Shopping, sports, beaches, bars, restaurants and more await in Boca Raton

Boca Raton is NOT Del Boca Vista, that fictional retirement community depicted in the sitcom "Seinfeld." Though it may have delivered some source material for that make-believe brand of South Florida retirement living, Boca has shed its retiree-only image.

Forget early bird dinner specials and evenings of card playing. In Boca Raton you can get your groove on at a great concert at the Mizner Park Amphitheater, check out a robust dining scene at Mizner Park and beyond, go shopping at Town Center at Boca Raton or hit the beach at Spanish River Park, South Inlet Park or Red Reef Park.

Need to get some exercise? Hit the links at one of the city's many golf courses or take a kayak excursion through Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and learn about the Intracoastal Waterway.

Here are 10 great things to do in Boca Raton.

Kayak the waters of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

This center has events that let you kayak and learn about the mangrove and estuary ecosystems of South Florida. You can also dive in and see those ecosystems with a mask and snorkel. Water not your thing? Go birdwatching, see aquarium feedings and more.

Information: 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. myboca.us

Town Center at Boca Raton

Often referred to as just 'Town Center' or 'Boca Town Center,' this mall just west of Interstate 95 on Glades Road is enough to keep you shopping from breakfast to dinner with roughly 200 stores. It is packed with luxury shopping destinations including Bloomingdale's, Breitling, Cartier, Gucci, Lilly Pulitzer, Louis Vuitton and many more. But it also has good food and restaurants including Maggie McFly's, Limani Grille, Pressed Juicery, Venchi and The Blue Dog Cookhouse and Bar. The mall has a kids play area and has a couple interesting art installations, including Boca Birdhouses that sit between Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's.

Information: 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton. simon.com/mall/town-center

Play ball (or hockey, basketball or volleyball) at Sugar Sand Park

Sugar Sand Park features six baseball fields, an outdoor hockey rink and is also home to the South Florida Fencing Club. The 132-acre park also hosts the Children's Science Explorium, the Field House and the Willow Theatre. The Field House has multiple basketball and volleyball courts. The Willow Theatre seats over 150 people and puts on plays, musicals and more.

Information: 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. sugarsandpark.org

Head to Mizner Park for dinner and a concert

Located in downtown Boca Raton, this complex features shopping, dining and the Mizner Park Amphitheater. A few of those dining options include Eddie V's, American Social, and Kapow Asian Noodle Bar. If you're looking to see a good concert, the Amphitheater pulls in top-notch talent like Jack Johnson, Chris Isaak, Beck, John Mellencamp, The Pixies, Selena Gomez and more.

Information: 327 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. miznerpark.com

Boca Raton Museum of Art

Established in 1950, the museum encompasses a creative campus that includes the Museum in Mizner Park and the Art School. It has provided over seven decades of cultural and artistic service to the community and has both permanent collection as well as exhibitions.

Information: 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. bocamuseum.org

The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum

Putting on multiple plays and musicals every year including Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel" and "The Buddy Holly Story" in 2024, The Wick Theatre also hosts dining events like the Supper Club and features the original wardrobes from over 35 Broadway productions and revivals.

Information: 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. thewick.org

Snorkel Red Reef Park's artificial reefs

This nearly 40 acre park is located on both the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway and has a boardwalk, picnic areas, a playground, walking paths, tables and great snorkeling. The park features a snorkeling area that consists of 20 artificial reef modules located just offshore that attract fish and marine life.

Information: 1400 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. myboca.us/Red-Reef

Picnic in South Inlet Park

This park has picnic areas with grills, a picnic pavilion that can be reserved, a playground with structures and, oh yeah, a beautiful beach located just south of the Boca Inlet. There is great fishing to be had off of the jetty and if you surf, that jetty can block the wind on a north windswell and turn typical South Florida windchop waves into something fun.

Information: 1100 S. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. discover.pbcgov.org/South-Inlet

Go to a college football game at FAU Stadium (or see the sports museum)

See the Florida Atlantic University Owls take on AAC rivals in a division 1 college football game during football season their stadium Boca Raton. Off season? Check out the Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum, a collection donated by former Kansas City Royals owner and longtime Boca Raton resident Avron B. Fogelman. The collection includes the uniform worn in 1974 by Hank Aaron when he broke the career home run record, the World Series Trophy the Royals won in 1985, and more.

Information: 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. fausports.com/sports

Daggerwing Nature Center

Nestled in Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, this park features a 3,000 square-foot exhibit hall with live animals and interactive state-of-the-art exhibits. There are also classroom facilities, a laboratory, an art gallery, reading area, a butterfly garden, and an elevated boardwalk. The boardwalk has two trails and bench-style seating. There is also an observation tower which was undergoing maintenance, according to the park website. But check that website, because one it reopens, it's a great place to take in the natural habitat and its residents including osprey, woodpeckers, butterflies, turtles, alligators, and a wide variety of bromeliads.

Information: 11435 Park Access Road, Boca Raton. discover.pbcgov.org/parks

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Great restaurants, music, theater and more await in Boca Raton