ORIGINAL SOURCE: Text from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, July 25, 2024.

MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS SELECTED FOR TIME’S ANNUAL LIST OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST PLACES

TIME reveals the annual list of the World's Greatest Places, which highlights 100 extraordinary destinations around the globe. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was one of only eight places to visit in the United States that made the list; the only Florida location in its category; and the only botanical garden included from around the world.

The TIME announcement states, “Sarasota stands out on Florida’s culture circuit, with the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the contemporary Sarasota Art Museum, and the remarkable Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on Sarasota Bay. 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. A new welcome center beckons arrivals into an open- air structure draped with spectacular air plants that introduce the gardens’ many wonders, including a world-renowned collection of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, and ferns. The expanded facilities include concept restaurant The Green Orchid, which uses no onsite combustion and sources produce from rooftop gardens cared for by a group of military veterans. The botanical gardens’ stormwater management system diverts and cleans millions of gallons of water each year before returning it to Sarasota Bay and future projects include a restoration of the landmark 1920s Payne Mansion, located onsite. For now, there’s more than enough to admire across this 45-acre green lung housing some of the world’s most noteworthy plantlife.”

Jennifer O. Rominiecki, President and CEO of Selby Gardens 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. 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.”

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.

See the full list here: https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2024