The morning will be spent at the American Orchid Society Visitors Center and Botanical Garden, in Delray Beach, visiting their 4000 square foot greenhouse and 3-1/2 acre grounds containing countless species of native and exotic flora along with a wide variety of orchids and several captivating water features.
The American Orchid Society is the largest special-interest horticultural organization in the world. The AOS was established to extend the knowledge, production, use and appreciation of orchids.
The AOS Visitors Center and Botanical Garden, in Delray Beach, is headquarters for the nonprofit organization. The gardens include orchid greenhouses and tropical gardens with hundreds of native Florida plants and trees in full bloom, along with thousands of orchids.
In addition to the gardens and greenhouses, the AOS produces a monthly magazine ‘Orchids’ devoted the education, conservation and culture of orchids.
The American Orchid Society was founded in 1921 and has more than 26,000 members worldwide. The organizations offices were located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and in 1984 moved their offices to West Palm Beach, Florida on property owned and donated by Lewis and Varina Vaughn. In November 2000 construction was completed at their current headquarters in Delray Beach and the gardens officially opened in March 2001.
Next, we travel to the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, one of North America’s foremost professional-training programs for ballet dancers. Students from across the US and other countries are selected for enrollment through a stringent audition process. We will be welcomed by tuxedoed servers for punch and a scrumptious buffet luncheon including croissants, vegetable pasta, Greek salad with feta cheese, chicken waldorf with apples and walnuts, fresh fruit, finger desserts and freshly brewed iced tea. After lunch, the Director, Mr. Gordon Wright, will speak and answer any questions. We will go to a large dance studio with comfortable seats to observe an actual dance class.
Cost: American Orchid Society Admission $6.00
Harid Conservatory (includes lunch) $23.00