Epic Travel → North America → The South → Florida → Tampa Bay Area → Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Time Required: 2 – 4 hours

Red Tape/Notes: Open daily 10am – 5pm, tickets are $20 per adult. For more information, visit their website.

What’s Nearby?: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, The Ringling, Sarasota Honey Company

Selby Gardens grew out of one woman’s love of gardening: Bill and Marie Selby bought 7 acres on Sarasota Bay in the early 1920’s, and Marie began designing and cultivating the property’s gardens. On her death in 1971, she left the estate to the community, to be maintained as a botanical garden. The property has since doubled in size, and now includes a museum in addition to eight greenhouses, including the centerpiece Tropical Conservatory where you can see orchids, bromeliads, and many other exotic epiphytes (the gardens specializes in epiphytic plants).

Epic Travel → North America → The South → Florida → Tampa Bay Area → Marie Selby Botanical Gardens