Day Tripping Around Florida.............Sunken Gardens

The sign that has been welcoming visitors to Sunken Gardens for years!

In theory it's supposed to be cooling off in Florida now.  The first official day of fall was a week ago.  As we all know, sometimes theories don't work out.  So far the theory of it cooling off hasn't proven to be much of a reality around these parts.  Yesterday it was in the lower 90's with plenty of humidity to go along with the heat.
To celebrate the arrival of fall Beth and I have put together a list of around 15 or so local attractions/places of interest that will be easy day trips.  Our goal is to do one a week while we are here.  Undeterred by the somewhat oppressive heat we started checking them off yesterday.
First up, was a visit to Sunken Gardens, one of the oldest of Florida's "roadside attractions".  In case you're wondering, a "roadside attraction" is defined by Wikipedia as a feature along the side of the road that is meant to attract tourists.  Sunken Gardens has been doing that since 1935, long before the biggies such as Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World and Busch Gardens existed.

The entrance to Sunken Gardens in the 60's

The history of the gardens and how it came to be actually goes back to 1903.  A gentleman named George Turner, Sr.  purchased four acres of property in what at the time was on the outskirts of downtown St. Petersburg.  Mr. Turner was a plumber by trade, but also an avid gardener.  He figured the best soil for creating a nice garden was at the bottom of a small lake.  He drained the lake and developed his garden in the area which sat 15 feet below street level.  Without the aid of a marketing/public relations firm he came up with the very creative and accurate name of Turner's Sunken Gardens.
As word of the lush gardens spread, locals and tourists began to stop by wanting to walk through the gardens.  In true entrepreneurial spirit, he started charging 25 cents (about $4.50 in todays terms) for visitors to enjoy his creation.
As St. Petersburg grew, so did the popularity of Sunken Gardens.  In the 50's the gardens added wildlife such as monkeys, alligators, flamingos and other birds to the collection of tropical plants and flowers.  In 1967 it expanded even more, opening what was then billed as the world's largest gift shop.
As larger tourist attractions began to make their way into the state, interest in the gardens started to decline.  Thankfully Sunken Gardens didn't suffer the same fate as many of these attractions.  In 1998 it was designated as a historic landmark and in 1999 was purchased by the city of St. Petersburg.
While there are a few animals remaining (flamingos, parrots, koi and the biggest alligator snapping turtle that I've ever seen), Sunken Gardens is once again mainly a lush garden oasis in what has now become a busy section of St. Petersburg.

Koi Pond

Spiral Ginger Plant

In her day NaNa was an expert at growing crotons...….she said these were some of the largest she had ever seen!

Birds of a feather...…...

We purchased a one year family membership using a groupon.  Not only does this give us unlimited admission for the year, we also get admission to over 200 Botanical Gardens around the US.  With the groupon and reciprocal agreement we feel we got as good of a deal as those folks who paid a quarter back in 1935!   We already have plans to visit several gardens around Florida with NaNa, and Beth and I will use it as we travel around the United States.

Reciprocal Gardens Directory

Children's Area.  You can tell you're in Florida.  Check out the lizard on the arm of the largest minion.

As for our visit to Sunken Gardens, it was great!  We spent about an hour and a half (which is all the time you need to devote for a visit) roaming through the gardens enjoying the shaded paths on a sunny, hot Sunday afternoon.
Sunken Gardens is easy to reach, the parking is free, there are a number of restaurants in the area (the gardens shares their parking lot with a Carrabba's that gives a 20% discount if you show your ticket) and is a real blast from the past!

The paths are somewhat narrow but it is wheelchair accessible throughout most of the gardens

There are numerous restaurants along 4th street.  We enjoyed an inexpensive and very good lunch at Fourth Street Shrimp Company.

There are no thrill rides or technological wonders to behold at Sunken Gardens.  It's just a simple garden with benches, picnic tables, and nice shaded walking paths........just the way George Turner Sr. intended.  I'm sure it's a place we will enjoy "day tripping" to again.

Sunken Gardens