Church of Scientology’s Historic Fort Harrison Bi-Monthly Tour Gives an Insider’s View of a Clearwater Icon

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 26, 2018 -- On Saturday, April 21^st members of a local “meet up” group joined area residents for a tour of the Historic Fort Harrison, the international religious retreat for the Church of Scientology Flag for a guided tour. In addition to seeing a piece of Clearwater’s past, guests learned about the role the Fort Harrison now plays in the local community.

Guests touring the Historic Fort Harrison. These stairs, with the pool in the background, lead from the state-of-the art Fort Harrison Auditorium to the plush gardens.

The tour began in the grand lobby of the Fort Harrison, where the 1926 original wrought iron balustrades plays a counterpoint to the modern bustle of the facility.  Originally built during the real estate boom of the 1920’s, the hotel underwent a full restoration in 1920, bringing the property back to a better-than-original condition.

The tour included the Fort Harrison’s Hibiscus Restaurant. There guests met gold-medal winning Chefs and were given a look behind the scenes of the Hibiscus’ state-of-the-art kitchen.

Guests also enjoyed visiting the Fort Harrison’s auditorium which serves as the site for international Scientology events, summits and seminars; while also hosting events for diverse non-profit organizations in the Clearwater community.

"The Fort Harrison was constructed in 1926 by Ed Haley, a real estate developer in Clearwater,” said Amber Skjelset, Manager of the Scientology Information Center and tour organizer. “The property mirrors the history of Clearwater – even to the fact that the Phillies used to stay here during Spring Training, and the Rolling Stones stayed here during their first U.S. tour.”

A highlight of the tour is the tenth floor Crystal Ballroom. Included in the original 1926 plans after the urging of the original architect, the Ballroom provides guests with an expansive view of the bay. Originally the rooftop restaurant for the Fort Harrison during the 20’s and 30’s, the Ballroom is now home to a host of charitable events, including monthly Swing Dances for Charity and the Tampa Bay Charity Coalition’s bi-monthly luncheons.

To be included in the next Fort Harrison tour, or for more information about community events held at the Fort Harrison, please contact Amber Skjelset, Manager of the Scientology Information Center at (727) 467-6966 or email [email protected].

THE FORT HARRISON:

The Fort Harrison serves at the international religious retreat for the Church of Scientology. With more than 11,000 Scientology Churches, Missions and groups spanning six continents, Scientologists come to Clearwater for religious training and ministerial services. The Fort Harrison is made available to community groups and charities for their special events and fundraisers. Scientology is an applied religious philosophy based on the work of L. Ron Hubbard.

For more information please visit www.scientology.org.

For More Information
Contact: Amber Skjelset
727-467-6966

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/bdae3802-18ae-4375-8c17-d8fe61752b88