Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Florida Botanical Gardens

    4.7 (155 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Florida Botanical Gardens Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Florida Botanical Gardens

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Michelle M.

    Today was our first time visiting the Florida Botanical Gardens outside of the Christmas season. Without the Christmas decor, there wasn't much to see or do during our visit in late October and we left within half an hour of our arrival. The concession stand was closed on Sunday afternoon and there were only a few other people exploring the gardens. We spent the majority of our visit playing with the musical exhibits and the sandbox. My boys enjoyed the climbing areas and would have enjoyed the mud and water table, but we skipped both since they were wearing new shoes. I would try the park again in the spring, but this was a disappointing visit in October and I am glad they weren't collecting the $10 suggested donation since we didn't stay long. 5 stars at Christmas, but 2 stars when there are no flowers or Christmas lights.

    Map
    Christina T.

    Definitely worth a stop! During the holidays, they have a special event in the evenings from 5:30-9:30PM for the Christmas lights display ($10 suggested/recommended donation). We came for the regular botanical gardens in the day, but thought the Christmas trees were still a nice touch. They have various areas, like the tropical plants area, wedding garden, fruits and vegetables garden, and the wetlands walkway (among a few). Our favorite was the tropical plants area, which had a nice secluded trail. Our least favorite was the fruits and vegetables garden - maybe it was a bad season because everything looked dead when we were there. Admission is free to the public, thanks to the generous support of Pinellas County. A great place to visit with the family.

    Brandy D.

    Plenty of parking. Part of the gardens is closed Monday and Tuesday which we didn't know when we looked up the Botanical Garden. Admission is free. Beautiful gardens with butterfly garden and music garden as well as small nature trails. They had little gift shop with snacks and drinks as well. Donations are appreciated there is a little box outside that you can slide some cash or checks in there. Spent couple hours walking around will have to go back to check out the Heritage Village as that's a large portion of garden.

    The children's area with bamboo curtains
    Vanessa T.

    A hidden gem! Great for a nature stroll with lots of amazing plants, flowers and trees. They've just built a new children's discovery garden with interactive areas for kids that my daughter loves. We love to pick up some food and have a picnic here. The only downside is they close so early--around 5pm most days! We love to come here to take our annual Christmas photo.

    Jin J.

    There were so many different species to see. I loved the herb garden. Plenty of trees to provide some shade here and there but I recommend bringing water to stay hydrated and sunscreen.

    Monica F.

    This review is for the Florida Botanical Gardens Holiday light show. The light displays were very nice and festive. Well designed. Not many pictures since I read on one post site to not to take pictures but I se that many do take pictures. There were a few street performers set up playing music and some vendors and food trucks. A dj set up playing some swing music and many visitors dancing to the holiday swing toons. Some of the light displays were sponsored by a few local patrons. They were beautiful. This events hours are 5:30pm-9:30pm, outside of their typical 7am-5pm hours. I typically would give a place like this 5 stars but we had three negative interactions total with the staff at one entry point. One staff member on their way out to the parking lot as I was walking in said something like "this isn't a place for a dog!!" I fully researched this venue and it's dog friendly ( there were many other patrons with dogs there). I was behind our group of 7 since I took a few pictures before entering the grounds. One member of my party came back and said "I thought you said kids under 12 are free and $10pp donations recommended, they said it's $70 for all 7 of us" There were 4-5 staffed at the entry were walked in collecting money. We had one under 12 and for the staff member to go right on to say $70 appeared to be taking advantage of people. I decided for our group we would not be donating until we walked to another donation point or walked out. As I passed he snarkly said "thanks for your donation". Super unprofessional. We walked through another exit and as I was trailing our group and noticed that all these check in points were blocking the entry ways and the staff were all telling visitors the cost like it was an admissions table. This is confusing since the article I read said the event was free and donations were encouraged but something to do on a budget. On our way out we had one more negative comment from that staff member after they thought we were beyond hearing distance saying..."and that was the group that...". While it was fun and beautiful - I'm not sure I recommend anyone to support a staff like this.

    I think this is a Cordaline "Hawaiian" Ti plant, Just beautiful!
    Rich S.

    The Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo are a (free!) peaceful spot not far from the beaches geographically, but very far, nature-wise. There's parking on the east and west borders of the Gardens. We've taken many a stroll on winding paths among benches and tropical foliage (and no sand :-). We've seen interesting sculptures here and there, which change periodically. In March 2025, we had a family gathering of 20, and chose more-or-less opening-time here on a Wednesday so we could catch some picnic tables without any competition. There's a small patio near ample parking in the Majeed Discovery area, at the north end of the west side of the Gardens. That area has a playground, and at least one small building sometimes used for kids' activities. We had around six picnic tables to ourselves, and shared some family stories, with occasional passers-by listening in on the more entertaining ones. We brought some pastries and snacks, but note, alcohol isnt allowed. We posed for a photo by one of the sculptures, a remembrance of a pleasant casual lunch together.

    If this is a bench, it's too pretty to sit on
    Cynthia F.

    Today I visited the northern areas in this magnificent park. The park is too large to see everything in one visit. I saw the wedding garden which has many beautiful potted plants and architectural details. I loved the topiary garden. A large section of the northern area of the park is under construction. I look forward to seeing the results next winter. I'm not sure why it was closed, but the building near Ulmerton Rd that has restrooms was closed today.

    Rachel S.

    This place was much larger than I expected at least according to the map, and I ended up spending 1.5 hours meandering through the many trails. I like how all the paths are interconnected and easy to navigate. Plus free admission and direct access to the nearby Heritage Village/history outdoor museum. I was not expecting to see much when I went in January, but my camera had a huge fill! I got to see monarchs and monarch caterpillars in the butterfly garden, as well as great egrets, herons and an alligator in the ponds. Some of the trees in the tropical fruit garden were fruiting, and I saw mushrooms and woodpeckers along the nature trails. Hard to believe I saw that much in a park in such an urban area.

    Aubrey F.

    Beautiful as usual! The suggested donation has increased from $5 last year I believe to $10.

    Laura G.

    Hidden gem. We stopped by on vacay and the grounds just go on for days. Looks like they're under constructing for a cool kids area. Free and totally worth the stop.

    Hannah L.

    I highly recommend this garden! Take a stroll and wander around! Take your time. Be in wonder! I love this place! There is ample parking. The holiday season is magical here! Lights everywhere in every color! Thank you Largo Botanical Gardens for hosting us belly dancers this evening!! We greatly appreciate being able to perform for the Florida Botanical Gardens and giving your guests a holiday memory!

    We enjoyed strolling through the gardens. We especially liked the butterfly garden. We brought our dog who enjoyed the park as well!

    See all

    Photo of Cortney M.
    20
    42
    109

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Melissa E.
    142
    67
    46

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Wendy H.
    55
    23
    41

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chen W.
    9
    93
    20

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zach C.
    110
    220
    83

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gourmet G.
    96
    2097
    2097

    21 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Landy S.
    27
    43
    16

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Donna K.
    14
    116
    579

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Winnie L.
    45
    38
    83

    13 years ago

    Went to see the lights at the garden. There was a good variety of design and color. Worth the money. Good place to take children to.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C P.
    0
    1
    0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tnh N.
    11
    42
    24

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris M.
    80
    67
    46

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rachel S.
    119
    210
    6

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J H.
    0
    4
    4

    8 years ago

    Beautiful place for a stroll. Saw an alligator. Suspicious if it was real. Free. Would highly recommend a stop.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 4 of 4

    Ask the Community - Florida Botanical Gardens

    How long do the Christmas lights last this season?

    I do believe they ended yesterday.

    Do we need to reserve a ticket ahead of time before coming?

    No, the Florida Botanical Gardens is open to the public. Free admission, 7 am-5 pm daily, leashed pets welcome.

    View All 5 Questions

    Review Highlights - Florida Botanical Gardens

    We came here one afternoon when we were in town, we parked by the Heritage Village and quickly walked through there.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Folly Farm Nature Preserve

    Folly Farm Nature Preserve

    4.8
    (13 reviews)
    9.8 mi

    Foley Nature Preserve in Safety Harbor is a true hidden gem and an easy five-star experience…read more Tucked away in a quiet area, it's the kind of place that instantly slows things down and lets you enjoy a more peaceful side of Florida. The trails are well maintained and easy to walk, making it perfect for a relaxing stroll. Surrounded by native plants and shady trees, it feels like a little escape from the busier spots nearby. There's just enough nature here to make it interesting without being overwhelming, and it's great for spotting birds and enjoying some quiet time. What I really appreciated was how calm and uncrowded it felt. It's not one of those packed parks it's more of a low-key spot where you can clear your head, take a walk, and just enjoy being outside. Everything was clean and well cared for, which always makes a difference. If you're in the Safety Harbor area and looking for a peaceful place to walk or unwind, Foley Nature Preserve is definitely worth checking out. Simple, relaxing, and exactly what you want in a nature spot we'll be back for sure.

    Folly Farm Nature Preserve is acknowledged as containing the best native butterfly gardens in the…read morearea. Plus, there are monthly events and native plant sales on the second Saturday of the month, 9am-12pm! There is a nice long peaceful trail, a huge gnome, and even more to be discovered! What will you find? Even more, there are animals like rabbits and goats for kids to enjoy! Please check the hours for the animals since there are professional hosts to help the animals and yourself enjoy the experience. Plus, it's all 100% free thanks to the family that donated this huge property to the city, the city of Safety Harbor and the many Safety Harbor Garden Club volunteers. How do I know all this? Well, I started volunteering for the Safety Harbor Garden Club two years ago. It's a great group of folks who enjoy being outdoors, enjoy gardening, are incredibly knowledgeable, are willing to share their time, expertise and passion, and have contributed so much to this park as well as another! Life is great when you volunteer and help make a positive impact in your local community!

    Photos
    Giant swallowtail butterfly!
    Giant swallowtail butterfly!
    Caught a butterfly so we could show it to kids!
    Caught a butterfly so we could show it to kids!
    Folly Farm Nature Preserve

    See all

    Florida Botanical Gardens - gardens - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...