“This was the Buck house,” our docent explained, “not to be confused with Bok.” Pinewood Estate was built as a winter home for the Buck family right beside Bok Tower Gardens. It has been a part of Bok Tower Gardens for several decades now and for the past 25 years beautifully decorated at Christmas.
This is no small task. It takes a year of planning and a month to put it all together. The irony is that the Buck family never celebrated Christmas here. They would always come after Christmas and stay for six weeks. The rest of the year the house remained closed.
The themes created are stunning, but it is the attention to detail that will get one into the holiday spirit.
At the visitor center a model of the Singing Tower provides a great introduction to the tower. Visitors should be sure to look at it since it is challenging to see details up close.
This replica of the herons at the top of the tower gives visitors an opportunity to see it in life-size form and up close.
The tower has incredibly detailed work. A pair of binoculars or sizeable zoom camera lens can be very useful to see details.
An additional bonus is hearing the carillon bells chime and play music. Check playing times at the visitors’ center.
The decorations at the Pinewood Estate begin before you even enter the Buck house.
This orange themed bough celebrates the many citrus groves that once dominated this area of Central Florida.
Also decorated with an orange theme, the formal dining room.
There are several Christmas trees throughout the mansion, each decorated differently. One of my favorites is this blue, peacock themed tree. Peacocks once roamed the gardens.
Part of the living room. Notice the dog in the chair, keeping with the cozy feeling.
Mr. Buck was an avid outdoorsman. The boots in his bedroom were placed as a tribute to his love of the outdoors. This was just one example of the fun in details throughout the Christmas displays.
Everywhere you look are all kinds of cute details. A visit to the Pinewood Estate is not a quick run through, but an exploration of inspiring holiday displays.
Comments (1)