Sunken Gardens is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Florida, dating back almost 120 years. It began as a small lake, about 15 feet deep, that had been formed when rainwater collected in an old sinkhole that was about ten feet below sea level.
For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and am traveling around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I have visited. :)
In 1903, St Pete plumber George Turner bought the four-acre property, at what was then the edge of town, and drained the lake, leaving behind a thick layer of pond muck that was perfect for growing plants. An avid gardener, Turner began collecting exotic plants and arranging them within the sinkhole.
By 1920, Turner had turned his hobby into a business, and opened a plant nursery where he sold fruits, vegetables, flowers and potted plants. Visitors began asking to walk around in his garden, and in 1935 Turner fenced the sinkhole in and began charging twenty-five cents admission to Sunken Gardens. It thrived, and became one of Florida’s top tourist attractions, along with nearby Cypress Gardens and Weeki Watchi Springs.
As the city of St Pete grew, it expanded outwards. In 1926, the Sanitary Public Market was constructed next door to the Gardens. The Market lasted until 1931, when the building was purchased by the American Legion and was used as an Armory Hall. In 1940 this was converted into a Coca Cola Bottling Plant. When George Turner died in 1961, Sunken Gardens passed to his sons Ralph and George Jr. Looking to expand, the Turner family bought the bottling plant and converted it into a gift shop for the Gardens and a “King of Kings” wax museum featuring Biblical scenes.
In the 1970’s, however, when Walt Disney World began to dominate the Florida tourist trade, the old roadside attractions in St Pete suffered. Admissions declined and Sunken Gardens was losing money. By 1995, the Turner family closed the attraction down and was looking for a buyer, and the City of St Pete purchased Sunken Gardens in 1999 for $2.26 million to preserve it as a historical landmark, using a voter-approved special tax. A new entrance and gift shop was built. The old Coca Cola plant was restored back to its original Spanish Revival appearance, and in 2003 the Great Explorations Children’s Museum moved in from its former location on the St Pete Pier.
The Gardens is now run by the city using local employees and volunteers. It offers a series of instructional programs in gardening, including native species, rain barrels, water gardens and orchids. There is also a program called “Cameras and Kids”, which teaches nature photography to children.
George Turner had, as part of his exhibit, purchased a flock of 17 Chilean Flamingos in 1956. By 2015, only two of them remained, named George and Lucy. So a nonprofit group called Flamingos Forever was organized to raise money for new flamingos to join George and Lucy. A year later the Gardens obtained twenty Chilean Flamingos from the San Antonio Zoo.
Other animals on exhibit include “Mac”, a fullgrown Alligator Snapping Turtle who has been there for 75 years, and is now the size of a coffee table. Despite his huge size, many people miss him entirely, since he is well-camouflaged, covered in algae, and never moves. Most people think he’s just a sunken log or a big rock. There was also an African Spur-Thigh Tortoise who had been donated to the Gardens—his name was “Emily” (yes, Emily was a “he”, but his former owners thought he was a “she”). Back when I lived in St Pete, I would often bring some grapes along with me whenever I visited to give them to Emily. When I didn’t see Emily in his regular pen, I feared the worst and asked a nearby docent what had happened to him. To my relief, I was told that he had been relocated to another rescue center where he would have a larger enclosure and other Spur-Thigh Tortoises for company.
But of course the primary attractions are the exotic plants. Today the Gardens contains about 50,000 trees, shrubs and flowers, ranging from palms to water lilies—some 500 species in all. Some of the existing trees, including Live Oaks and Royal Cuban Palms, were originally planted by George Turner and are over 100 years old. There is a Japanese garden, a cactus garden, and a butterfly garden, as well as koi ponds. A special area is used for weddings.
Visitors can spend a nice relaxing day at the Gardens. A network of walkways takes you from street level down to the bottom of the sinkhole, where the shade keeps everyone cool even on the hottest Florida days.
So join me on a nice relaxing walk at the Gardens. :)