McKee Botanical Gardens located in Vero Beach is an 18 -acre lush jungle landscape, which supports Florida's most extraordinary botanical collections.
McKee was founded in 1928, closed in 1976, and then reopened in 2002. Reviving and now improving the garden has been a Vero Beach community project.
The story behind the Mckeen Botanical Gardens goes as such:
When Waldo E. Sexton and business partner Arthur McKee bought this property, their plan was to clear it for citrus groves. Instead, Sexton, brought in well-known landscape architect William Lyman Phillips to design a series of ponds and waterfalls and vistas. Good friend David Fairchild (of Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami) supplied exotic plants. And soon, newly mobile Americans driving down U.S. 1 to South Florida were stopping and visiting McKee Garden by the thousands.
Like most mid-century roadside attractions, McKee Garden could not compete with the likes of Disney. With freeways, few drove by its gates and in 1976, McKee Garden closed.
Most of the land became condos and golf courses. A mere 18 acres, including the historic McKee Garden Hall of Giants, lay dormant until a citizen campaign in the 1990s succeeded in raising money and purchasing it.
Since then, McKee Botanical Garden has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and devoted Vero Beach donors and volunteers have helped preserve, restore and replant.
Map of McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach
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What a neat place! So glad it was saved and restored - we need more of these "pocket parks" where people can wander through in a morning or afternoon without worry about exhaustion or crowds. Thanks so much for the views of this little gem!☺️
ReplyDeleteAs always thank you for your comments. I always look forward to reading them. I am in agreement with you as far as having more pocket parks as you call it. Fun place to walk around and open one's eyes. 😉
DeleteIt only takes one determined person to set the ball rolling, so lucky they saved what was left. Beautiful place. They don't need the "artworks" though, in my opinionated opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree the place is a great locations to just roam around...no need for the extras. I wonder what it will look like when in full bloom.
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