TYLER — If you live in East Texas, you already know how special the Tyler Rose Garden is, and now, it's named one of six Greatest Places in Texas, by the Great Places in America program.
When the Rose Garden plans were drawn in 1945, they wanted it to be the pride of East Texas, according to Heather Nick, with Tyler Planning and Development.
With this award, it's going beyond that, and is becoming a place of pride for the whole state.
"We know what a jewel we have for our community, and being designated from the American Planning Association just further solidifying what we knew, is just, we have such a great place in Tyler," Nick said.
Susan Travis with Visit Tyler said this highlights all the garden has to offer.
"It's the largest municipal rose garden in the country, so that in itself is very special," Travis said. "It's 14 acres, 38,000 rose bushes, over 500 varieties, so it's not very many places you can go and see that."
She said this will bring tourism to the city.
"People will be like, best places, in Texas, oh yeah I'm going there I'm going there I'm going there," Travis said. "So, I feel like it'll definitely bring more visitors to Tyler. Especially now that our roses are blooming."
The garden already brings 5,000 visitor each year, and now the city's hoping this recognition will bring even more.
"Because believe it or not, I do talk to people quite frequently that have never heard of Tyler, don't know we're the Rose Capitol," Travis said.
With weather warning up and the flowers blooming, it's the perfect time for people to come see just one of the things that makes East Texas a great place.
There will be an official ceremony celebrating the award on May 10 at the Rose Garden.
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