Sunken Gardens Reviews

Nice way to spend the morning! Loved seeing the exotic plants and the animals were a nice surprise. The rainbow eucalyptus tree was a favorite. Loved seeing the flamingos, koi and parrots.

This is one of the very last Florida road-side attractions from the 1920s-1930s and is a lot of fun to explore. Great flora, flamingos, and fascinating history. Highly recommended!

Went at 10 when they opened. Beautiful gardens with a lot of shade. They have a flamingo display with around 20 flamingos. You can easily see everything in an hour or two.

What a beautiful little oasis in the middle of a city. Set in an ancient sink hole these gardens are home to some stunning plants and wildlife. Loved the flamingos and the landscaping is just beautiful. I could’ve spent hours here had I not been catching a plane!

I highly recommend visiting these gardens. The walks are not strenuous and the different birds and the koi pond provide a nice surprise along the way. I wish I could post some pictures, but my phone won’t bring them down from the cloud!

We've been to many botanical gardens both in the US and other countries. But we were amazed at how extensive and appealing this place turned out to be. It's not the biggest but it's one of the best. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out. It only takes about an hour and you will be delighted. We plan to return. It's that good.

We have visited quite a few of the gardens in Florida since moving here a few years ago, this was definitely one of the better ones that we've been to. There was lots of varieties and lots of shade on a very hot day. It's nice because you wait in air conditioning to get tickets, there's a really nice little building that tells you about the history of Sunken Gardens. We got our tickets on Groupon and we just showed our barcode there at the ticket counter, it was definitely worth the money and I will definitely go again!

Well maintained, lots of interesting plants, flamingoes, gardens. Quiet places to reflect. Very beautiful

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. It serves serene spot in the middle of Saint Petersburg. Covering four acres it was the site of a sinkhole lovingly transformed into an oasis of flowering plants, flamingoes, parrots and koi. The water features traipse across the property and the numerous nooks and crannies open up to spectacular lush green areas. We visited in December and venue welcomed us with its poinsettia Christmas tree. Although we were entering winter, the trail had many beautiful flowers and butterflies. Slowly exploring the site took about an hour and a half; it worked well into our schedule as our hotel was not ready until 4 pm.

Hidden Gem in the heart of Saint Petersburg, If you are looking for something interesting and out of the typical amusement parks and beaches that Florida offers this might be for you it's a former sink hole turned into a botanical garden about a 100 years ago the landscaping and sheer amount of different Flora and fauna this place offers is mind blowing, everywhere you look is something new and interesting to see, it's laid back and relaxing for people of any age, realistically it takes about an hour or two to see most of it lots of photogenic spots and the more you admire the longer it takes, I took my wife and 2 teen boys and we all honestly enjoyed it, it's very clean and well kept and shouldn't be missed.

Very well maintained, beautiful flowers and not too crowed. This garden is right near downtown St Pete, its a quick walk through the gardens. Worth the time.

It was a great place to escape the everyday and relax and see so many of Florida's plants along with a variety of tropical plants.

This is a great place to go if you are dating a 75 year old and want a place to kill time before the early bird special at the Golden Corral. As a 50+ Y.O couple we were bored and felt ripped off. Maybe we will go back in another 25 years and have a better appreciation for the place.

One of my favorite parts about frequently traveling to favorite destinations is uncovering something new and special. The historic Sunken Gardens fall into this category. I was pleasantly surprised by this find and despite its small size, feels quite large. I definitely could have spent more than the hour I'd allowed for a visit. Next time.

Parking is free and admission is inexpensive- two added bonuses that should not be ignored.

You must see this place. If you have 2+ hours in the area, this is the place to go. The plants and the park are downright beautiful. The admission is $13 each, but it is well worth it. There are so many mature and beautiful plants to see.

Took a tour with Steve who was excellent at sharing the history, flora and fauna of the gardens. A real gem in the middle of the city with a nice garden gift shop as well. Thank you for saving this oasis in the city.

Been here a couple of times. A lot of cool birds all throughout. Go on groupon, you can always get a ticket cheaper there.

Lovely paths with easy accessibility. Shaded with birds and fish as well as beautiful exotic flowers and trees. It was a little confusing to know where to go from where you had been due to the winding paths but very nice.

If you are a nature lover, don't miss this. These gardens are over 100 years old. Lots of different plants and cool birds.

Very nice outing - well kept grounds - very interesting - good paths to follow - mostly shaded on a 90+ degree day

This is one of the best attractions in the area. The plants and trees are very interesting and the layout is great. They have macaws and other similar birds on display too. The grounds are beautiful and have been around for a very long time.

Recommend a visit here. An outstanding example of old tropical gardens with mature plants and beautiful paths, flowers, and water features. Very much enjoyed my visit and will return again while staying in the area. A great place for a quiet walk with lots of lovely places to sit and enjoy the beautiful plants.

Not huge - we spent about 2 hours here - but these gardens are beautiful and very well maintained. Incredibly lush, and so pleasant to stroll through. Also, the healthiest, happiest flock of flamingos I have ever seen! Agree with other reviewer that a film or exhibit on the garden's history would be a good addition. You could exhibit some of the old retro souvenirs - it could make a fun display.

Sunken Gardens is a little old Florida gem of peace and quiet in an increasingly developed St. Petersburg. Right on a main thoroughfare and surrounded by restaurants and the usual city commerce, the gardens are an oasis of green and tropical colors. The plantings are well marked providing education as well. Walking is easy and accessible. Several new projects and upgrades are in the works. Definitely worth a visit!

Wow! This is a delightful, lovely garden to experience. The bougainvilleas are amazing. The gardens have it's own micro-climate because even in January, it is beautiful, lush and foliage-heavy with so many different types of palms, monsteras, krotons and gingers. The flamingos and parrots add charm to the place. A must-do in St. Petersburgh.

The old oak tree that seemed to provide shelter to this little plaza and many other plants is very special. If I lived there, I would definately have an all year pass to go anytime. I took many pics of Florida natives to plant in our own pesticide free front and back yard. Thank you for the inspiration!

We got in free because we have reciprocal membership elsewhere, but I think this is worth your time and money. I hear there is a groupon. Anyway, this is a pleasant, historic respite in the middle of St. Petersburg. If you like plants, go for a visit.

In 1903 George Turner, a plumber, bought the land and started constructing beautiful gardens and waterfalls.
Eventually Turner's sons sold the gardens to the state of Florida, who spruced up the place for more tourism.
Spectacular tropical gardens and a few miles of paths to explore. Just lovely.

The Sunken Gardens was a very enjoyable place. There were so many beautiful plants and trees to see. There were also flamingos, parrots, carp and turtles too. The water gardens with the carp were especially attractive.

This is a beautiful botanical garden experience that we really enjoyed. The walk is nicely done along paved paths. There are informative markers all along the way to help visitors know what plants and birds they are seeing. The place is well kept and we enjoyed the experience and the history of the Sunken Garden.

A lovely way to while away a few hours. This garden is so lovely and tranquil. Well designed walkways with areas to sit and enjoy the surroundings. There were a few picnic tables for lunching.

A hidden gem! Beautiful & lush greenery with so many things to learn! Great place for casual photos. The gift shop had a ton of fun little trinkets and the staff was very friendly!

Purchased tickets on Groupon, which made it a great deal!

I have heard of this place for years and we decided to take a weekend trip and visit. It is in the middle of the city but a well preserved piece of Florida gardens. We spent about 2 hours walking around and enjoying the plants and nature. Such a nice day activity and plenty of local places to eat around it. We went to the 4th Street Shrimp store for lunch. They offer discount coupons on Groupon when we went.

I had not been to Sunken Gardens since I was 8 years old and I just turned 69. The trip over 60 years ago was special because it was the only trip my parents took me on with just me, my mother and father. We lived in Daytona Beach which is not that far but in the 1960s in an un-air conditioned Rambler American it was quite the adventure. I returned from that trip with blurry black and white photos taken with a Brownie camera and toy sword. Fast forward 61 years and I was just as excited to see Sunken Gardens on my recent visit as I was as a third grader. Although now owned and operated by the City of St. Petersburg, the garden remains an awesome place where you will see a wide variety of palms and other native and exotic plants and trees some larger and older than anywhere else in Florida. The museum used to be the entrance to the gardens and I am sure I have a blurry black and white print of that building from years gone by. Now it tells the story of how the gardens came to be and is a wonderful dive into a part of Florida history. Most interesting, and a common theme for vintage Florida attractions, is a short video where family members of the gardens' founders explain how construction of a nearby highway diverted tourist traffic and nearly put the attraction of of business. Thankfully the gardens survived and are now well cared for by the City. Sunken Gardens is definitely worth a visit.

/This is a small garden in the middle of St. Petersburg.There are a few caged parrots and some flamingos but I did not see anything spectacular that I have not seen before. I have been to some wonderful gardens filled with sculpture in Pennsylvania,Myrtle Beach SC and in Arizona so this was not at the top of my list. We visited in February and many things were not in bloom. I think I could have skipped this.

We’re in the area on a beautiful early fall day and are so glad we stopped in.
The gardens are simply lovely! You meander through the path to see some very old native Florida plants.
There are plenty of places to sit and just take it all in. It’s shady for the most part thanks to some decades old trees. If you’ve never seen a Rainbow Eucalyptus you won’t believe your eyes.
Look for a Groupon for your tickets and stop into the Southern Bay Bakery near by.
We wandered for less than an hour.

Very nice casual stroll. Very pretty scenery. Botanical samples of a great variety. Truly seems larger than it is.

This was my second time here, and it's one of my favorite places to visit when I have family in town. Beautiful, well maintained gardens and paths. Lots of shade, so it's not too hot and there are plenty of sitting areas. Highly recommend!

We stopped here for a few hours.. such a beautiful place. We were there on a Saturday, so it was pretty busy with people and everyone trying to take photos.
A highlight for us was all the tiny lizards running around!

Enjoyed the huge variety of tropical plants in one location. Very well-done; however, the plant signage could have been better. Staff was very helpful and friendly.

This is a very good garden to walk through with some great history. Make sure you visit the history pavilion to learn about the gardens. Overall a nice visit of about 60 minutes or so.

Beautiful Vistas! Well tended. Spotlessly clean. We enjoyed the wandering trails. Fantastic waterfalls. Flamingos, parrots 🦜, macaws, and koi. Enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

You won't want to miss this! Such a delight! Beautiful gardens to walk through and enjoy the plants and animals. Such an enjoyable afternoon!

This was a hidden gem in plain sight.there are coupons, two for 1 in the travel brochures. Use them and be surprised and delighted.it was beautiful and so well maintained. The gardens,animals and paths are so lush and happy.Do not miss this.

Wonderful garden with example from all over the world. Fifty years of plantings. Great for strolling not so much for children.

My apologies. The admission and gift shop staff were great. Those that reside in Florida... may be ho-hum to see Koi, a few exotic birds housed in cages (unable to fly around), Live Oak or Bamboo trees and a man-made garden. During COVID, plenty of people (and babies) had no face-masks, some parent allowed a son to swing/ hang from the Garden's trees (how disrespectful); a young female was trying to entice butterflies into a capful of Gatorade, and there were no one-way paths during COVID - so people were not 6-9 feet apart while not wearing masks. My opinion, I would have much preferred a stroll through Maclay Gardens or the Tallahassee Museum (beautiful nature paths with animals)... and they're less expensive. The highlight of the journey was watching the Flamingoes, who are known to bicker and pick at each other... but, at least they're pretty. This Garden may be more liked by out-of-towners, those that could see plants from their native lands, or those that take close-up pictures of every bee and plant - along with selfies every couple of feet.

The sunken gardens are a part of the towns local history. Nice use of a small space. Peaceful and tranquil setting.

Sunken Gardens is beautiful, from flamingos, parrots & koi to palm trees, cactus, bamboo & tropical flowers. You will not be disappointed, it only took us an hour to go through it.

Had a wonderful time wandering the gardens. They were gorgeous even in January but imagine they’re spectacular during the spring and summer. The history center was worth a stop to learn more about how that gardens were started. Another reviewer shared that a Groupon is available for the gardens. Easily purchased and shared the code on my phone at the entrance.

Lovely botanical gardens with bonus flamingos. Enjoyed the tropical scenery and benches along the way to soak in the plants. Many photo opportunities. Small gift shop with variety of items and air conditioned lobby.

First time visiting. It was very hot and humid. There was plenty of shade and benches where needed to sit. My favorite was the flamingos. The flowers were beautiful. More birds or wildlife would be nice. But overall a pretty place to visit.

Calm and relaxing. You can sit and enjoy the sounds of nature. Beautiful trial you walk on your own. No one to rush you. Enjoy yourself and relax!!

For some reason I thought the flamingos roamed free within this garden, but they were confined to a small area. Lovely gardens with interesting history and some unusual plants. Worth the trip and if you have a reciprocal garden membership back home it is totally free to visit. Plenty of parking also.

What a hidden gem! Loved it. Lovely places to sit, bring a lunch. Peaceful and relaxing, great variety of plants and flowers.

Nice oasis in downtown St.Petersburg. Not a huge amount in bloom right now, but what was in bloom, was very pretty. Lots of variety of palms and bushes. Very informative information about the exhibits. Some beautiful birds, also.

We bought lunch at a restaurant and picnicked at the gardens then took our time walking around. What a wonderful welcome to Florida!

Beautiful garden, well worth $15 admission, very enjoyable, perfect to wind down, don’t miss to visit when you are in st pete.

This place is so relaxing. It was nice to stop in and wander, enjoying the flowers and mature trees.

So beautiful! Would highly recommend. The kids loved it. So many exotic plants to see. Great priced

Compact. Vintage feel. High density of tropical plants and trees with an unusually large and rare collection of Madagascar palms, plants, and trees interspersed. Mature growth provides a shaded canopy. The small assortment of parrots, flamingos, macaws, tortoises, and koi add to the tropical setting.

A calm oasis, beautiful plants. We left feeling refreshed. Well organized, educational, lots of opportunities to sit and take it in

We were in town to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Among the destinations we wanted to visit were Sunken Gardens since we are intrigued with "Old "Florida" which is rapidly disappearing. It was officially opened as "Turner's Sunken Gardens" in 1903 when George Turner, a plumber and gardener, "drained a shallow lake which had filled an ancient sinkhole and dropped 15 feet below street level to provide a rich soil to grow fruits and vegetables from all over the world."

One of Florida's oldest family-owned roadside attractions is now a restored botanical garden. After three days of being downtown and "museumed-out," we spent our last day in this quiet, shaded oasis not far from the noise of downtown. We had a B1G1F coupon from the Discover Downtown Guide and Map which when combined with a senior discount we paid $12 for both of us. After three museum days, this was the most reasonably priced attraction we visited. In 1924, visitors paid $.25 for a stroll through the lush gardens.

Check-in is efficient; you are given a map of the gardens with the number of stickers attached to the back of the guide indicating how many are in each party. I would suggest using the restrooms at check-in before heading out. No restrooms are available in the 24-stop self-guided tour. Educational programs, workshops, special events, and tours are available. The gardens are also a favorite setting for weddings and receptions.

The map shows shaded ADA accessible paths and picnic tables. Some of the meandering walkways are uneven; good walking shoes are recommended. Lots of benches are available for sitting.

Plants and trees from around the world grace the gardens. Madagascar, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Africa, New Guinea, South America, Australia and other countries are represented. Geriatric exotic birds have a safe haven at Sunken Gardens when their owners can no longer care for them. Among them are macaws and an endangered Umbrella Cockatoo. The Chilean Flamingos were having a grand time finding morsels in the water while squawking at each other; they are identified by their pink joints and unusual, black-tipped bills. We waited for a few minutes for the Laughing Kookaburra from Australia to call but he wasn't having it.

Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. and Sunday Noon-4:30 p.m. Parking is free in the large lot also shared with Carrabba's Italian Grill. We got takeout after our visit. Win-win!

Very well maintained botanical gardens. Relaxing stroll through the tropical flora. On the way you see flamingos strolling in the pond and caged exotic birds. Peaceful and shaded. The history of this 120 year old property is quiet fascinating describing the founding family, their economic ups and downs, the Florida attraction site, and the required upkeep. Worth the visit, reasonable entrance fee and expect too spend just over an hour strolling these gardens.

Don't skip this experience - if you appreciate natural beauty, this place is so unbelievably beautiful! Saw clip on YouTube but absolutely didn't do it justice when you see it in person!!
Thank you so much for a wonderful experience!!

This is a hidden gem! If you’re a baby boomer, you will feel like you’ve gone back in time. Something about the signage and the fonts and the whole vibe of the place will transport you back to the 1960s. This is great for a good weather day. Parking is plentiful. After you’re done, walk over to Crescent Lake and enjoy a walk around the perimeter.

The flowers, Koi ponds, flamingos and the birds. Wonderful paths to wander. Plenty of seating to rest and enjoy all day, bring a picnic!

This is definitely a must see place to experience the wonder and beauty of nature. A great place to relax and even enjoy a picnic. You can go at your own pace and it wasn't overcrowded giving you time and space to take it all in. A great place to go to to destress.

My husband and I visited Sunken Gardens located in the heart of St. Petersburg. It was pretty gardens but not very large and was a quick walk through. I enjoyed seeing the flamingos despite them being down in the sunken part away from you. It is worth a stop but do not expect a massive garden experience.

The gardens are beautiful, but the place is kind of small. Plus, only about a quarter of the plants are labeled. Would have been nice to learn what some of the unlabeled plants were.

A truly amazing experience, will stick with me as a highlight of our family vacation. Super cute gift shop, employees were sweet and friendly. We got lots of coupons for here from the hotel we were staying at, bought two tickets and got two free. Beautiful peaceful area, stunning plants, trees, flowers and animals. Wish I would have brought a book to read in the lovely garden since it’s an all day pass.

Beautiful place to go you can spend about an hour walking through the gardens there is an interactive children’s area There is a gift shop when exiting The employees were all very kind and friendly to everyone

We ventured out to renew our pandemic-time expired yearly passes.

City of St Petersburg mask ordinance tactfully enforced with flamingo-themed decals on walkways throughout property reminding us of social distancing.

Beautiful afternoon visit, safely celebrated.

Beautiful gardens with large variety of plants and trees. My favorite part was the flamingos, but there are also other birds and two large koi ponds. Lots of benches, picnic tables and grassy areas to enjoy this tranquil space.

This was my second visit. My hubby and I are garden lovers, so we regularly visit great places like this vintage gem. Come to see a wonderful collection of palms and tropical plants and animals. The history is interesting and the setting well maintained.

It's a beautiful place. Gardens, wildlife, birds in a natural setting, privately owned and very well kept. Worth visiting.

A hidden gem in this time of choas and uncertainty and oasis of tranquility that transports you to the Florida wilderness
Amazing volume of plants trees and other fauna
Unfortunately, due to the bird flu, all bird areas were closed, but we were informed before using our tickets
This is a project to visit on a monthly basis to document the seasons

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this garden. They have a variety of foliage and most of it is identified for those who enjoy learning about plants. The historical information was interesting. They have so many old and beautiful oak trees and many spots to sit, rest and enjoy the beauty.

this was a beautiful walking couple hours of peace and beauty. - loved seeing all the flowering bushes and trees - the palms and bamboo are so tall ---- it was easy to walk paths and benches to sit and rest as needed all through the area - the price was good at $12 for seniors - i think young children even maybe teens would be bored and uninterested. but it is definetly a nice way to spend sometimes outdoors. i gave it a 4 only because it lacks identifying markers for so many plants. if there were many more markers it would have been a 5 -

Beautiful and peaceful in downtown St. Pete. Could use a little sprucing up but worth the visit. Very peaceful.

Do not expect to much. It’s a small garden and a handful of caged parrots and flamingos. Nothing special for these prices and definitely not under the top 10 things you have to do.

We visited on Valentine’s Day so busier than most days. Very limited parking area so it was a challenge to find a parking spot. The Gardens are well kept and it is an enjoyable experience to wonder thru the garden at your own expense pace. There are parrots, flamingos, fish and several types of flowers and palms. There was also a video session on Monarch butterflies and a gift shop but we didn’t do either of those. Worth a visit!

The Sunken Gardens is a beautiful place that was begun 100 years ago by a family who purchased a sinkhole. There was no botanists or horticulturists in the family, only people with a green thumb.
The place is beautiful and my husband and I totally enjoyed strolling on the shaded pathway through the gardens.
We had a delightful time looking at the colorful flowers, the pink flamingos, and the brightly colored koi swimming in the water gardens. There were also parrots and a kukaberra bird.
We enjoyed it and didn't mind the fee of 15.00 a piece as I am sure it goes towards the upkeep of the gardens.

Was absolutely beautiful. One of the historians gave us a quick scoop of the history. It’s a beautiful, fascinating garden.

This Landmark in St. Petersburg, officially opened in 1935. This used to Bea shallow lake that was formed by a large sinkhole that was drained. The rich soil. Provided for growth of fruits and plants from all over the world.
Many of the original plants are still here. Ever since they opened, it has been a favorite setting for weddings.

A lush and interesting garden, free of distractions and natural-feeling. The birds were out of sight, except flamingos, a small disappointment. Amazing to think this was the work of an avid gardener/plumber from the last century.

I took a lot of photos of the flamingos and egret. This garden is well designed for the photographer.

We really enjoyed our visit to Sunken Gardens. It’s nice that this historic garden is still operational. Most of the trees and plants were labeled for those of us who can’t identify everything.

My wife and I had an open morning to find something to do in the area. I searched through Trip Advisor for ideas and found the Sunken Garden was near our hotel. Read some of the reviews and took the advise to check Groupon and saved 47% on our ticket. We are so glad we went, it was absolutely amazing and beautiful. If your in the area and love nature and God's creations, you will love this place. We got through the garden in about two hours at a leisurely pace. It was like taking a stroll through the gardens of many places around the world with so many varieties of plants and trees with placards with names and origins of the plant or tree. Kids will also enjoy the parrots, turtles and flamingos. See if your kids can find the Minions, they're hiding behind a small wall.

This park has a little bit of all sorts of Florida flowers and trees. It is over 100 years old, started by the people who lived there and beautified the property, they are a great example of an "old Florida" type of scenic attraction before all the them parks came here. I cannot name all of the beautiful flowers in a nice compact sunken garden area, with a paved walkway to tread upon. Quite reasonable pricing, $12 for adults or $10 for seniors. Well worth the time, and quite convenient to get to off of I-275 and I-375. Lots of local and chain restaurants nearby to comine with your visit.

It was truly a unique time spent in what is billed as Florida's first roadside attraction. Beautiful flora and fauna.

This garden has a large variety of plants, trees and flowers to see. It is very well maintained with a variety of paths to walk and lots of available seating along the way. The animal areas are nice as well.

We visited in mid December on a Saturday. There were quite a few people, but the place didn’t feel crowded.

The gardens are pretty but don’t contain any exotic flowering plants. Most of what we saw are house plants that we have in the Northeast.

The map we got was confusing and the signage is limited. We had to stop several people to locate the flamingos. With a AAA discount the cost for two people was $28. We left after 45 minutes. Not that much to see.

We probably would not return on future vacations or recommend this as a place to visit.

You can not go wrong visiting here. No matter when you go it is so beautiful an there are so many things to see. You can see all the different animals and flowers that you dont usually get to see. The employees were nice as well and cant wait to be back

What a lovely visit to a tranquil garden in a week of turmoil. We enjoyed this second visit to the gardens on a beautiful mostly sunny afternoon. The gardens are well maintained with markings for various plantings. The birds and koi fish ponds add to the tranquility. We never felt crowded or rushed as guests stop to take pictures or study the various plantings. This is worth a visit just for the walk.

Unless you have an unlimited budget and a full service wedding planner who can bully their way into making your day special and you personally don’t have to interact with the staff at all. My wedding was in June and I am just now able to leave this review due to the very real ptsd I’ve been experiencing from working with these people. I can’t even watch weddings on tv anymore bc I have flashbacks. This is supposed to be a magical day of loving bliss and it seemed that the wedding staff of sunken gardens did everything in their power to make it as miserable as possible. These people are horrible dream crushers who will milk every penny out of you and serve up nothing in return. You have no agency over your own wedding. You cannot use any of your own lighting, make adjustments to their lighting, decorations must be self standing, forget a fog machine, and they offer zero support during the actual wedding and reception. The women who were supposed to be in charge hid in their office the whole night and my maid of honor had to spend the entire wedding doing their job. The bar cost well over 2k for 40 ppl (champagne and tequila not included, that must be bought separately and individually THROUGH THEM at double the price) and they pour 2 count pours. Everyone was sober as a judge the entire night despite having several drinks. Obviously you don’t want people to be wasted but they ensured that even tipsy was unachievable. Why would you pay all this money for a full bar just to have everyone be able to legally drive home in a zero tolerance state at the end of the night. My guests got car services for no reason. It was awkward. It made dancing and toasts extremely awkward. When one of my bridesmaids ordered a mojito (our signature drink that we had to buy all the materials for alongside an up charge for having a signature drink) the bar staff told her they forgot to get the stuff from the back and told her to go get it herself if she wanted one. They only had one elderly woman working the bar and the lines were to the bathroom. When my maid of honor brought this to their attention, did they step in to help? No of course not. They remained in their office. But when I tried to lower the lights a little, you better believe they were right there to put them back on full blast. They micromanage everything except the things you need them to. They are not there to help you in any way, just there to enforce the rules. The bride and groom dressing room is a complete joke. The grooms dressing room is in a storage room with boxes, cleaning supplies, a conference table, and no mirrors. The bride’s is in a glorified closet. I had 6 bridesmaids and it was so tight we could hardly get any pictures. They all had to be areal. There were so many more horrific details I wish to include but it’s been a while and I’ve been working really hard to forget… I’ll update as they come to me. All in all, they crushed all my dreams, shot down anything that I brought to the table, made my bridesmaids did all the work during the reception, and there’s a charge for anything you can possibly think of. These people are RUDE, and not on your side at all. They just want you to give them your money and get out. I would recommend booking literally anywhere else. 100% not worth it.

They have a large variety of tropical plants (labeled) from lots of distant lands. There are also tropical birds to look at. I wouldn't say it was beautiful, but that could be determined by the season and when the plants are blooming. It took about 45 minutes to see it all.

Sunken Gardens is a beautiful place. Very tranquil and lovely. It is a highlight that should not be missed by nature lovers. For young families, and older people, a stroll through the gardens is delightful. However, unless your teenager loves this kind of experience, it could be very boring. An hour is about all you might want to stay, unless you wish to take in the beauty for more than that.

If you don't like plants, this won't impress you -- but if you do, the whole place will feel like a feast. This is a beautiful garden, like a hidden gem. It's good to take it at a quiet, slow pace so you can read the helpful signs that identify exotic plants and where they're from. I would go there again.

My wife and I (60's) enjoyed walking around these beautiful gardens. Good for all ages. Beautiful foliage, turtles, flamingos, etc. Relaxing walk around

Went here mid week so it wasn’t Uber busy, beautiful shaded walks, interesting plants and trees, with some animal and bird life. An oasis in a busy world

When in St Pete don’t miss these spectacular , beautiful gardens. A Botanical smorgasbord of flora, trees, waterfalls, koi pond and helpful employees to show you paths when you have gone the wrong way. Definitely don’t miss😊

Honestly beutiful senery the plants are beutiful and very large. I loved how they included the animals and the butterfly garden. For anyone who travel to medria, st. pete, or even clear water I defently recomend this place.

clean & well kept. enjoyed the experience.
Could improve on plant listings. a filmed presentation on the history of the garden beginnings.

This is a nice place to take a casual stroll and relax in a tranquil environment. The plants and flowers are beautiful and there are places to sit and relax along the way.

I didn't do a lot of research before I visited; a local friend suggested we check it out, so I added it to our agenda.

I thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would have liked to have spent a little more time there, but my partner tends to walk through things like this a little more quickly than I prefer. I will say the history center is so well done... I could have read everything in there. This is a great little kitschy, vintage way to spend an afternoon.

These are beautiful gardens to make you forget you are in the heart of town. Winding paths take you to parrots, flamingos, tortoises and even a koi pond. Lots of palm trees, orchids, and colorful tropical trees, bushes, and flowers along the way to brighten your day.

We enjoyed our visit so much, very well kept gardens and friendly staff.
So many different plants and trees with many area's to stop and rest if needed.
The Koi pond was so neat and we loved visiting with the birds and watching the beautiful Flamingo's
We used a Groupon so our cost was minimal but we felt it was worth every penny and would go back again.
I am so glad this attraction has been kept going for 100 years.

And the Sunken Gardens were no exception. Pleasant, peaceful and meandering trails, good educational signs along the way (though more are always appreciated for gardening ideas). A few noisy tourists but there is enough room to find quiet spaces away from them:)

Besides seeing caged-up tropical birds, this was a pleasant excursion for an hour. One of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, it offers a leisurely stroll through ancient foliage some nearly a 100-years old. It must be a sight when in full bloom, we were a little early. Since we had read that they have shade-covered tables for guests, we brought our own picnic to enjoy a peaceful, tropical break from the day’s heat.

Pretty sanctuary in the city. There is a huge selection of Palm trees, tropical plants , shrubs and flowers. There are also a few beautiful birds and flamingos as well. The only negative is that many of the specimens were not labelled. I would like to have seen more labels and information about the different species

Well shaded and massive display of beautiful plants. Felt like I was in a tropical paradise. Lots of great photos.

We found a place on vacation that my 88-year-old mother could enjoy, despite knee pain that day. The pathways were paved and without steps, although the hill near the end meant we had to pull the rollator to help her up. The flowers, butterflies, birds and fish (we didn't see turtles) were stimulating for her and the rest of the group. Lots of signage added to what we learned as we observed such a variety of plants. Peaceful. Plenty of benches. Easy to park. Panera right across the street. We spent 2 hours there, with some rest stops along the way.

Today we visited Sunken Gardens fir the first time and we were celebrating my Mom’s birthday. It is still very hot in Florida but the gardens had lots of shaded areas and benches to take breaks. The diversity of plant life is really nice and we enjoyed seeing the different parrots, cockatoos, flamingos and tortoises throughout the gardens. The only restrooms and refreshments are prior to entering the gardens and the staff let us know before we started so we were prepared. There is also a small gift shop before you enter and also is the area you walk through as you exit. The staff was nice, friendly and helpful and set the tone for a positive experience. My personal favorite thing to see in person was the rainbow eucalyptus tree featuring a rainbow of colors in its bark.

We had a few hours to kill with our 6 year old and decided to try Sunken Gardens. Our daughter loved all of the flowers. We named about 50 lizards along the way. We stopped to talk to the birds and loved that Beaker danced along while she sang.
There were numerous photo ops along the way. Although it was pretty hot, the shade helped and we didn't mind the heat. Overall, it was a great way to spend the morning.

Got to visit this site for the very first time and was pleasantly surprised with what we saw. We went first thing in the morning and after a brief rain shower the sky opened up and we were able to view the gardens at a nice comfortable pace. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and the property appears to be well maintained. We had a Groupon for this attraction so that made it even better. The pathways were large and unobstructed. There are animals to see such as exotic birds, tortoises, an alligator snapping turtle named Max, a large flock of flamingos and two decent sized ponds that are full of colorful Koi fish that you can feed with food that is available from the ticket counter for only a few dollars. The map that they give out prior to the entrance of the gardens was okay but there should probably be more numbers added to the tour paths and the map as we found ourselves taking several wrong turns and having to back track and even go against the flow of people to see things we had missed because the trails are not clearly marked in some of the key locations and places where the trails or paths intersect. We would have also like to have seen WAY more markers with the names of the various trees and plants than are currently out in the garden. We found ourselves wondering on several occasions what the names of certain plants, trees, and shrubs were but didn't learn of them for lack of signage and some of the ones that were there were covered by the plants and could not be seen without moving that branches or foliage from in front of the sign. Also some more placement of historic information signs would also be nice as the only one that we actually noticed were out near the lower pond and the snapping turtle. Overall it was a lovely visit and we had a good time. We recommend going early or in the winter months as it got hot and humid rather quickly and we were glad to be finished with the tour before it became too hot to enjoy.

Why did it take so long for me to discover Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Florida? For years, when our family vacationed in St. Petersburg, we were aware of one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the United States. Located at 1825 4th Street North, in the historic Old Northeast neighborhood, it was within walking distance of my grandmother's and my aunt's homes near Crescent Lake Park. But we never visited. Until a few years ago. Now regularly. Open from 10 to 4:30 Monday through Saturday and noon to 4:30 on Sunday, Sunken Gardens is four acres of well-established botanical gardens dating to 1903. At one time, from the 1950s through the 1970s, it was ranked among Florida's top 10 commercial attractions. The Gardens include a large building originally known as the Sanitary Public Market, a Mediterranean Revival style arcade with two Moorish towers, cast iron trim and a tile roof that was constructed in 1926-27. Once known as the World's Largest Gift Shop and the King of Kings Wax Museum, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and now is the home of Great Explorations Children's Museum. 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. In 2016, Sunken Gardens acquired a new young flock of 20 flamingos from the San Antonio Zoo. They joined the two remaining Chilean flamingos from the original flock of 17 that had been on exhibit since 1956. Also, the Gardens house 11 parrots, five macaws, four Amazons and two cockatoos.

We’ve seen the Sunken Garden on things to do lists but never visited. They have done a terrific job of combining a huge variety of plants into a wonderful garden. The natural setting makes the relatively small area seem big and remote. It’s a peaceful and educational place to visit. All the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. This is definitely worth a visit. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to tour.

We were taking a long weekend in the Tampa/St. Pete area to get away from the cold of the Northeast. I though it would be nice to spend some time with greenery and flowers in bloom and this did the trick! It was a beautiful, warm morning and the gardens are lovely. It was a peaceful and relaxing morning and you don't really notice you are in the middle of the city.

They said due to covid they had to remove all the birds. Don't get me wrong, it was still beautiful grounds to check out for about an hour. Take advantage of Groupon or other offers 2/1. It's not worth $15 pp without birds and shows being done. I was really hoping to see a flamingo! Didn't know till I got there ... no wildlife.. only butterflies! : )

Small, older garden, but a nice walk after being on the plane all morning. The flamingos were neat to see.

This was very beautiful. Although, I will say that it is smaller than I thought it would be, I do not regret going. It reminded me of what the earth would look like if it were untouched by people. I would recommend this.

A great way to spend an hour or 2 outdoors near downtown st Pete. The garden is well setup for social distancing. It also offers a lot of shade that kept us relatively cool in early afternoon.

A nice spot for a relaxing stroll and very nice landscape. If you want some quiet time give it a visit.

Just a lovely place to visit if you are a plant lover. I was mesmerized! The staff was terrifically friendly. Cannot say enough great things!

What a surprise to find this beautiful garden on a commercial strip in St Petersburg. Lush gardens with great variety of plants as well as flamingos, parrots, and turtles!

Really beautiful way to spend an hour or two in St Petersburg! The Pothos is particularly inspiring.
Worth the money to check it out.

My adult daughter and I are starting to explore locally so we went to the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, FL. We were both glad we did. It was so beautiful and peaceful we spent hours just strolling around. I felt like I was being recharged as I walked through.

We liked it so much that we got memberships, which gives you free admission or discounts on other gardens and places. So far we have used the membership to go the gardens at USF for free and to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for a discount.

I loved this garden and look forward to going back to see it during different seasons.

They have some unique gifts at their gift shop. The staff was super friendly and informative and the restroom was clean.

Smaller than I expected, but we enjoyed our visit. It would be better if it were not winter: there weren't very many flowers. But the ones we saw were beautiful, and we enjoyed the flamingos, fish, birds, and turtles. Shaded and very pretty. Bring bug spray: I got eaten alive.

It's so peaceful walking through the garden. It takes about an hour and half. the walkways are easy to walk or even in a wheel chair. It's shady and beautiful!

This garden is a hidden gem downtown St Petersburg FL with plants from all over the world. It has two amazing wedding venues, birds including beautiful pink flamingos. An amazing attraction for the entire family.

We were looking for something to do near where we were staying and actually found a Groupon for this. So glad we did. Beautiful gardens. Would highly recommend

I thought this would be a true sunken garden, formed by Mother Nature and less by the hand of man. But alas... the trees and plants are beautiful, of course - they would be anywhere. The place isn't that big and is kind of a glorified zoo, although not enough caged animals to call it a zoo but too many for me to feel like I wasn't supporting animal captivity. Yuck. Felt touristy and expensive for what it was. Did like the rainbow eucalyptus tree, though! Those are always cool to see!

Some areas and ponds look cheaply made and kinda tacky. Also it’s very small. The birds are in this tiny cages it’s not well made and it’s kinda depressing. I didn’t like it!

4/5 This is a great way to spend a nice, relaxing day with friends. Beautiful and some unusual looking plants. Love the Flamingos!!!! Great for any people that would like to walk at a slower pace. Benches and seats throughout the gardens for people that need to stop along the way.

A very nice way to spend an afternoon....lovely plants and birds. Look for discount coupons. Especially nice for seniors who don't need amusement rides and over-priced theme parks.

I've been trying to get here since moving to Florida three years ago and finally had the time to go. It was everything I thought it would be! Seeing the beautiful birds and fish on a beautiful May day was so relaxing. Just looking at all of the beautiful plants and flowers is lovely. We had a great experience!

When we went it was sprinkling just a bit but it added to the tropical experience. I was truly in wow by some of the plants seen in this area. Great place to enjoy. You can bring a lunch there too if you want.

Hard to believe this was a sink hole at one time. The sheer size of some of the plants and trees are nothing short of awesome. Also love the parrots that have found their forever homes in this beautiful, tranquil garden. A St. Petersburg must see.

Sunken Gardens is a man-made roadside attraction that dates back almost a century. It consists of paved walkways through gardens and past waterfalls and animal exhibits including tropical birds, koi fish and a huge snapping turtle. It's shaded and mostly quiet even though it's just off a large highway.

We stopped in at the Sunken Gardens before we left St Petersburg while traveling. We found the grounds lovely and interesting to learn how it all came to be. It was a sinkhole back in the day! It does not take too long to see it all, though. We spent maybe an hour here. If you have a botanical garden membership somewhere, see if it has reciprocal benefits. If it does, you can get in free at other gardens on the reciprocal list. The Sunken Gardens are on that list, so you could show your member card and get in free here. I think the place was lovely and would recommend it if you are in the area.

If you are visiting the Tampa area, take a trip across Tampa Bay and visit the Sunken Gardens located in St. Petersburg, FL. The Gardens were originally a small, shallow lake which was purchased by George Turner, Sr who was a plumber by trade. George purchased the 4 acres, drained the "Lake" which was actually an ancient sink hole. The sink hole was full of rich soil and nutrients and was the perfect place to start a Garden.
The Gardens opened to the Public in 1924, almost 100 years ago.
We took a tour of the Gardens for a 2nd time during a recent visit to Tampa and enjoyed the meandering pathways filled with lush tropical, trees, plants and flowers. The Flamingos and the Koi are a pleasant interaction along the way.
Buy the Groupon for 2: $16 and you will save yourself some $. The Gift Store is filled with adorable items. Spend your savings there ;) Parking is FREE. On a weekend it gets crowed, you may have to park across the street.

A hidden gem in the city! Beautiful plants and flowers and an oasis from the heat. We had a wonderful relaxing stroll through the garden!

We were amazed at the lush plantings and variety of flowers, bushes and trees. You must see the Rainbow Eucalyptus tree to believe it.

Beautiful and tranquil tropical gardens in the middle of the city. Don't miss the birds and the flamingos. It's worth about an hour on a nice morning in St Petersburg.

This place was so tranquil we had bought a Groupon ticket to get in which was not bad at all. It took about an hour and a half to walk through the gardens. Great place to take pictures with your family and a good place to relax. We came in February which was beautiful weather..

What an amazing garden tucked away in the heart of St. Petersburg. An easy trip off I-275, Sunken Gardens is definitely a treasure of a find and a must visit for those living in the Tampa Bay area. Sunken Gardens is arguably a Tampa/St. Petersburg staple for visitors that would love to see what the local area has to offer aside from beaches.

For starters, you can find some neat deals for the Sunken Gardens on value sites such as Groupon, although the general admission fee is relatively reasonable compared to the aquariums, zoos, and other parks in the area. We found an annual family membership on Groupon which is pretty neat considering the perks that come with it - free admission to some popular museums during certain months, as well as reciprocal admission at other gardens (you can find a list of those on the website, while a more accurate list of this program is available with the main kiosk).

There is free parking on site; the lot is also shared by the children's museum, Great Explorations. While there appears to be plenty of parking, I would recommend getting to this venue earlier to get a prime spot and to be able to stroll at your leisure without feeling too crowded in.

Sunken Gardens is one of the smaller gardens we have been to as we travelled across the nation, but do not let it's small size fool you. There is plentiful flora that grows on this piece of real estate that will amaze you with their natural beauty. What makes Sunken Gardens unique is that it showcases a vast variety of palms, leveraging the temperate weather of Florida for the growth of these specimens (you won't find these up in the Northeast).

Aside from the palms, there are various areas that are gorgeously arranged and curated to bring out the best in each plant. We definitely took our time to enjoy the trails that looped through the garden - there are also unimproved paths that are also accessible for viewing. Sprinkled throughout the garden are also a variety of beautiful birds to include a sanctuary for some flamingos. There are several bridges that cross some bodies of water, one of which hosts gigantic and marvelous koi.

All-in-all, there are plentiful areas and spaces to explore within the garden which makes it such a wonderful garden. I highly recommend Sunken Gardens to everyone!

A lot of history and hard work behind these gardens. Originally built as a roadside attraction (their words) in the 1930s, it is now run by the city. Amazing variety of palms, bamboos, flowering plants, and others. The notable aspect is the age and maturity of the plantings. Excellently maintained but still gives the experience of a natural environment. We live in Minneapolis and often visit the tropical plants at the Como Park Conservatory in winter. The Sunken Gardens are ten times bigger and better!

Nice garden with very mature trees and palms since the garden is over 100 years old. Easy paths to walk around. Smaller than expected so it took about one hour. Gift shop was disappointing. Look online as there are various offers for discounted tickets which made it worthwhile.

We visited the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg in February on a Sunday. Although it was somewhat crowded, it was still possible to enjoy the garden without feeling encroached on by too many people. Essentially this is a pathway that leads to various types of foliage, some birds (parrots and flamingoes) and interesting waterfalls. The path is well marked and there are some signs to help identify the various types of plants and trees. There are many photo ops here as the whole garden is really picturesque. The city purchased the garden from some other private owner as it is historic in that it was one of the first tourist attractions in the area. Highly recommend a visit.

While not large, this is an excellent tropical botanical garden. It is well laid out and easy to observe plants and animals. The setting is soothing and pleasant. Staff were helpful in answering questions.

Nice place to spend a couple of hours outdoors. Winding pathways take you through beautiful gardens plus viewing of parrots, tortoise, koi, and the prettiest flamingos I have ever seen. Picnic tables and benches are scattered throughout the pathways. Lots of shade for a hot day. Most people were wearing masks. Very nice lady working at the front cashier area. Just a pleasant tranquil place. Got 2 for 1 tix on TravelZoo.

Very relaxing place to visit that can be done at your own pace. The gardens are well kept and have lots of signs around identifying what the plants are. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Fantastic little treasure that Disney was not able to crush. Wish there were more labels on plants. Very relaxing.

A nice place for a relaxing time. The paths make for an easy walk, and with most of it in the shade, it can be enjoyed on even the most sunny of days.

So worth the time and money! My hubby even enjoyed this! The stroll is relaxing and the aged trees provide many opportunities of shade. There are many quaint little nooks and crannies to sit and just eat all the eye candy of the beautiful exotic and local greenery.

A pleasantly shaded woodland walk featuring more than several tree genres, flowers, birds and fish. Very easy to negotiate, not too large (or tiring for an older person), an area for butterflies, and lots of signage explaining what you’re seeing. I enjoyed my 90 mins or so here.

Bird lady was beyond rude., yelled at me not to touch the birds… I was just standing there. She was feeding the birds, which of course were beyond cute, when she said she’s too busy to answer any questions. In rude manner. She obviously hates people, or maybe just men, but it was unnecessary to be so rude. Spoiled the day

Peaceful gardens with meandering paths, much of which is shaded. The main attractions along the walkways are numbered but limited signage makes it easy to get turned around. It was interesting to learn the history of the gardens. We enjoyed the flamingos the most. Check Groupon for deals. I believe we paid $18 for 2 adult admissions.

So many tropical species to see, right in the middle of St Petersburg, great way to spend an afternoon.

Hmm. We went in April and I'm not sure if things were not in bloom or if we were not there at it's peak season but I would skip this. Maybe it is because we are from So Cal and have Descanso and Huntington Gardens but this was not worth it to me. The birds were the highlight for my kids but going to Busch Gardens a few days later, it was a redundant. There was one cool photo op on a bridge but my 85 yo FIL who lives in the area had never been and sat on a bench after half hour. I also felt like the map was super confusing and the place could have used more directional signs.

I actually grew up going to Sunken Gardens because just next door is Great Explorations children's museum. I recently took my 81 year old mother to Sunken Gardens. It had been a while since we've been. We still love going there! It is an oasis in the middle of busy St. Petersburg. If you want to escape to a tropical location, but don't want to fly to Hawaii, this is the perfect spot! You can take your time exploring the garden & some animals as well.

I would highly recommend this spot for all members of the family. This would make a great place for a photoshoot, wedding photos, a date, or a birthday surprise for an elderly parent, like I did.

Took our son to this place @ Christmas time when he came to visit. A cute little garden oasis in the middle of the city. Was a nice peaceful walk thru to see the flamingos and the flora and fauna of tropical places. They had the place all dolled up for the holidays which made it even more special to walk thru. Got some great after Christmas items for 75% off which was an amazing deal. Gifts for next year all ready to go and they had some many other cute items in their gift shop as well. Only took about 1.5 hours of our time so was able to go do more....nice little day trip

What an absolutely lovely garden! So much packed in to that small space. And just so well done. Since we are from Florida we recognized many of the plants but they were so huge here in this more tropical environment. Well cared for and maintained. Nice shady meandering stroll.

This garden is a beautiful place to spend an hour or two. It is just the right size, so you don't get tired or bored. It is much nicer than the botanical gardens in Largo. I suspect that the highlight for most people would be the pink flamingo section.

A wonderful garden to take a stroll and enjoy a beautiful afternoon. They have beautiful plants, gorgeous flowers, interesting water ponds with koi, nice waterfalls along a well planned walkway which creates various garden areas or rooms along the way. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

Absolutely beautiful gardens right by downtown St. Pete! It's a smaller place, but you still need at least 1 hour to take your time and see everything. There are plenty of benches and seating areas, and it's very peaceful. Best time to visit is probably once the weather cools down a bit though - it was late afternoon and a cloudy day, but even with the clouds and trees, it was extremely hot/humid. I will definitely be back in the fall to really enjoy it!

We enjoyed walking around the Sunken Gardens seeing the beautiful plants. I always liked seeing the flamingoes - first ones I’ve seen since we moved to Florida.

We enjoyed this small attraction. The plants were interesting and some flowers were blooming and bushes and orchids. We also enjoyed several waterfalls. Near the exit was a tall stand of Giant Bamboo

The staff is very kind. You can take your time and stroll through the gardens and enjoy the flowers and birds.

We enjoyed the stroll though the Gardens and the grounds. Today the birds were not available to protect against bird epidemic. My 3 year old grandson loved walking and naming g the trees and plants.
We loved the creative gift shop
With many variations of animal and nature gifts and souvenirs from a large enamel turtle to yarn rabbits, 🐇, bottle stops, apparel, and various tiny collectors animal forms
Accessible mens and women's restrooms with separate large stall and 2 grab bars
Diaper changer
Van accessible parking spaces in free lot shared with children's museum and restaurant. Overflow parking available but I have always found parking before noon

This was a really beautiful highlight of St Petersburg for us, like walking into a little slice of paradise. If you love gardens, tropical flowers, birds, water, palms, etc --- this is just one of those beautiful escape places where you can disconnect. The paths through the gardens are very well maintained, all of the plantings are kept up, the flamingos are quite the stars of the show and they know it, and the place is bigger than it first appears. We could have missed a whole section of the garden if we'd not been watching the twists and turns - so make sure to watch and even 'double-back' to go down the winding paths. We took some very pretty photos in here with backdrops of palms, arbors, waterfalls, koi ponds, and waterways with bridges. There was a Groupon available as well for $18 for 2 people so it was very reasonably priced as well. Their gift shop is really cute too with some unique things. Even if I lived in the area I think this would be a place I'd go to just to restore some sanity. The parking lot was busy and we went during the week just after the height of the tourism season, so there were people but it wasn't crazy busy.

Loved this garden. I am so glad we stopped to explore. The fauna was great and the flamingos added to the experience. I don’t know if I would go in June again due to the heat. I would return in Nov-April.

This was a pleasant experience in a lovely setting. One forgets you are in the city. It offers a peaceful, beautiful array of a wide variety of plants. The koi are huge and colorful. The flamingos impressed the granddaughters. The Sunken Garden is a great way to spend an hour or two while in St Petersburg.

A wonderful place to visit no matter what time of the year it is! We visited in December & there was still plenty of beautiful flowers, etc. to see. There was even some birds to enjoy! Worth the $12! Friendly staff. Nice, even paths to walk on or use a wheelchair, walker, etc.

Great oasis in the middle of the city! Beautiful, varied and interesting plants. Easy to follow path throughout and many species identified with small signs

We visited twice and saw more on the second trip that we must have missed on the first. The plants are very well cared for and they are well labelled. Many are exotics that you will not see at your local nursery. The staff are very helpful, and you can join a tour with a docent once or twice a week.

The gardens are not worth a fee to enter. It is clear that they work at it but the gardens everywhere else in St Petersburg, above the ground are almost as good as in the pit recovered from an old mansion. I would not have gone if I had known.

It was wonderful. Being a master gardener from WA state I really enjoyed seeing the adverse variety of flora here in Florida.
I’d enjoy going back another time of the year to see the changes.

Well worth visiting. Beautiful tropical gardens with beautiful flamingos and gorgeous tropical birds. Beautifully maintained and gentle walking path with plenty of benches for resting and enjoying the calm.

This is a great little place! We strolled thru enjoying all the beautiful plants & trees. Plenty of places to sit and water bottle refilling stations too. Steve was very informative about all the different palm trees there! A few of the plants I've never seen before and need them in my yard now😁 Was interesting learning the history of the place as well. Highly recommend a visit if you in town, maybe take 2 hours to wonder thru. All employees we spoke with were very nice and friendly!

What a pleasant and unexpected surprise. A must see when in St. Petersburg. Gorgeous and well maintained gardens. Some of the beautiful trees are breathtaking. Nature lovers and master gardeners will not be disappointed.

We came to the west coast for vacation and got a Groupon for Sunken Gardens. Despite the humid hellscape that is July in Florida, we really enjoyed the hour and a half touring the gardens. The flora is beautiful, and I adored the Chilean flamingo exhibit. It's a great piece of zen in St. Pete, and we already know we plan to come back in cooler months.

This was a cool experience, in our opinion it's one of those things you need to do once... but only once. Seeing the flamingos/birds/koi was a major pro of this experience. You get a map to lead you, use it so you hit each cool spot. It took us an hour to go through with breaks/sitting and admiring the area. Would recommend!

From Wisconsin and stand in awe at the beautiful trees and plants. The bougainvillea is stunning. An easy, gorgeous walk.

Around every corner is a new fresh garden section, easy access everywhere. Take a friend or go alone as it's a safe solo adventure and there is a lovely gift shop.

This is a very nice garden to visit and walk through. You can probably walk the entire thing under an hour and I was a little disappointed that there were not a lot of birds.

My husband and I went to the gardens over 30 years ago and wanted to revisit for our anniversary. It was just as beautiful and tranquil now as it was back then. Shaded paths wind around numerous tropical plants and are worthy of a leisurely stroll. I loved to see the flamingos and I think they enjoyed all the visitor attention as well. The various waterfalls enhance the peaceful atmosphere. It is a must see if your are visiting St. Petersburg and want an attraction off the beaten path.

We went with a group. We had never heard of this little gem owned by the City of Saint Petersburg. Our group leader decided to go here for the last part of our trip. Beautiful trees and lets of colorful birds to see. We spent about an hour there and were happy that we did

We were very impressed and thought this garden was well worth the drive from Redington shores... in fact it was the highlight of our trip to Florida. Loved seeing the tropical plants in their mature size as in nature. Surprised to see so much color and bloom in February. They even have a mature rainbow eucalyptus tree.

Nice garden but totally inhumane tiny cages for social birds - this is a thing of the past in civilized societies and has to be stopped immediately. Do NOT support this animal treatment under any circumstances - it is horrible to see that !!!! They show stress behaviours - and pretty sure they never get out if their cages.

My wife is always looking for some interesting when traveling, and this came across her radar. Developed by a husband and wife team of avid gardeners, this beautiful garden has flourished for many years. Long family owned, it is now owned and operated by the town. Very interesting garden includes native and nominative plants and trees, pink flamingos too. There are quiet places to relax, areas for weddings too. Easy, mostly flat walking. Worth the visit.

A first-time visitor to Sunken Gardens and will certainly visit again. Enjoyed every moment of this tranquil environment. So peaceful to just sit and enjoy this peaceful place. So many different types of plants, trees, and flowers to see. Also enjoyed viewing the various birds, flamingos, and koi fish ponds. I love this place and will return to visit again.

A definite hidden treasure. Beautiful gardens nestled in the middle of the city. You will feel like you are in the center of a tropical island. Be sure to read this background of gardens, so interesting! Definitely a bargain for the experience!

You know those hot St Pete days where you want to be outside,but it’s just so hot? Head over to the Sunken Gardens. The beautiful shaded paths wind through water features, bird habitats, and tropical plants.

Stopping to feed the fish, talk to the birds and read the bricks of love at the wedding lawn, it took us about an hour to meander through. It will take us a little longer to renovate our back yard garden with our inspired ideas.

It’s romantic, it’s family friendly, it’s shaded. Well done.

Its always been an amazing experience with Sunken. I really admire Imran who have always treated us well . No matter how many times we call him, he never fail to serve us on time and ofcourse food and Sheesha is super amazing.

Great little stop on our trip. A couple hours of adventure. We loved the all the plants and birds throughout of the area. Great stop.

Just Gorgeous!
Absolutely the most breathtaking trees, plants and flowers I’ve ever seen.
Pictures don’t do justice you have to just go and see the history of the beautiful gardens.

A super gorgeous, luscious area tucked right into St. Pete! Really, I’ve driven past here once or twice and you see the sign but have no idea how far back the area actually goes and just how cool it is. I love it because it’s almost like a hybrid of a botanical garden and just your typical FL greenery/ state park type area. A good amount of the plants- trees, flowers, bushes, are labeled so you can learn a lot of names, and I recognized so many of them from just out in native wild and untouched Florida, and it’s awesome to finally put names to plants when you seen them out and about. They have some birds around too, your fun tropical ones, as well as a huge grassy area where you can sit and hang out wedged in by small koi ponds. There’s so much to walk around and look at, and entirely enjoyable and can take up half a day easily. I didn’t think it was terribly expensive to get in either. There’s a gift shop as well, though they sell a lot of garden stuff rather than more specifically “Sunken Gardens” memorabilia which disappointed me a little. But man this will for sure be a place I come back to several times, and it’s a great change up from the beach while visiting!

Beautiful, interesting, tranquil. Many places to stop and take in the large variety of tropical specimens. The history of the garden was very interesting

Wow,

Must go, my son and I loved this.

Gorgeous and a must see, we drove 1.5 hours to see this, and it was worth it, cheap entry fee as well.

Sadly it was very disappointing. The garden area is much smaller than the pictures make it appear. The plants are not well marked, so make sure you have an app on your phone if you would like to identify what you were looking at. The ponds that are interspersed throughout the grounds are not well-maintained. There were a few of them that had a very unpleasant stench about them. We took our time, identified several plants, took photos and walked back through to see if we missed anything- nope. The redeeming aspect was the cactus garden which had some unique species, as well as a huge agave plant. It was not the amazing experience the reviews led me to anticipate.

Lovely garden, once private, with springs, tropical plants and flowers, and birds. Not too big, good to visit even for elderly. Gift shop had many beautiful items.

A treasure for the quiet times, flowers and plants lovers. A small but beautiful, clean, enchanting place where you can stroll for hours at your leisure without anybody disturbing you. Take your food and have a picnic there.

By way of formal gardens, this one is somewhat small but still worth a visit. It contains a good selection of subtropical and tropical plantings and things tend to be labeled fairly well. Adding to the gardens are the bird, tortoise and turtle displays. Not spectacular but entertaining nonetheless. If you are a gardener, you would likely enjoy this attraction.

Sunken Gardens is a lovely spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of St Pete FL. A fascinating collection of tropical plants, trees and flamingos are adorable. Great that they offer educational events for the community too!

The gardens were well kept, and the concept was lovely. I was slightly disappointed at the size as I thought it would be bigger so expect a quick tour.

Sunken Garden is a real treat. Is is a very manageable size and walking through the gardens is easy. It is a joy. Some of the plants are nearly 100 years old. Lot of the plantings are labeled. But we didn't get hung up on trying to identify everything we saw. We just enjoyed the beauty. We walked along the garden paths. We sat down every now and then just to enjoy the flowers/plants.

Go along. Go with friends. Go with your sweetheart. It will be a joy.

A beautiful place to relax and unwind. Walked through the whole park and was delighted. Loved the tortoises and butterfly garden.

Very disappointing. At $67 for 5 people really way too expensive. Lots of concrete, artificial grass. In 20 minutes, the circle is walked. Directly out of the park there is much more to see.

This is a very old tourist attraction. The foliage is lush. The map is easy enough to follow. There are some animals--parrots, flamingos, box turtles and koi. Charming diversion.

Great little gem! Beautiful flowers along winding paths. Just gorgeous! The flamingos and birds just spectacular. Quiet and relaxing.

Lovely walking trails thru shaded trees & flowers. Very enjoyable & relaxing. Enjoyable fro all ages.

A hidden treasure is right. A really nice walk through garden with a few birds, etc. Plenty of benches to sit down and relax through their paths. For those that like botanical gardens this one is good.

A beautiful, historic gem of a garden. Spent a beautiful morning touring the grounds.
Ample parking and reading about the history of the grounds was interesting.

Very lush and beautiful gardens. This place has been around for years. All kinds of tropical plants and flamingoes, too!

Really beautiful place. $15 a person. We got to see birds, fish, flamingos, some absolutely gorgeous footage and wonderful plants. Very well maintained highly recommend.

This is a reasonably priced and pretty little garden set in approx 4 acres of land in the Historic, Old Northwest part of St. Petersburg. There are lots of interesting features such as a family of squabbling flamingos, a koi pond, shady meandering paths and various tropical birds, to look at. I particularly liked the turtles with their gold painted shells - or maybe that’s how they look without makeup! What do I known? The bougainvillea shrubs were divine darlink, simply divine.

During a recent visit to the Gardens, I feel in love with an umbrella in the gift shop. After I returned home, I regretted not buying it. We contacted Sarah Carvalis in the Marketing Dept and she came to my rescue, although they do not normally offer mail ordering on gift shop items. Today the umbrella was delivered to me at my home. The gardens were a beautiful day visit and my new umbrella is a lovely souvenir. Thank you so much, Sarah!

Small garden, maybe not quite worth $15 for adults, but it is pretty and a pleasant walk, especially in the morning when they first opened. Kids had a good time, but don't think we'd revisit.

So Sunken Gardens was originally a "Roadside America" type attraction. It has since been taken over by the City of St. Pete. If this were built today, it would likely be very different. Walk around and celebrate a bygone era. See plants and some animals (birds & tortoises) from around the world. It should take you about 2 hours to walk around and see everything. It was definitely worth it.

I think this would be even more beautiful in the spring/summer. There was a lot of history to read about as to how the gardens came to be, and being the plant lover that I am, I found it interesting. The park was beautiful, and it was very relaxing to sit and just enjoy the serenity of the whole place. I was a little apprehensive at first because there's a children's museum in the same entrance and I expected to hear kids playing. However, it was very quiet. The flamingos and Macaws were beautiful. I'm not sure about the $15/pp, but it was worth it for a few serene hours

Loved the flamingos and other birds. Feels like a tropical paradise. The grounds are nice for a stroll.

Beautiful garden walk with Makaws and Flamingos adding more color to the walk.
A lot of Florida native plants and lovely waterfalls.

This place was so much more interesting than I was expecting! We saw beautiful plants that I’ve never seen before and I’ve been to a lot of botanical gardens. Definitely worth a stop here. It’s not that big so an hour is plenty but it’s really lovely.

Beautiful gardens with tropical birds to see, like a flamingo pond, macaws and a kookaburra. There’s beautiful koi fish pond with a waterfall

This garden in a former sinkhole is a marvel on a relatively small piece of property right in town. Plenty of interweaving paths to take and explore, and a nice visitor center. Besides the plantings, we saw flamingoes and koi.

This place is wonderful. It is a lush garden in the concrete jungle. The paths do need better signs to provide direction. All in all it was a cool spot to send some time on a hot fall day.

Great place for families or couples. It was fun but it can get hot during summer if your are not from Florida. Map provided limited guidance, hard to follow the paths. Would recommend a paid tour

This was a BIG surprise, I don't know what i was expecting, but this place was AMAZING !!! My 12 year old did NOT want to go and even he enjoyed it !! It's all very shaded. The plants and trees are just beautiful. They also have flamingos, maccaws and other small animals. It's totally worth seeing !!

My husband and I took our 2 granddaughters, age 2 and 9 and we all loved it. We walked around for about an hour and the flamingos and the birds were everyone’s favorite. An employee even stopped and talked to us with one of the birds and talked with us about the bird, named Melissa. Highly recommend, well worth it.

Very nice pleasant stroll through the gardens. The plants were huge, full and in very good condition. I would have liked to see more plaques with the names of some plants. Not that I have a green thumb, just a curiosity. The map shows only some of the paths through the garden, so it was no help sometimes in determining our location. We wandered and often came upon spots we had seen coming from the other direction. No problem, we just wanted to make sure we saw all of the gardens. There were a lot of benches to stop and rest, or just enjoy the view. The macaws and flamingoes right now are not out for viewing due to the avian flu.

Nothing terribly exciting but worth a visit for an hour if you have time between activities. The flamingoes are beautiful and definitely should be included in your photos!

Peaceful spot to visit . We went right when it opened and got to walk around twice. It’s part of the history of St Pete’s. Who doesn’t like a tropical garden ? They are also part of the Reciprocal Gardens program, which makes it nice for admission and gift shop discounts.

I absolutely loved the sunken gardens. So many amazing plants and beautiful shady paths. And it was cool to see the flamingos and adopted parrots and Mindy the Umbrella Cockatoo!

The garden is beautiful, very serene. It's smaller than expected. The plants and flowers are gorgeous and well kept... have exotic plants & flowers that you would not find- see outside the garden. Clean area, no food allowed on the ground. There are sanitized stations at each door and cashier counters. Go ad enjoy.

This oasis is in St. Petersburg. It is over 80+ years old and shows a bit of wear and tear. However, there is signage stating that repairs and new exhibits are coming. It was worth the visit. You are greeted by a talking parrot, lush greenery of flowering shrubs, vines and trees. Did I mention flamingos , koi ponds and a well camouflaged turtle weighing 200 pounds.! The venue has instituted covid measures with one way markers and a mask requirement.

Even more beautiful landscaping than I remember from my childhood. Lush, beautiful gardens with unique plants and an amazing historical story. The birds and fish ponds were beautiful. The store had lots of tourist treasure too

I went to Sunken Gardens for a few hours while on a solo weekend trip to St. Petersburg. I really enjoyed walking around the grounds and looking at the various plants. I watched the flamingos for quite a while, they are very entertaining. This is a great place to walk around, or maybe even come to relax with a book, as there are lots of areas to sit and relax.

The exotic plants, birds, fish - all of this in the center of town on a busy street - who would have even looked for this? Recommended by a local - we will certainly return.

Beautiful way to spend a day outside. Luscious greenery and beautiful flowers. Flamings and tropical birds reside in the jungle like atmosphere.

This was such a nice place to take in a little bit of nature and was close to our VRBO on 8th St. N. I walked around Crystal Lake, which is also a nice little areas, and then onto the the Sunken Gardens. The admission price was reasonable ($12) for seniors and the length of time spent was just right (one hour). It was suitable for adults and children and could be viewed at your own pace. There were a variety of exotic and native plants on display and flamingos and butterflies too.

Well laid out. We visited on a hot day and were surprised at how cool it was in the gardens. The flamingos and parrots were a treat.

Smallish botanical garden that is clean and tranquil. Look for the buy one get one free coupon for admission - DiscoverDowntown.com.
Panera across the street for convenient meal.

The gardens are very nice, well kept and a nice way to spend a few hours in nature. The trails were easy to walk on and navigate through. The koi ponds were very relaxing. It was disappointing to not be able to see the flamingos due to the Bird Flu.

I loved this garden. It was priced reasonably. It was much larger than I had expected. Every time I thought I had seen everything, there was a new area to explore. I imagine further into the Spring, it would be even more beautiful. It was a lovely peaceful afternoon.

Do yourself a favor and visit The Sunken Gardens. It is the most amazing place with a variety of tropical trees and plants. You feel like you are in the Garden of Eden and can’t believe it’s in the center of town.

If you’re into plants you’ll absolutely love this place and can easily spend an hour. If you’re not as much about the botany you’ll likely blow through the gardens much quicker as it isn’t that big of an area and the plants may look similar after a while.

For as many times as I have been to this area we have never knew this was here. This place was absolutely gorgeous. I loved everything about this place. Sooo many Palm Trees and beautiful tropical flowers. We will definitely be back for another trip

We visited while on vacation. The price is good for admission. The gardens were well cared for and offered a wide variety of plants. Unusual ones for sure. At least to us northerners. There were a few birds for variety, fish and a turtles. It was a pleasant visit and I would go there again if in the area.

Such a beautiful garden area, well worth the side trip, especially for my horticulture nut daughter. It was especially hot the day we went, and I do wish were more animals, however, the animals we saw were very well cared for and clean ponds. Extremley peaceful. But take bug spray, to be sure as it is very heavy foliage, and fans! if in summer

My childhood memories remain alive at Sunken Gardens.

Well maintained due to the city's ownership, this remains an escape to tropical Old Florida.

As longtime members, we frequently visit and are addicted to the gift shop, which offers wonderful treats for ourselves and unique gifts for others.

Thank you, staff and volunteers, for your friendly and efficient assistance always!

Very lush respite from St Pete. Friendly staff, plenty of free parking. Impressive collection. Will go again next time we're in town.

Traveling through St Petersburg we happen to find this hidden gem. This is a very quiet and peaceful spot in the middle of town. The quiet tour of plants, birds, fish, and more is very enjoyable. This would be a great place for a wedding.

What a great place to spend the afternoon! It was so relaxing to see all of the beautiful flowers and animals.

The gardens are pretty but I wouldn't go here with young children or teens. There aren't a lot of animals and I think kids would be bored. I got a AAA discount and a senior discount. So I paid $11. It isn't worth more than that. It takes about 45 min. to walk through.

Awesome in every way. Easy to find, easy to park, friendly staff, beautiful and diverse mix of amazing plant life, entertaining birds (Parrots, Macaws, and Flamingos). Unique history, and pleasant surprises around every bend. Nothing to dislike, much to be pleased and amazed by, absolutely recommend.

Have lived in Florida for 15 yrs and have always wanted to visit The Sunken Gardens in St Petersburg! A visit by my lovely daughter from San Francisco prompted me to look into purchasing tickets! Our visit there did not disappoint! I do recommend going on a tour, the gentleman that did ours was excellent and very knowledgeable about the history of The Gardens! The day we were there was lovely but a little chilly so some of the birds were not out but as you can see in the video below some outspoken ones were out! The flamingos 🦩 of course were a hit! Great visit and plan on going again! Check out Groupon for reduced entrance fees!

Many Florida native as well as global plants which grow well in Florida. Great place to visit if you are planning a landscape.

Beautiful!!! Great place to take pictures! Loved the flamingoes!

I would say it is a must see while you are on vacation! The only downside was we didn't use the map they provided-so i would use that, otherwise you start walking in circles!

If you are prone to bug bites I would Recommend using bug spray!

Again BEAUTIFUL place!!!!

We stopped here on our way to the airport from st pete beach. The gardens are very beautiful and peaceful to walk through. We spent around an hour waking the paths. There are so many different, trees, plants and flowers to look at. There are flamingos, parrots, and fish. We enjoyed our visit here. It's a neat place to see.

This is a nice place, paved for wheelchairs or strollers. Lots of gorgeous palms and plants. Well kept, but not terribly well marked. We couldn't tell where we had been because there is very little signage. Unfortunately, we went to the Florida Botanical Gardens yesterday, so we were a bit spoiled, I guess. The plants, etc aren't real well labeled, which is frustrating for non-natives who don't know what anything is. So, a little over-priced for us. Since the FBG are free.

Nice garden to kill time before a flight out of tampa, however the girl handling the macaws was unnecessarily rude to customers. Barked at people not to touch the birds when literally no one was close/ trying to touch the birds and to get back when we were admiring the birds from a reasonable distance. She needs to learn the appropriate way to speak to customers, multiple people around us were talking about her attitude.

PLANT LOVERS WILL LOVE IT! My mom loved it! It was a beautiful way to spend the morning after a nice brunch celebrating her birthday. The paths are fun and windy, but they all connect sorted like a small maze. They had nice big "grass" areas and lovely benches throughout to sit and enjoy nature. Its small but beautiful! Not an all-day activity but definitely worth stopping by or relaxing there with a nice book.

So-we were expecting a calm, quiet, lovely experience. Instead-we paid almost $30 to enter a construction zone. They had people working in the gardens cutting, cleaning and trimming with machines that are some of the loudest I’ve ever heard. Think: weed-wacker x 10. In the early afternoon-with many guests. All I got when I said something at the cash desk was a rude, sarcastic: ‘have a nice day’. I completely understand the gradens have to be maintained-but why not do it first thing in the morning, or after 4:30- when the gardens are not open to the public. I can promise you it will be a COMPLETE waste of your time and money.

This was such a pleasure to walk around and enjoy the plants. It was very lush and tropical. There were plants there that I had not seen at any other local garden. Some plants are so large that you know they are very old. The paths are all very clean and the few animal exhibits they had were very well kept. Plenty of benches scattered around if you want to sit and relax. I highly recommend for plant lovers. If I won the lottery I would want my yard to look like Sunken Gardens!

Absolutely stunning. Low admission fee, a complete outdoor oasis. Went so many gorgeous plants. If you love the outdoors and plants this is definitely the place to visit. Kid friendly

This was a beautiful place to visit, even on a hot summer day. The gardens were very nice, and the pathways were well maintained. You can take the time to see all the beauty, and sit awhile if you wish. There are features throughout the gardens, and you can see remnants of the animal displays that they had in years' past. There are still some birds on site. Make sure to stop by the history center to learn about this labor of love. They also have a gift shop and plenty of restrooms. Parking is free.

Beautiful gardens, worth the price of admission. Maintenance is not very good, we were told at the admissions office that maintenance was done solely by volunteers. so you can't ask volunteers to do that much. The whole look is very green and shady.

This is such a cool place with so much to see along the various paths. The huge palms are so impressive. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Beautiful garden with amazing tropical plants, flowers, palms etc.Truly like a mini paradise nestled into a beach community. The flamingos, koi, kookaburra and parrots add to the magical feel of this place. Groupon has a good deal going on right now.

This place is amazing and has so much history. Takes about a hour and a half to see it all. Beautiful gardens with flamingos, birds, turtles and ducks. Loved the building with all the history on the walls about the place.

What a gem in the middle of St. Pete! This place is a throwback to simpler times, and thoroughly enjoyable. The history of is really fascinating too. It’s quite relaxing to meander along the paths and look at the various species of plant life along the way; some we had never seen before. Very pretty and a nice little stop away from the hustle and bustle. We sat in the turquoise Adirondack chairs for awhile, just decompressing and enjoying the peace. Tip - look in area guidebooks/maps or search Groupon for a 2-for-1 entrance coupon.

For something right off of a main road, it was a nice surprise and a great visit. It is something relaxing to go and see, and on the right morning you may even see a local yoga group finding peace amongst the trees.

We stopped here to kill some time before hotel check-in, and for a change of scenery, having just flown down from New England that morning. This was a beautiful spot. We appreciated the opportunity to be outdoors, with pretty consistent shade. The entrance fee was fair. We were here a little over an hour and enjoyed our visit. We will recommend Sunken Gardens to others when they visit the area.

This is hidden gem! great to explore the gardens and all the different types of palm trees, bamboo and tropical flowers. love the Flamingos and Koi Fish pond.

This is such an unexpected treat. The oldest “roadside” attraction in Florida is worth every bit of the $15 entry. Created over 100 years ago, these gardens are old, tropical, and more and more beautiful with every step you take.

Such a neat history and story, and a wonderful place to bring a picnic and spend a few hours soaking up the views. Highly recommend.

We spent an hour at Sunken Gardens and saw beautiful flamingos, beautiful flowers, turtles, birds, and butterflies. Lots of shade in the hot Florida sun.

Beautiful area features plants, trees, gardens. A few parrots, flamingo, picnic tables, gift shop , good picture opportunities.
Admission for adults is $12.00 per person- we used a coupon for buy one get one admission free.
Not big & overwhelming , but nice quiet walking in the cool shade.

I paid $12 admission and stayed about an hour but it would be easy to stay longer. There are little shady areas with benches. The park has orchids, koi pond, flamingos, macaws, cockatiels etc in enclosures. There are paths that make it accessible but some may be uphill and the doors are not automatic opening. The gardens are a sanctuary from city life.

It has been quite a few years since we visited Sunken Gardens. We had some time before we were catching an airplane to leave so we decided to take some time to revisit this tourist stop. So happy the city of St. Petersburg feels it is important to keep open and cherish. It doesn't take a long time to visit as other reviewers mentioned we spent about 1 1/2 hours there. They have a nice pathway and some great/fun picture spots. They have the original entrance opened as a tiny museum very interesting history. Flamingoes were gorgeous. Pleasant stroll.

I enjoyed strolling through Sunken Gardens along the meandering walkway. So many lovely tropical plants blooming and different landscapes throughout the peaceful gardens. My favorite was the eucalyptus tree with the multi-colored trunk. There are graceful coral-pink flamingos and bright colored parrots.

I am so glad we found out about this little gem! Peaceful, beautiful, and definitely something not to be missed. We WILL visit again!

Right in the heart of the city...wonderful to wander about but a bit difficult to follow in one direction due to terrible signage

What a pleasant surprise! The gardens are beautiful and provide a welcome, shady stroll if you love flowers and tropical plants like I do.

This lovely lush, tropical garden reminded me of Hawaii! Our kids bought us a season pass as we visit FL frequently. It was just large enough to spend an hour meandering through marked trails. The plants, trees and area were well-marked and informative. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon activity.

Visited with a friend and if you like gardens this one is very nice and has a wonderful history. Easy to get to right in town, and we’ll marked with plant names several birds and a huge snapping turtle. Great for small weddings, photo shoots and just to relax. Gift shop was nice as well. Lots of native plants.

What a great way to walk off our lunch.The retro sign was a great photo op and paying to enter was very efficient.Restrooms are conveniently located right by the entrance .The pathway to walk through was flat and an easy walk.Dont forget to look up at the beautiful canopy overhead!The flamingos were my favorite part.You can also purchase food to feed the fish at the entrance.

Something different to do in St, Petes, very pretty and cleans! loves the flamingos! Easy parking too!

It's a gorgeous garden. We were there now in March. I can only imagine how great it looks as more things start blooming and greening up! If you love nature, flowers and gardens, don't miss it! Love the flamingos, the turtles, the cockatoos, the huge fishes, the parrots and the kookaburra. It's not too big. Definitely a great place for the family for photos, weddings or just to sit and relax.

All manner of plants here: trees, ferns, bamboo, cacti, flowers. Fish ponds with koi. Flamingos and smaller birds. Turtles and tortoises. A butterfly garden. Very scenic and relaxing. Enjoyable to walk around and sightsee. Not crowded when I was here. I had no problem maintaining social distancing. I didn't see any dogs. I don't know if they're allowed.

Truly enjoyed our day here. Beautiful plants! We enjoyed the many birds, especially the flamingos! Nice little water falls and bridges. We enjoyed the various designs on the sidewalks. There was even a small green grass area where the little ones could run! Would definitely go back next time we are in the area!

We decided to visit here for the first time this trip. It took us approximately an hour to hour and half to walk through all of the gardens and it was $12 for adults. We were afraid that it would be really hot but with all the shaded area it was very comfortable. The only real complaint that we had was that they do not have the walkways very well marked so that you know the direction you should go so that you see everything.

Learning the history of Sunken Gardens was worthwhile and took us back to the times of old Florida. The gardens are well maintained and the paths are easy to walk. Nice, relaxing 2 hours.

We took out of town friends here on a cool March day. The walk is well planned and the plantings are dense but there isn't as much variety or color as I would like. Having been to "bigger, better" botanical gardens this was a bit disappointing. Having said that it is still a reasonably priced and pleasant outdoor activity.

Went to a Harry Potter wedding there...very hot and humid..did a unique walk thru of the gardens, if you are interested in seeing one of every kind of tree or plant but if you are not..skip it!

This beautiful garden park right in the midst of a fully developed area harkens back to Old Florida with it's magnificent gardens, parrots, koi ponds, and flamingos. Very beautiful and quite manageable as it's only 4 acres but seems much larger.

The trip was amazing! The animals and plants were gorgeous and the whole garden was so peaceful and relaxing. I saw a photo online and thought it must had been edited but when I went, the gardens were so breathtakingly beautiful I must have taken over 30 photos! I would recommend to almost everyone of every age because the kids (and even me) enjoyed feeding the coy fish, and relaxing on the hill.

We didn’t know much about the Sunken Gardens before our visit, but it was a highlight of our stay in St. Pete. Tropical flowers, plants, koi ponds, tropical birds. Lovely displays, many labels identifying plants—just a wonderful experience if you are a nature lover!

Came here as a child 50 years ago. Absolutely wonderful! Staff very helpful(especially when we took the wrong path). Totally enjoyed our visit & will return when back in town next. Staff was so friendly & seemed to enjoy their jobs! Thank you so much for the memories!

This is a nice oasis in the city, well populated by both local and exotic plants from around the world, some of which you'reunlikely to see anywhere else.. The only thing keeping it from a raging five stars is that it's small enough to be over quickly, and that small size also means even a small crowd can overwhelm the place.