A St. Petersburg Oasis: Beautiful, Tropical Sunken Gardens
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St. Petersburg is one of my favorite cities in the Tampa Bay metro. In addition to being home to world class beaches (I love the low-key charm of Pass-A-Grille), I enjoy exploring the many beautiful parks and preserves. Sunken Gardens, a 100+ year old historical attraction, features an amazing collection of exotic plants and animals. This little gem is a tranquil place to visit when you need an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and hectic beach areas. I really love taking a stroll around the beautiful tropical plants and waterfalls. If I need a break from the beach (a must after living in the area for a while), this garden comes in as a relaxing retreat.
In 1903, George Turner drained a lake (15 feet below sea level) to create this beautiful place. It officially opened in 1935 as Turner’s Sunken Gardens. In 1998, it became a historical landmark. On an interesting side note, this popular roadside attraction was once home to the world’s largest gift shop (now the restored entrance). On a historical note, it is considered to be one of the first roadside attractions in Florida.
Read more about the Garden’s history
A Tropical Oasis
Today many of the same beautiful plants remain. I’ll say that the staff does a tremendous job maintaining and landscaping the grounds. It truly is a beautiful place to take a rejuvenating stroll. Most tourists simply head to the beach and forget about all the great preserves, parks, and gardens in this area. Tampa Bay has been an unexpected surprise – there is lots of beauty if you know where to look.
You can walk the entire grounds in less than an hour. I recommend taking your time and enjoying the lush surroundings and peaceful vibe. It’s pretty shady too so a great escape from the harsh sunlight, although the summer season can be too hot and humid unless you get here right at opening.
Enjoy a few pictures of the lush tropical gardens. Everything is so green and fresh here. My favorite time to take a stroll is during the winter months when the awful heat and humidity have decreased a bit.
The entire garden is absolutely beautiful and relaxing. The many small waterfalls create a truly tranquil setting. This really is my favorite part about visiting. I really love waterfalls of any type – sure they are small, but this is Florida not the Appalachians! The lush tropical greenery surrounding the falls really makes for a picture-perfect setting.
The Koi pond is also gorgeous, colorful, and relaxing. I love visiting Japanese gardens throughout the country specifically to enjoy the koi pond. Seeing a koi pond here was a nice surprise that I wasn’t expecting.
The palms from all over the world give the garden a lush tropical feel. Take a look below at this odd grey colored palm. The Bismark Palm is native to Madagascar.
Wildlife Habitat
Flamingos and exotic birds surround you as you stroll around this tropical oasis. If you have been to a zoo lately, you know that flamingos enclosures stink pretty badly. This was not the case here – which is a surprise. We learned from a zookeeper once that the reason they stink so bad is because they pee on themselves to keep cool. I am not sure how they keep this tight space so odor free – it just shows how dedicated the staff is to keeping the place clean and fresh.
The Australian Cockatoo is quite a unique sight. A staff member was nice enough to take the bird out of its’ cage and let us pet it. Oddly enough, the bird was very friendly and eager to be petted which seemed strange to me. The staff told us that cockatoos which are familiar with people like the attention. Because this particular staff member had been around the bird since birth, the bird cuddled up with her as a cat would do – this was really neat to see!
The Growing Stone
The growing stone, a limestone rock, was originally found in the lake. Supposedly, anyone who sits upon it will be granted “tranquility, inner harmony, and the talent to make things grow.” It couldn’t hurt, eh? I sure took my chance (unfortunately, my pic came out a bit too dark).
I would definitely recommend a visit to the Gardens, whether you are a local looking for something new to do, or a tourist looking for the best relaxing thing to do in the region. While my primary recommendation would be a fall or winter visit, anytime of the year is really fine. A summer visit is great for escaping the crowds at the beaches, while a winter visit offers a refreshing change of pace from holiday shopping.
Location & Pricing Information
This attraction is located at 1825 4th St. N. in St. Petersburg.
Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $6 for ages 2-17. Deals are often available on Groupon or in hotel travel brochures. Pricing current as of 2025 – check with the business for updates and special events.
Hours are Monday-Saturday: 10:00am-4:30pm (Noon on Sundays). Note that the last admission is sold at 4pm.
