Visit Old Florida at the Sunken Gardens

Photo: Gerry Barker

By Gerry Barker
North Palm Beach Life

On the wall of my study is a large, 4 by 5-foot historical map of "old Florida." Our granddaughter, Cate, who loves maps, once told us after seeing it, "she wanted to go to Old Florida." While we don't have a time machine, you can, in a sense, have that experience.

Nothing defined "Old Florida" more than its roadside attractions: Reptile farms, alligator wrestling, mermaid shows. But one attraction that is still going strong after almost a hundred years is Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. We were there on American Cruise Lines’ 8-Day Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruise, on their newest small ship, American Legend.

The story behind the Sunken Gardens begins in 1911, when George Turner Sr. bought four acres of land for $600. A plumber and avid gardener, over the years he transformed what had been a sinkhole into a
beautiful landscape of tropical foliage, water features and flowers.

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