Bok Tower Gardens is among the choices to be designated as the 8th Wonder of the World. Public voting continues through September 30 at VirtualTourist.com, a travel research website and community that is part of TripAdvisor Media Group, boasting 1.2 million registered members from 220 countries around the world. Visitors can cast their vote once every 24-hour period.
Bok Tower Gardens is competing against the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, the Maldives Islands, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, and others. According to Gardens’ Director of Marketing and Public Relations Brian Ososky, it’s a well-deserved honor to be nominated for this designation. “Bok Tower has been a familiar landmark rising over the Central Florida landscape for nearly 85 years and has hosted more than 30 million visitors from all over the world,” Ososky said.
“Long before Disney, Universal Studios or modern day theme parks, Bok Tower was here. It houses one of the finest carillons in the world, features four million pounds of Georgia marble and 60 tons of brass bells, all situated in a unique garden setting designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.,” Ososky said. Dutch immigrant Edward W. Bok built Bok Tower in 1929 as his “Thank you to the American People.” The 205-foot neo-Gothic art deco “Singing Tower” carillon is a National Historic Landmark which sits atop Iron Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida.
“There’s nothing like it anyplace else, it’s a masterpiece, and Edward Bok would be proud to call it the 8th Wonder of the World.” Ososky said. “All we need now is for our friends and neighbors to get behind us and vote every day.”
The Wonder with the most votes will be crowned the winner and featured in a national broadcast TV segment on a popular syndicated program, as well as receive a massive media relations campaign push from VirtualTourist.