A delight to visit when we were kids, Sunken Gardens is now a county park preserving more than a century’s worth of botanical beauty in the city of St. Petersburg.
An oasis that began by reclaiming the bottom of a sinkhole, it weaves winding trails through lush tropical plantings and waterfalls.
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Overview
Location: St. Petersburg
Trailhead: 27.790007,-82.63789
Address: 1825 4th St North, St. Petersburg
Fees: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6 ages 2-11
Land Manager: City of St. Petersburg
Phone: 727-551-3102
Open Mon-Sat 10-4:30, Sun noon-4:30. Free parking. Gardens may close during bad weather.
Directions
Following Interstate 375 into downtown St. Petersburg, merge onto 4th Avenue North. Turn left onto 3rd Street North and make a left from that onto 5th Avenue North. Turn right onto 4th Street North and follow it north for 0.8 mile to the entrance on the right.
About the Park
Established in 1903 by George Turner Sr. in the bottom of a sinkhole, Sunken Gardens incorporates both tropical and native plantings.
The mixture creates a lush palette of colors, textures, and aromas. Mazy pathways across the six acres keep you entertained with niche gardens and walls of blooms.
Significant among the flora here are the bougainvillea and Cuban royal palms, some of the oldest in Florida.
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos of Sunken Gardens
Nearby Adventures
Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum A lush oasis on St. Petersburg's Tampa Bay waterfront, the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum features a bounty of palm species in a small space.
Florida Botanical Gardens Walk through the garden gates into a wonderland of sensory stimulation. With nearly 180 acres in the heart of Largo, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a place for peaceful immersion. 
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Once a zoo in St. Petersburg, Boyd Hill Park has three miles of trails looping through a mosaic of natural habitats and tropical landscapes along Lake Maggiore.
Sawgrass Lake Park Explore a maple swamp and an oak hammock on a pair of family-friendly loops along boardwalks and footpaths that lead to a tower on Sawgrass Lake.