Jonathan grew up in Miami, but we haven’t visited in several years, so when we recently traveled there for a fencing tournament, we decided to take a couple of extra days to introduce the girls to some of the unique activities that South Florida has to offer. One of the places that we visited was Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a stunning botanic garden in Miami, Florida. Named after educator, scientist, and plant explorer David Fairchild, this garden is a lush oasis in the middle of the city, eighty-three acres of lakes, mangroves, tropical fruit trees, orchids, native plants, and a variety of wildlife. Below we share a guide to visiting, including things to do, tips for visiting, and which exhibits we enjoyed most!
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. All opinions are our own.
A BREATHTAKING BOTANIC GARDEN IN MIAMI
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located off of Old Cutler Road in Miami and open daily from 10am-5pm. Free parking is located right next to the entrance at the Shehan Visitor Center. You can buy tickets upon arrival or online ahead of time. A quick tip: if you are a member of another botanic garden in the United States, check to see if it is part of the American Horticultural Society. The AHS Garden Network allows reciprocal admission at participating gardens, and Fairchild is one of the 380 participating gardens. We are members at a different botanic garden in Florida and were able to get reciprocal admission to Fairchild.
Once you arrive, make sure to grab a map or download the app to help navigate the expansive eighty-three acres. Some of the paths are paved but others are not, so we definitely recommend wearing comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes. If you do not want to walk to all the exhibits or would like a more in-depth tour, Fairchild offers free 45-minute narrated tram rides where experts share about the garden’s history and different plant collections. Please note that these tram tours begin at 11am and you can obtain a schedule from an associate in the gift shop at the entrance.
Another quick tip: pack sunscreen and bug spray! Although there are many shaded walkways throughout the garden, there are also many that are not and the South Florida sun is fierce. We remembered sunscreen but made the mistake of forgetting bug spray, and within twenty minutes of arriving we’d been bitten by mosquitoes multiple times, so we dashed back to the gift shop at the entrance to purchase some repellant. Don’t be like us and plan ahead!
WHAT TO DO AT FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami is filled with engaging exhibits, from a mist-filled rainforest and striking aquatic gardens to edible fruit pavilions and a conservatory where you can view more than forty species of breathtaking butterflies fluttering among a dramatic display of tropical plants. There are plenty of things to do based on your interests. Visit a greenhouse where you can view rare, exotic plants; stroll around Royal Palm Lake among a variety of more than 500 species of palm trees; or peruse the Gate House Museum and learn about the historic building’s origins and architectural heritage. For families with young children, the Children’s Garden is themed to encourage children’s interaction with nature. There is no plastic playground equipment here: the Children’s Garden uses only natural elements for children to climb and crawl through to inspire a connection with nature.
On their website, Fairchild recommends allowing two and a half hours to see the entire garden, and we found this to be pretty accurate, so plan accordingly if you want to see all of the different collections. A few of our favorites were the Arid and Succulent Garden, the Tropical Flowering Tree Arboretum, and the Wings of the Tropics Exhibit. Located in the Clinton Family Conservatory, this exhibit showcases hundreds of tropical plants and exotic butterflies from Central and South America. The blue morphos were especially stunning. Several were congregating on a plate of ripe bananas, and we spent many minutes anxiously waiting for one to fan its wings so we could capture a picture of their brilliant blue color!
We also really enjoyed strolling along the paths lined with palm trees that wind around the multiple lakes. We saw a variety of wildlife around the lakes, including a great blue heron and a multitude of iguanas (which are invasive in Florida, but the girls got a kick out of spotting them and Hadassah practiced her photography by trying to capture them on camera).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING
If you will be at the garden during lunch time, Fairchild has a couple of options. The Glasshouse Café is located near the Wings of the Tropic Exhibit and offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. Because Fairchild allows you to bring in your own food, we chose to pack a picnic and eat at the picnic tables located just inside the garden close to the Visitor Center. There was plenty of shade, and the girls enjoyed watching the iguanas scamper up and down the trees as we ate.
Fairchild also hosts multiple special events throughout the year, from dog-friendly “Dog Dates” and weekend festivals to plant sales and holiday-themed happenings, so don’t forget to check their upcoming events here as you’re planning your visit. During our visit, we got to enjoy the Bugging Out exhibit, where giant animatronic bugs were placed among the foliage throughout the garden. The girls did not mind posing with the termite pictured below, but they were not fans of the giant pink praying mantis! (I think it reminded them of the Goosebumps book A Shocker on Shock Street.)
Overall, we really enjoyed strolling through the stunning sanctuary that is Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. This botanic garden in Miami is unique because of its combination of rare tropical plant collections and immersive exhibits, and we highly recommend stopping by if you are visiting South Florida.
Did you find this article helpful? Please leave us a comment or click below to share with others!
Sarah
I am the main writer and website designer for Florida Unveiled. I love the parts of Florida visitors don’t often see: the tea-colored water that flows in cypress-laden rivers; the chorus of frogs after a hard rain; the rustle of palmetto as an unseen creature scampers by. Some of my favorite places in Florida are the Everglades, the Keys, Smyrna Dunes Park, Bok Tower Gardens, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and St. Augustine’s Historic District.
