Ready to explore St. Petersburg, Florida, the sunshine city in the Sunshine State? If you’re looking for a peaceful place and unique experiences you won’t find anywhere else, you have to visit the city’s Sunken Gardens! This tranquil oasis and lush paradise is open for all visitors to enjoy almost every day of the year. With its towering palm trees and bright, vibrant flowers in bloom year-round the sunken gardens are sure to make your trip unforgettable.
Whether you’re traveling with family or as part of a romantic date night getaway—or anything in between—this tropical escape is sure to exceed your expectations. Keep reading for the first hand guide to the Sunken Gardens in Tampa and all it has to offer!
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Short History
In 1902 George Turner, Sr purchased a 4 acre plot of land in St. Petersburg, FL just outside Tampa. The plumber used his hard earned skills to drain a large sinkhole on the land. George and his wife then took advantage of the rich soil left behind to plant hundreds of species of unique plants both domestic and international. As the garden grew in popularity George and his family started charging a small fee for people to see the garden.
Eventually the Sunken Gardens near Tampa became a staple roadside attraction in Florida for many years. Later as business declined the family decided to sell the property. In 1999 the City of St. Petersburg purchased the historic botanical garden and visitors from around the globe continue to enjoy its beauty today (SGFF). It is so fun that people can still visit one of Florida’s original roadside attractions.Â
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Plan Your Visit to Sunken Garden’s near Tampa
From garden tours to events and even weddings this botanical paradise is a beautiful place to visit for a day trip or hold your special events. It is perfectly located in Downtown St. Petersburg near other fun things to do and delicious restaurants plus it is not too far from Tampa. It would be such a beautiful event space to have your wedding at this historic gem.
General Information
Phone: 727-551-3102
Email: sunkengardensfoundation@gmail.com
Hours
Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday: 12 pm – 4:30 pm
The last admission to the garden is sold at 4 pm everyday. The garden is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving day, Christmas eve, and Christmas day.
Admission to the Sunken Gardens
Entry to the garden costs $15 per adult, $12 for senior citizens and $6 for kids over two.
I recommend you check Groupon before you go because there is almost always a deal to be found. When we visited we got half off our adult entry by using Groupon.
Membership
There are also yearly memberships available for purchase. A year long family membership is normally $100 but on Groupon it can be as low as $50
Group Visits
If you are visiting with a group over 10 people then you have two options. You can reserve a time and receive a guided tour that lasts 1-2 hours. Admission is full price and you must pay in one lump sum upon arrival.
OR you can arrive at any time with no reservation and guide yourself through the beautiful gardens. The self guided option comes with a $1 discounted admission per person but the admission must be paid in one lump sum upon arrival.
Is Sunken Gardens Dog Friendly?
No, unfortunately your furry friends cannot come along on an outing to Sunken Gardens unless they are service animals.
Parking and Accessibility
There is a decent sized parking lot in front of the gardens that offers free parking. However, because Sunken Gardens shares this parking lot with a bakery, a restaurant and the Great Explorations children’s museum the parking lot does fill up on busy days.
There is street parking available along Crescent Lake Park and 4th Street North if you need to look for overflow parking spaces.
As far as accessibility goes strollers, wheelchairs and walkers should have no problem entering and making it through the gardens when you use the paved pathways. A couple areas do have a steep incline which may be difficult for some so keep that in mind when you visit.
Photography and Filming
There is no fee to casually come and take photos for personal or hobby usage. However there is a fee and a request form that has to be filled out ahead of time for professional photography and filming.
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What to Do at the Sunken Gardens in Tampa
The Sunken Gardens outside Tampa is 4 acres filled with beautiful tropical plants, some of which are 100 years old. There are also a few lovely water features like waterfalls scattered throughout. The meandering paths throughout the garden take you through the different sections of the garden so you can be sure not to miss anything.
Worth noting are the tropical exotic birds on display, some of which were pretty talkative when we went by! Next you’ll see a small enclosed pond filled with a dozen or so flamingos. The flamingos are a gorgeous healthy looking pink color and were fun to sit and watch for a little while.
A little further into the garden there are a couple of small tortoises that you can also stop and see.
In two different sections are two koi ponds filled with some of the biggest koi fish I have ever seen! You can purchase food with your entry if you would like to feed them for a couple extra bucks. I will say though that the fish were only minimally interested in the food. My toddler had a blast throwing the food into the water regardless though!
Don’t miss the butterfly garden section! We walked right through it at first without looking at the map and didn’t even notice the butterflies. Towards the end of our visit we went back to look for the butterflies and they were all over! I am not sure how we missed them the first time. The butterflies were beautiful and it was fun finding a few that stayed still long enough to show my son.
Lastly, on your way out stop by the cute gift shop filled with fun souvenirs and flamingo themed memorabilia.
How Long Will it Take to Get Through the Gardens
I would plan on spending a couple of hours, about 1 ½ – 2 hours, in the gardens in order to see everything.
We spent just under two hours in Sunken Gardens and that was enough time to walk through the entire garden plus some since we went back to the butterfly section. By this point it was getting hot, we were all hungry and it was starting to get busier. I definitely recommend arriving as early as possible from March-October when it is the hottest in Tampa and St. Pete.
Guide to the Sunken Gardens near Tampa
What more could you ask for than visiting Sunken Gardens in St Petersburg; a century-old, hidden gem that is full of charming beauty and uniqueness? Visiting the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg has been a beloved pastime for families, friends, and couples alike for over 100 years now, with no signs of slowing down. I think it is incredible that it is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in Florida.
If you ever find yourself in the Tampa Bay area, make sure to take some time out of your schedule to explore this wonderful attraction. This guide to the Sunken Gardens in Tampa tells you everything you need to know about visiting the gardens. Take a stroll among the lush greenery, get up close with exotic plants and animals like flamingos, or just relax and let yourself be transported back into history. The Sunken Gardens is a great place that’s not to be missed while in Florida, easily becoming one of your favorite memories and experiences when visiting the sunshine state!
