Edward Bok was only six years old when his family said goodbye to the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States. His grandmother left young Edward with the thoughts of making his new world a better and more beautiful place.
Almost sixty years later, Bok began to fulfill the dream that his grandmother had planted long ago. The starting place was the beautiful Iron Mountain, with America's most famous landscape Architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. assigned to the task. A 205 foot carillon tower was completed in 1929, becoming the focal point in the Bok Garden.
Pictured here is the entrance to the visitors center and reception hall. In addition to the large tract of landscaped gardens and carillon tower, a museum and exhibit hall offers a wonderful overview of Bok's life and Florida's Lake Wales Ridge. The Pinewood Estate and Pine Ridge Reserve are more areas of interest at Historic Bok Sanctuary.