Helene S.
Yelp
Great place to experience Florida like it was in the 1930s.
Flamingo Gardens started as a weekend home that expanded to a botanical garden and orange grove owned by the Wray Family. At one point, they owned the largest orange grove in South Florida. Interesting to learn about the original fruit stand.
Today, it is nice to able to visit the botanical collections of rare and unusual tropical plants and fruit trees collected from around the world. Tour the original Wray Home to imagine living in a farm home almost a hundred years ago without air conditioning in the hot summers. So cute staged for the holidays. Ask the docent for a guided tour to learn more.
Loved the Everglades aviary. So many different types of birds, including white pelicans, wood storks, brown pelicans, great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, anhingas, and double-crested cormorants, to see. The bird of prey exhibit includes bald eagles, golden eagles, and owls. Enjoy the peacocks roaming the property. If you are lucky, you may even see a white (albino) peacock. Watch the zookeepers show to learn who has been naughty or nice.
Take the tram to visit the acres and acres filled with moss covered 200-year-old Southern live oaks, palms, mango trees and aloe plants. Fun to see Egyptian geese and turtles enjoying the pond. Stop to see American black bears, otters, alligators, bobcats and Florida panthers. Interesting to meet the person who rescued the Florida Panther and how the panther remembered and kept searching for the man who saved him.
And, of course, there are many, many pink flamingos.
Nice place to spend a morning or afternoon. American Horticultural Society reciprocity pass is accepted. Plenty of parking available. Bring an umbrella or raincoat and some bug spray. Enter through the gift shop. Nice to see a menorah nestled amongst all the Christmas lights.