Time stands still at Historic Spanish Point’s sunken garden and pergola, constructed by wealthy Sarasota socialite Bertha Palmer in the early 1900s. It was during this same time that Palmer also acquired thousands of acres for cattle ranching, citrus groves and real estate development. Open to the public since 1982, Historic Spanish Point became a companion campus of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in 2020, and, today, the pergola is a peaceful spot where one can reflect, find solitude or even host a special event.