Introduction
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a garden enriched with rare and almost all types of plants which include palm trees, Cycad trees and many types of flower trees as well as vegetable plants. It is a great place to get acquainted with nature and different species of plants. People of any age can visit the garden for refreshments. Nature and plant lovers will find this place the best choice for them.
Location of the garden
The garden is located at the Coral Gables, Florida, United States. The exact location is 10901, Old Culture Road, Coral Gables, Fl 33158. The web address of the garden is here.
Have a small knowledge about the history of the garden
The garden was first started in 1936 by Robert H. Montgomery who has an obsession with collecting plants. Later on, in 1936, the place was open to the public. The garden was designed by an architect. The garden was named after the name of a friend of Robert H. Montgomery, David Fairchild. Moreover, many trees in the garden are still growing which were planted by Fairchild.
Entry time and Tickets
The garden is open 7 days a week from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.
The garden is open to all but not for free. You need to pay at the entrance to get in there.
- For Fairchild members the admission is free.
- Adults $25
- Students $12 (need to bring the ID card)
- Senior $18 ( from 65 years and above)
- Children from 6 to 17 the price is $12
- Children under 5 years it is free.
On the other hand, there are some events going on almost every month. Some are free which means complimentary with general entry and some need to get paid an extra amount with the general admission.
Things to do inside
In the upland, you will be able to visit the below places.
- Wings of the tropics: You will find a hundred types of butterflies all over the tropical world around you. You can visit this place daily from 9.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
- Early-Bird Walks: This is a seasonal tour and you need to bring binoculars and wear comfortable shoes.
- Tram tours: It is a free tour that will introduce you to the gardens’ history and different types of plants. On weekends the timing is from 10 am to 4 pm and on weekdays the timing is from 10 am to 3 pm.
- Summer Camps: It is a fun activity which you can enjoy here wich your children.
- Dimare Science Village and Hasiao Labs: It is a scientific hub lab for tropical botany.
- Richard H. Simon’s rainforest: It is a forest where you can enjoy nature with waterfalls in two acres of waterfalls.
- GateHouse Museum: The first building of the garden which is a two-story building and has a great architectural touch.
- Palm and Cycad collection: There are more than 1500 Palm and 700 Cycad accessions planted in the garden.
- Whitman Tropical fruit pavilion: It contains the world’s rarest fruit trees in the garden.
- The Edible Garden: You can discover many types of easy to grow vegetables in your garden and some best fruits to select for your garden.
- Lougheed Spiny Forest of Madagascar: You can witness some of the wonderful plans that are found in Madagascar spiny desert.
- The Arboretum: In this area, you will find over 700 tropical flower trees from all over the world in an organized way.
- Vine Pergola and Geiger Tropical Flower Garden: It is a historic stone and wood structure of 700 feet long and it is within the Arboretum.
- Tropical Plant Conservatory and Rare Plant House: You will find some of the rare plants of the world here.
- Sibley Victoria Pool: You will witness here the Victoria water lily.
- Allee and Overlook and Bailey Palm Glade: It is a nice place with breathtaking views. Do not forget to bring cameras.
In the lowlands, you will be able to visit some other places which take around 60 acres of land.
- Garden Club of America Amphitheater
- Jewels of the Caribbean
- The Keys Coastal Habitat
- Pine Rockland
- Water Gardens
On the other hand, you can witness various types of blooming plants that are listed by the experts of the garden every month. So that the visitors can see 12 months of blooming plants.
Finally, Fairchild offers a photography opportunity to visitors by providing photographers. You can also have a self-guided walk tour inside the garden.
Way to get there
You can go to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in many ways from different places. From Miami International Airport the driving distance is around 31 minutes and from North Beach, the distance is about 40 minutes driving. Additionally, public transport is available from different places to the Garden. You just need to inform the driver about your destination and ask him to get you to the garden entrance. Moreover, the taxi service is also available from different places in Miami.
The education program of the garden
The garden has different types of education programs for the general people that are from preschool to Ph.D. If you are interested you can visit their website.
Dine at the place
There are numerous restaurants and cafés inside the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. You can choose any of the cafés to sit with your family.
- The Glasshouse café by Le Basque
- Lakeside café
- The Edible Garden
- The Shop at Fairchild Proudly offers Starbucks
- Sunday Brunch t Fairchild
- Teas at Fairchild
- Staying Hydrated
The gift shop at Fairchild
You can buy various types of gift items from the shop inside the garden. You can get jewelry, books, gift cards, stationery, and many more things. Moreover, you can also have a look at the items that are available at the shop from their website.
Lastly, you can spend a full day inside the garden doing different activities. To spend a great weekend, Fairchild tropical botanic garden is one of the best places in Miami.
