Sunken Gardens (Florida)

Last updated
Sanitary Public Market
USA Florida location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location St. Petersburg, Florida
Coordinates 27°47′24″N82°38′18″W / 27.79000°N 82.63833°W / 27.79000; -82.63833
Architectural style Mission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No. 02000680 [1]
Added to NRHPJune 27, 2002
St. Petersburg FL Sunken Gardens Sign St. Petersburg FL Sunken Gardens sign01.jpg
St. Petersburg FL Sunken Gardens Sign
Butterfly Garden at Sunken Gardens Sunken Gardens Butterfly Garden.jpg
Butterfly Garden at Sunken Gardens

The Sunken Gardens are 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of well-established botanical gardens, located in the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Florida, at 1825 4th Street North. The Gardens have existed for more than a century, and are one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the United States. The Gardens are now operated by the City of St. Petersburg, and maintained with the help of volunteers. Sunken Gardens are open to the public every day of the week. An admission fee is charged for entrance into the gardens and a yearly membership is also available.

Contents

Sunken Gardens retains their historical interest as an important example of a 1930s Florida roadside commercial attraction, and is probably the oldest commercial tourist attraction on Florida's west coast. The Gardens are open to the public for educational programs, tours, and special events, particularly weddings which have taken place for decades on the Wedding Lawn, [2] and in the banquet facilities in the Garden Room overlooking the unique garden setting.

Sunken Gardens Butterfly Garden Sunken Gardens Butterfly Garden (1).jpg
Sunken Gardens Butterfly Garden

History

The Gardens began in 1903, when plumber and avid gardener George Turner Sr. (1881-1961) purchased six acres of land, [3] including a shallow lake 10 feet (3.0 m) below sea level, which he drained to form his private "sunken" garden. Turner started planting papayas and citrus fruits along with other exotic plants on the rich soil surrounding his home. By the 1920s, Turner had opened a nursery and began selling fruits, vegetables, and other plants, and visitors were paying a nickel each to stroll through the gardens. In the fall of 1935, he fenced his garden and started charging an admission fee of 24 cents. The Gardens eventually became widely popular, and from the 1950s through the 1970s were ranked among Florida's top ten commercial attractions. After Turner's death in 1961, his sons Ralph and George Jr. continued to run the gardens, which were eventually passed on to Ralph's three sons. They eventually sold it to the city in 1999 for more than $2.26 million.

Historic building status

The Gardens include a large building originally known as the Sanitary Public Market, first constructed in 1926–27, and designed by architect Albert Lee Hawes. It was a Mediterranean Revival style arcade with twin Moorish towers, cast stone trim, and a tile roof. In 1940, it was converted for use as the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and restyled in Art Moderne. The Turner family purchased the building in 1967 to create the World's Largest Gift Shop and the King of Kings Wax Museum, adding faux lava portions at that time. In 1999, it was purchased by the City of St. Petersburg, along with the adjoining gardens, using a voter-approved tax. [4] The Gardens were designated as a local historic landmark and treated to several years' efforts of restoration. On June 27, 2002, the former Sanitary Public Market building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and is now the home of Great Explorations Children's Museum.

Flora and fauna

The Gardens currently contain over 500 species of tropical and subtropical plants amidst pools and cascading waterfalls, lushly planted in a collection of more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers. They include a Japanese garden, cactus garden, and butterfly garden, and Chilean flamingos. Plants include bougainvilleas, royal palms, water lilies, shrimp plants, and fruit trees. The garden atmosphere is peaceful and many of the plants are quite large (compared to typical specimens) due to their long history of protection and cultivation.

Chilean flamingos

In 2016, Sunken Gardens acquired a new young flock of 20 flamingos from the San Antonio Zoo. [5] [6] They joined elderly flamingo residents, George and Lucy, the two remaining Chilean flamingos from the original 17 bird flock that have been on exhibit since 1956. The new flamingos were purchased with funds raised by a nonprofit group, Flamingos Forever, composed of volunteers. [7] [8] Additionally, the city purchased a $30,000 nighttime enclosure for the new flock. Flamingos Forever changed their name to Sunken Gardens Forever, after the acquisition of the new flock, and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman named May "Sunken Gardens Forever Appreciation Month" in honor of their fundraising efforts. [9]

Parrots

Sunken Gardens also houses 11 parrots. Five macaws, four Amazons, and two cockatoos live in the garden. Additionally, a kookaburra also resides on the premises. All twelve of the birds are rescues and were acquired after their previous owners died or could no longer provide care for them. Bobbie Sue is a yellow-headed amazon who is over 30 years old. There is Mindy, who is a white umbrella cockatoo that's around 30. Coconut, a 20-year-old macaw, was one of the more recent birds acquired by the gardens. There is also Mitch, an 8-year-old Major Mitchell's cockatoo. In recent years, staff stated that Mitch has become agreeable and will occasionally play “peekaboo” with staff or visitors. [10]

Chilean Flamingos at Sunken Gardens Sunken Gardens Chilean flamingoes.jpg
Chilean Flamingos at Sunken Gardens

Programs for lifelong learning

Sunken Gardens offers horticulture and other education programs for children and adults. Examples include "Cameras and Kids" where children learn nature photography skills with their own camera or smartphone, "Propagation Techniques," "Growing Microgreens," "Rain Gardens and Barrels," and "Think Outside the Pot: Mounting Orchids". Programs are often free with membership and are included with paid admission, though some include a fee in addition to standard admission. [11]

Community offerings

Sunken Gardens offers garden tours, horticultural programs, and special events to residents of the community and visitors. Groups visits are allowed as self-guided visits and docent-led tours. The gardens also allow for event rentals of weddings, private parties, seminars, luncheons, retreats, and receptions. Since 1935, Sunken Gardens has allowed weddings on the property. [12]

Sophie & Zack at Sunken Gardens

Sophie & Zack at Sunken Gardens is a children's book made by Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation, Pop Design Group, and a local illustrator. The book includes images and information about the history, plants, and animals at Sunken Gardens. The book was completed as part of an educational partnership with Pinellas County School System.

After the book was completed, Sophie & Zack at Sunken Gardens developed into a project to allow local students to learn about the gardens and visit them. An estimated 1,600 third graders attending 19 local Title-1 schools were initially expected to benefit from this project. Benefits include a story-time of the book by a Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation volunteer at school, each student receiving a copy of Sophie & Zack at Sunken Gardens to take home for free, and then a field trip for the students to visit the gardens. The Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation fully funds the entire project. [13]

Accessibility

The majority of historic paths within the garden are ADA accessible. These paths span three-fourths of a mile. Wheelchairs and walkers are allowed within the gardens but not provided. Some of the paths have a steep incline, but alternate routes are available to access all areas of the gardens. There is also limited seating available throughout the gardens. Only ADA service trained dogs are allowed within Sunken Gardens. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Petersburg, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the largest city in the state that is not a county seat. Along with Clearwater, these cities are part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, the second-largest in Florida with a population of around 2.8 million. St. Petersburg is on the Pinellas peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and is connected to mainland Florida to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden</span> Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the sixth oldest zoo in the United States, founded in 1873 and officially opening in 1875. It is located in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It originally began with 64.5 acres (26.1 ha) in the middle of the city, but has spread into the neighboring blocks and several reserves in Cincinnati's outer suburbs. It was appointed as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatoo</span> Any bird in the family Cacatuidae

A cockatoo is any of the 21 species of parrots belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea and the Strigopoidea, they make up the order Psittaciformes. The family has a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conure</span> Group of small to medium-sized parrots

Conures are a diverse, loosely defined group of small to medium-sized parrots. They belong to several genera within a long-tailed group of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. The term "conure" is used primarily in bird keeping, though it has appeared in some scientific journals. The American Ornithologists' Union uses the generic term parakeet for all species elsewhere called conure, though Joseph Forshaw, a prominent Australian ornithologist, uses conure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Bay area</span> Region in Florida, United States

The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 17th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 3,175,275 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Coast Line Railroad</span> Defunct American Class I railroad

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Much of the original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZooTampa at Lowry Park</span> Nonprofit zoo in Tampa, Florida

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a 63-acre (25 ha) nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2009, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Parents Magazine, and is recognized by the State of Florida as the center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The zoo is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The zoo also exists as a center for conservation of endangered wildlife both locally and around the globe. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) as well as a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), the Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) and the Florida Attractions Association (FAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Street Station</span> Historic train station in downtown Orlando, Florida

Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot, is a historic train station and commercial development in Orlando, Florida. The historic depot and surrounding buildings house a retail and entertainment center. The complex also contains a stop for SunRail, the commuter rail service of the Greater Orlando area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurong Bird Park</span> Former zoo in Jurong, Singapore

Jurong Bird Park was an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore between 1971 and 2023. The largest such bird park in Asia, it covered an area of 0.2 square kilometres on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. It was one of the parks managed by Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which are also the managers of Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Wonders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarasota Jungle Gardens</span> Zoo in Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a tourist attraction located in Sarasota, Florida, United States since 1939. The gardens contain over 10 acres (4.0 ha) of botanical plantings along with bird and animal shows. It is open to the public for a per-use ticket fee and also offers yearly membership passes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery Island (Bay Lake)</span> Former attraction in Walt Disney World

Discovery Island is an 11.5-acre (4.7 ha) island in Bay Lake, Florida. It is located on the property of Walt Disney World in the city of Bay Lake. Between 1974 and 1999, it was an attraction open to guests, who could observe its many species of animals. Disney originally named it Treasure Island, and later renamed it Discovery Island. It currently sits abandoned, but can be seen by any watercraft in Bay Lake. Discovery Island is now the name of one of the lands in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Busch Gardens Tampa Bay</span> Animal theme park in Tampa, Florida, US

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre (136 ha) animal theme park located in Tampa, Florida, United States, with the entire park landscaped and designed around themes of Africa and Asia. Owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, the park opened on June 1, 1959. The park has an annual attendance consistently exceeding 4 million, often ranking second among SeaWorld parks behind SeaWorld Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Zoo</span> Zoo in Australia

Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo, and it is operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia Incorporated, which is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and which also administers the Monarto Safari Park near Murray Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military macaw</span> Species of bird

The military macaw is a medium- to larger-sized macaw, named after its green and red plumage vaguely resembling a military uniform. It is native from west-central México south through northern Argentina and Bolivia. While most wild populations are currently listed by the IUCN as vulnerable—and listed as endangered by México—, the species is still seen commonly in zoos and parks worldwide. The military macaw may be bred in captivity with relative ease, and is usually available through the pet trade. It is among the longest-lived and most expensive bird species one can own, requiring advanced knowledge, experience and confidence to keep them healthy, stimulated and thriving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis Zoo</span> Zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

The Indianapolis Zoo is a 64-acre (26 ha) non-profit zoo, public aquarium, and botanical garden in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Incorporated in 1944, the Indianapolis Zoological Society established the first zoo at George Washington Park in 1964. The current zoo opened in 1988 at White River State Park near downtown Indianapolis. It is among the largest privately funded zoos in the U.S.

Colasanti's Tropical Gardens is an indoor entertainment and shopping centre, situated in the community of Ruthven, part of Kingsville, Ontario. The tropical gardens are housed in 15 temperature-controlled greenhouses and feature exotic birds, home grown tropical plants, animal area, an 18-hole mini golf course, home decor shopping, and a restaurant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Featherdale Wildlife Park</span> Zoo in Doonside, New South Wales, Australia

Featherdale Wildlife Park is a zoo located in Doonside, Sydney, Australia. The park is located in Sydney's west, approximately 40 km (25 mi) from Sydney's CBD. The park contains various species native to Australia, and is known to be one of the world's largest collections of Australian fauna. The facility provides displays, events and interactive experiences. The site covers 3.29 hectares, ranging from animal enclosures and display areas to visitor facilities, including picnic spaces, shops and basic amenities. It specialises in Australian native wildlife and birds, as well as reptiles and marsupials. The premises is accredited by the Zoo Aquarium Association Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayors of St. Petersburg, Florida</span>

There have been 54 mayors of St. Petersburg, Florida. David Moffett was the city's first mayor. The current mayor is Ken Welch, the city's first African American mayor.

The Port of St. Petersburg is a port located near downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The Port of St. Petersburg is used by the U.S. Coast Guard under Sector St. Petersburg and serves a super yacht facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bird Paradise</span> Zoo situated in Mandai, Singapore

Bird Paradise is an aviary located in Mandai, Singapore. Opened on 8 May 2023, it replaced the Jurong Bird Park and forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Wonders and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park. Bird Paradise covers approximately 17 hectares, with larger and double the walk-in aviaries than the previous Jurong Bird Park.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Sunken Gardens wedding continues family tradition". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  3. ↑ "History". St. Petersburg. City of St. Petersburg. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "History - St. Petersburg". www.stpete.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  5. ↑ St. Petersburg, FL (2016-04-26), "Sunken Gardens Welcomes New Flamingos", YouTube video, archived from the original on 2020-11-10, retrieved 2016-07-17
  6. ↑ FOX. "20 new flamingos join the Sunken Gardens family" . Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  7. ↑ "Group wants to raise $60,000 to restore Sunken Gardens flamingo flock" . Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  8. ↑ "Flamingos Forever | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  9. ↑ "New flock of flamingos arrives at Sunken Gardens" . Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  10. ↑ "Meet the bird man of St. Petersburg's Sunken Gardens". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  11. ↑ "Workshops - St. Petersburg". www.stpete.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  12. 1 2 "Sunken Gardens". www.stpete.org. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  13. ↑ "Sophie & Zack's Wonderful Adventures | Northeast Journal". 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.