Boca Raton's own hall of fame is about to add its 30th class. The Boca Raton Historical Society inducts three new honorees into the Walk of Recognition on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Addison, 2 E. Camino Real, and each name will be cut into a granite star on the monument beneath the Addison Mizner statue at Royal Palm Place.

This year's names

The 2026 inductees are Doris Marie Hester, John W. Temple, and Marilyn and Jay Weinberg. The induction is the center of an evening from 6 to 9 p.m. with cocktails, food served by the bite and live music. Tickets are $175 per person, and proceeds support the Historical Society's work collecting, preserving and sharing the city's history. The evening is presented by the James and Marta Batmasian Family Foundation.

How the walk began

The Walk of Recognition started in 1997, an idea of Marta Batmasian's that her family's foundation has underwritten since. The first class had nine names, among them Gloria Drummond, who founded Boca Raton Regional Hospital; Countess Henrietta de Hoernle; Eugene Lynn; the theater producer Jan McArt; and Florence Fuller.

Over three decades it has honored institutions as well as people. Boca Raton Regional Hospital was inducted in 2016, Lynn University in 2017, the Boca Raton Museum of Art in 2018, Florida Atlantic University in 2019 and Boca Ballet Theatre in 2020. In 2022 The Addison itself received a historic preservation award. For the city's 100th anniversary in 2025, the society named 22 Centennial Luminaries.

Who is behind it

The Boca Raton Historical Society was founded in 1972 and runs The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum inside Historic Town Hall at 71 N. Federal Highway. This year's sponsors include Amy and Mike Kazma, the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and FAU at the Mizner Legacy level, and the Boca International Jewish Film Festival and CPG Cares at the Tribute level.

Free history the same week

Three days after the induction, the museum opens its doors at no charge. Free Fun Saturday: Fall into History runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Historic Town Hall, with free admission, a scavenger hunt, Talkin' Turkey talks at noon and 2 p.m., flower pressing with the HAB Center and a bracelet bar. The day is presented by JM Family Enterprises, and the society asks visitors to RSVP.

The museum's current exhibit, Life's a Beach, is on view through Feb. 27, 2027. Regular museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

How to go

The 30th Annual Walk of Recognition is Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Addison, 2 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton. Tickets are $175 per person through the Boca Raton Historical Society's event page. For sponsorships and tribute ads, contact executive director Olivia Hollaus at 561-395-6766, ext. 106. The honorees' stars can be seen year-round at the Addison Mizner statue at Royal Palm Place.

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