The Sunken Gardens is a botanical treasure hidden among the bustling city of St. Petersburg. Its history stretches back 100 years to a simple plumber who dreamed of owning his own garden.
He bought a 4 acre plot and drained the small lake on it. Then he began work on his private “sunken garden”—10 feet below sea level! From these humble beginnings grew one of the biggest “must see” attractions of the 1900s, an attraction that can still be seen today.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pulled into the parking lot. I’ve never really been to a dedicated botanical gardens before, besides those offered by the various theme parks.
I knew that this was an “old-time” Florida attraction, the sort of thing people did in Florida before the days of Disney. And I suppose that’s what intrigued me, this was a living museum of sorts, one in which I could follow in the footsteps of travelers from a hundred years ago.
The paths looped through the plants and greenery; small clearings were hidden in the garden.
I was amazed at the extensive amount of tropical plants and flowers, and how tall the trees and plants grew. Waterfalls cascaded down rock faces. Creeks and rivers flowed under and alongside the paths.
The exotic plants are the main attraction, and the beauty in which they are arranged, but they weren’t the only tropical attraction. There were birds too. Birds that could talk. One of the paths leads to brightly colored birds in cages and I was surprised when one of them said “Hello!” right back at me. Also, there were flamingos on display which could be viewed from various paths.
Overall, my visit was a fantastic experience, and there certainly is a lot to see. I spent about two hours wandering the paths, enjoying the views, talking to birds, and sitting in the gardens; dreaming about this wonderful, secluded place in the middle of a city. This is a great place to visit and I can definitely recommend it to those who are in the area.
Location: 1825 4th St. N., St Petersburg
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10:00am – 4:30 p.m. | Sunday: Noon – 4:30 p.m. | The last admission is sold at 4 p.m. daily.
Admission: Adults $10 | Seniors (62+) $8 | Children (2-11) $4 | Under 2 is free
Website: http://www.stpete.org/attractions/sunken_gardens/index.php
Free Parking. All areas are handicap accessible. Wheelchairs available on first come first serve basis.
Doing it on the cheap…
Sunken Gardens always has a Groupon deal that is much cheaper which I recommend and have personally used which is much better than paying the full admission price at the gate. You may also want to consider a membership to the garden if you are a local, as the reciprocal benefits are pretty decent.
(updated 09/24/2019)
