The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

In observance of Memorial Day, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will open its gates Monday, May 25, and host a special ceremony in honor of those who sacrificed their lives for our nation.

Michael Hoke, Managing Director of Shangri La, invites everyone to enjoy the beautiful gardens and take a boat ride through the nature center to the beaver pond. Although Shangri La is generally closed on Mondays, the gardens will be open on Memorial Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and boat rides will begin every hour on the hour. Admission to the gardens ends at 4 p.m., one hour prior to closing.

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, Shangri La will host a special Memorial Day ceremony. The Rev. Michael Umbenhaur from First Presbyterian Church in Orange will present a Memorial Day message, which will be followed by two patriotic songs from the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School Pop Group, directed by Meredith Johnson. Following a ceremonial ringing of Shangri La’s Great Bell, the public will be asked to observe one minute of silence to honor those who died while serving our country. The ceremony will end with the playing of “Taps” by Rebecca Kent.

To park at Shangri La, visitors should follow the signs to the parking lot across West Park Avenue from the main Shangri La entrance. After parking, visitors should follow the boardwalk to the crosswalk at the intersection of West Park and 20th Street for passage to the new pedestrian entryway into Shangri La. A restricted access parking lot for vehicles with proper handicap designation can be found just inside the vehicular entrance gate of Shangri La. For more information, including admission and tour details, please visit http://www.shangrilagardens.org or call 670-9113.