A World of Orchids

History of A World of Orchids

Opening in 1993, A World of Orchids, located just south of Walt Disney World in Kissimmee, Florida, showcased an extraordinary collection of approximately 4,000 blooming orchids—ranging from rare to more familiar varieties—displayed amidst lush tropical flora such as heliconias, tree ferns, bromeliads, bamboos, and aroids. According to Doug Hevenor, who oversaw the nursery operations and landscaping, there were 53 species of palms, 21 types of bamboo, 35 varieties of temperate ferns, and over 40 different species of bromeliads.

The project, spearheaded by Christiana and Kerry Richards, owners of Limerick, an orchid nursery based in Miami, took five years and an investment of $4.5 million to bring to life. At the heart of the site is a 25,000-square-foot conservatory that houses orchids from around the world, including rare Chinese lady slipper orchids, mountain-loving miltonias, and cool-growing cymbidiums maintained in specially cooled greenhouses. Also featured were jewel-toned dendrobiums and hundreds of moth orchids.

One of the conservatory’s standout features is a dramatic two-story waterfall that circulates 1,000 gallons of water per minute. The water cascaded over boulders into a stream that winds past banks of orchids, a recreated jungle hut, a waterwheel, and a collection of tropical palms. The floorless, hilly structure was anchored with advanced engineering to support steel beams set directly into the sand beneath the conservatory.

Behind the main conservatory were six additional greenhouses, encompassing another 25,000 square feet. These facilities are dedicated to cultivating, grooming, and propagating the orchids. Two greenhouses were kept especially cool and humid to accommodate orchids from mountainous climates. To keep the experience dynamic, the entire display within the conservatory was refreshed monthly, ensuring returning visitors always had something new to discover.

The Owners

Kerry Richards, a native of Trinidad with French and Chinese ancestry, moved to Miami with his family in 1980. Richards trained as an electronics engineer at the University of Hawaii, where he met his wife. He previously worked for IBM before moving to Trinidad to launch an electronics company and a recording studio.

In Miami, his wife, Christiana Richards, developed a deep passion for growing and collecting orchids. During a three-month family trip to China, where her extended family lived, the Richards needed someone to care for their expanding orchid collection. They discovered skilled orchid-grower Huan Bui and eventually purchased his business. Inspired by their travels and experiences, they envisioned a place unlike any they had encountered. The “A World of Orchids” conservatory was modeled after the Miami International Orchid Show.

Hurricane Andrew Orchid Rescue

When construction on the Kissimmee attraction began two years earlier, the Richards family endured frequent weekend trips, moving their vast collection of orchids between Miami and the site. The opening of A World of Orchids was planned for mid-1992, but was delayed due to “the storm of the century.”

Hurricane Andrew swept through South Florida, destroying their nursery in Miami and ripping the roof off the Kissimmee conservatory and greenhouses. Damaged but salvageable, orchids were packed into trucks and brought to Kissimmee, where members of the Central Florida Orchid Society cultural study group were waiting to help. Several members remained as volunteers to help keep the new March 12, 1993, opening date.

Hurricane Charley Aftermath

On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley made landfall at maximum strength in Florida, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew. A World of Orchids suffered severe damage, losing a portion of its conservatory roof a second time. Since the conservatory was unique, the entire roof would have to be replaced. With no insurance and no extra funds to cover those costs, the damage was never repaired.

The greenhouse was left in shambles, but the shop remained open, selling and shipping out orchids. Visitors, though, were left astonished and even sickened at the conditions of the greenhouse. One review from 2009 read, “It is not worth the time and petrol to get here. The shop has different species of orchids for sale, but the attached ‘rainforest’ is little more than a dilapidated and broken greenhouse filled with very sad and unloved plants, most of which look half dead. Don’t bother.”

Another read, “The Fish and Game or the Humane Society needs to go in and confiscate the parrots in this horrible rundown place. The parrots are living in filth and excrement, in dark closets that one cannot breathe in. It is the HOUSE OF HORRORS for these poor parrots!! I pray my review will make somebody go in and shut this place down and get those poor birds out of there! There is no excuse! I was sickened!!!“

A World of Orchids closed on July 15, 2012, with a sign on the door indicating that it would be moving to a new location. There was no address for the new location. Despite being uncared for, many plants remain growing wildly in the humid Florida weather, and a few small fish can be found swimming in the murky waters.

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