Marie Selby Botanical Gardens announced yesterday at the annual Chairman’s Circle Dinner that philanthropist Richard Matson has made a $1-million pledge bequest to support the Master Plan for our Downtown Sarasota campus. Matson and his wife, Cornelia, are...
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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Press Releases
Crystal Bailey Joins Selby Gardens as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
We are delighted to announce that Crystal Bailey, Esq. has joined the staff of Selby Gardens in the newly created position of Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel. Bailey comes to Selby Gardens from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, where she...
Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Selby Gardens Bring Families Together for Lights in Bloom®
About 1,000 children and youth, their families, and local educators enjoyed complimentary access to our Lights in Bloom® holiday light show during two recent Family Togetherness Nights sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Through the Family...

“Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica” Exhibition Returns to Selby Gardens in January
The popular Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica art exhibition will return to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus from January 7 to 22, 2023. Featuring the traditional art of the Indigenous Boruca tribe of the Costa Rican rainforest, the show will...
Selby Gardens’ Lights in Bloom® Wins National Recognition from USA TODAY for Second Year in a Row
Lights in Bloom® is a repeat winner in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice contest for Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights. USA TODAY announced that Selby Gardens’ annual holiday light show earned sixth place this year out of the 20 botanical garden light displays...
New Multiuse Recreational Trail Opens to the Public on Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota Campus
A new Multiuse Recreational Trail, or MURT, has opened along the perimeter of Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus. The 800-linear-foot MURT gives pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, and others safe access to the campus as well as to the Sarasota Bayfront from...
Selby Gardens Receives $60,000 Arts Appreciation Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Gulf Coast Community Foundation has awarded Marie Selby Botanical Gardens a $60,000 Arts Appreciation Grant. The grant is funded in part by the Mildred and Garrett Eelman Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast. The grant will provide vital support for two key...
Wintergreen Weekend at our Historic Spanish Point Campus Celebrates Holiday Traditions
Kick off the holiday season at our second annual “Wintergreen Weekend!” Taking place December 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at our Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey, this seasonal event features time-honored traditions and holiday fun for the whole family....
Lights in Bloom® Competing for National Award from USA TODAY
Lights in Bloom®, the annual holiday light show at our Downtown Sarasota campus, is in the running for a repeat national award from USA TODAY! The display was nominated again this year for “Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights” in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice...
Selby Gardens to Showcase Photography of Rare Orchids in “The Orchid Show 2022: Capturing the Perfect Shot”
“The Year of Photography” will continue at our Downtown Sarasota campus with an exhibition that celebrates the stunning scientific photography of our own rare orchid collection. “The Orchid Show 2022: Capturing the Perfect Shot,” presented by...