Today, Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was revealed to be part of TIME’s annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, which highlights 100 extraordinary destinations to visit and stay.
To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places—including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks and more—from its international network of correspondents and contributors, as well as via an application process, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was featured following the opening of its more than $50 million expansion earlier this year, making it the world’s first energy net-positive botanical garden in the world.
“A recent expansion of the latter has all eyes on this thriving oasis of banyan trees and mangroves, now set to become the world’s first net-positive-energy botanical complex thanks to the installation of a 57,000-square-foot solar array. (It exceeds the facility’s energy demands by more than 10%). The visitor experience is equally impressive,” the article stated.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of us at Selby Gardens, we are deeply grateful to everyone who believed in our transformational Master Plan,” said Marie Selby Botanical Gardens President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “The completion of Phase One has allowed our organization to be recognized as a global leader for sustainability, as well as an international innovator for botanical gardens, museums, cultural organizations, scientific institutions, and restaurants worldwide.”
“It’s no secret that Selby Gardens has been treasured by millions of visitors and residents alike over the decades – and this honor from TIME only further underscores its identity as a world-renowned experience,” said Erin Duggan, president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. “In this moment and all year long, we’re proud to celebrate Selby Gardens as a longtime partner, steward, and staple of our community and to join them in encouraging even more people to discover all Sarasota County has to offer.”
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is world-renowned for its orchid collection and integrated art exhibitions featuring famed artists, earning it the moniker, “The Living Museum.” As part of its expansion, the gardens added a new open-air welcome center, state-of-the-art plant research center, a garden-to-plate restaurant, “The Green Orchid,” and the Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF) which houses a 57,000-square-foot solar array producing more energy than the entire garden complex uses.
Read more about Selby Gardens in TIME here: https://time.com/6992344/
See the full list here: time.com/worldsgreatestplaces
Selby Gardens Images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/
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About Sarasota County
Situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Sarasota County welcomes more than 3 million visitors annually. Within its 725 square miles, the county serves up a diverse menu of cultural and recreational activities and attractions, including award-winning dining, world-class fine arts and performing arts, professional and amateur sports, and the area’s circus heritage. Vacationers can enjoy city life in downtown Sarasota, revisit old Florida in Englewood and Venice, enjoy some of the best beaches in the U.S. on Siesta Key and Longboat Key, or play in North Port’s many parks and waterways. Sarasota County is perhaps best known for its 35 miles of pristine coastline in addition to 6 barrier islands, delivering options for beach getaways that are unrivaled almost anywhere else in the U.S., including Siesta Beach, named the No. 1 beach in Florida, the No. 2 beach in the U.S. and No. 9 in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2024 Travelers’ Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com. Connect via Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Established by forward-thinking women of their time, Selby Gardens comprises the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida. The Downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. There is a significant focus on botany, horticulture, education, historical preservation, and the environment. The Historic Spanish Point campus is located less than 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay. One of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants that is interpreted for and open to the public, it celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information visit www.selby.org.
Media Contacts
Joel Kaiman, joel@tjmcommunications.com
Maddy Kraftchick, maddy@tjmcommunications.com
(407) 977-5004
Olivia Turpening, oturpening@visitsarasota.org
941-400-0933