the copper roof, removing the rust from the carillon frame, clearing drains and waterproofing.

To add to the peaceful and restful experience, the gardens have also opened up the surrounding vistas by doing prescribed burns and removing weak trees.

Richards says she's looking forward to returning once the restoration project is complete.

"We're excited," she said. "We asked at the visitor center. They're anticipating July so we'll definitely be back." 

What's next:

The moat will be restored over the next three to four weeks. 

For the long term, the gardens will vacuum the bottom of the moat twice a year.

The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Carla Bayron. 

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