Montgomery Botanical Center is a 120 acre garden, and it is such a private place that it is only…read moreopen about once or twice a year for the public. It is a nonprofit garden that was established in 1959. They specialize in conservation and collection of live specimens worldwide, especially those that are in risk of extinction. They concentrate on palms mostly. Research and education is their mission, in keeping with the legacy of Robert and Nell Montgomery, who loved cycads and palms and after whom the place is named. This couple is the same couple behind the founding of Fairchild Tropical Garden. MBC collects seeds from around the world and then germinates the plants for study and growth. MBC cooperates with many botanical institutions and countries around the world. I came for a tour during their annual plant sale. Several vendors were selling and educating the public on various exotic plants. Admission was only $5 each, and we got to take a tour. The tour is not on foot, your only option is to take a golf cart tour, provided by one of the volunteers. The entire tour is on a moving vehicle, so photo opportunities may be few. The estate on the grounds is beautiful, as are the bodies of water, the views, the pretty green acreage of land, and all the birds on site, such as peacocks. The tour is very short, perhaps 10 minutes or so. MBC's plant collections must comply with the following four core principles: -Plants must have scientific, conservation, and/or educational value; -Have a reasonable chance of growing on the property; -Be maintained following exemplary horticultural practices; and -Be incorporated into the collection in an aesthetically pleasing landscape design. A great way to spend a relaxing afternoon, while exploring a hidden gem in South Florida, a garden whose existence is practically unknown.

A private nonprofit botanical museum, and another legacy associated with Fairchild Gardens. This…read morePalm and cycad repository was founded by Robert and Nell Montgomery in the early sixties, and it has a number of rare and commercially unavailable species. They promote research dedicated to maintaining these plants within the landscape and to preserve them in the wild. They serve as a friend to the ornamental industry, conservationists, and rare plant aficionadoes alike. While they are not generally open to the public (and their gates are locked on most days), a number of educational and volunteer opportunities do exist. Please visit their website for more information, and/or to arrange a tour of the facilities: http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/Pages/About.htm http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/Pages/Visit.htm

This is a sister garden of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, located in Coconut Grove. It's…read moregated and you have to reserve your time and ticket in advance on their website. On the day of my reservation, there was a high chance for downpours. I wish we had had more than 5 minutes to walk around before the heavens opened and it started pouring rain. We did make it over to the water, but didn't really get to see the whole garden other than the area where we parked. You'll only need an hour or less to see this place, it's small. Would I go out of my way to visit? No, but if you're in the area and looking for something new, then go for it. Entry was a bit annoying as I had to get out of the car to reach the buzzer to have the gate opened. No one was answering so we wasted 5 minutes just trying to get in. All in all, interesting little garden, but no where as spectacular as Fairchild.

The Kampong is open by advance reservation to visitors Tuesday through Friday and is a 9 acres (3.6…read moreha) botanical garden in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). An admission fee is charged,The fee is 18.00 The Kampong was bought as a winter home by the famed horticulturalist David Fairchild and his wife Marian in 1916.For many years he managed the Department of Plant Introduction program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., searching the world for plants that could be useful and successfully introduced into the United States. Fairchild introduced around 30,000 plant species and varietals into the U.S. At his home in Florida, Fairchild created a garden that contained many of the plants that he obtained throughout his trips. In 1931 Marian's sister Elsie and her husband, Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, acquired the adjoining property on the north to use as their winter home.Fairchild and his wife made the Kampong their permanent home from 1928 until their deaths in 1954 and 1962 respectively. A year after David Fairchild's wife's death, the land was purchased by Catherine Hauberg Sweeney, a botanist and preservationist.[4] Sweeney maintained Fairchild's garden and was vital in its preservation for future use and study, securing its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1984 Sweeney donated the property to the then Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (now National Tropical Botanical Garden), and remained its principal sponsor until her death in 1995. The Kampong's first director from July 1996 to February 1998, Thomas Lodge, oversaw completion of The Fairchild-Sweeney House renovations. He also was key in researching David Fairchild's role in the establishment of Everglades National Park. Larry Schokman served as Mrs. Sweeney's superintendent for 11 years, until 1984 when The Kampong became part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), and Schokman became an NTBG employee. As director of horticulture and then assistant director under Lodge, Schokman maintained a close working and personal relationship with Sweeney until her death in 1995. He became director of The Kampong in 1998 and retired in August 2007. He died in October 2017. Following Schokman, David Lee was director of The Kampong from 2007 to 2009. Lee was formerly the chair of biological sciences at Florida International University, where he worked for 26 years. Lee helped to safeguard The Kampong's southern boundary from development encroachment, and provided guidance for The Kampong's board of governors. In 2009, Ann Parsons took on the role of director of The Kampong. Formerly the director of education at Norfolk Botanical Garden, Parsons, along with curator of living collections David T. Jones, were tasked with preserving the rich legacy of The Kampong while planning for the future. They are doing just that--in 2011, more than 5,000 guests visited the historic estate and garden through tours, educational programs and special events. Michael Maunder was Director from 2013 to 2016. Craig Morell, formerly the horticulturist at Pinecrest Gardens became the Director of The Kampong in 2017, retiring in May 2022. Appealing to a wider spectrum of visitors than ever before, The Kampong is an urban oasis with over 1200 species of fruit trees, palms, ethnobotanical plants and teaching collections for botanical study. These visitors are key in helping spread The Kampong message about the importance of protecting, preserving, and studying tropical plants. Today the Kampong's living collections include tropical fruits including pomelo, 23 cultivars of avocado, and 65 varieties of mango, palms, flowering trees, ficus, aroids, and bamboo.This garden serves as the mainland campus for the NTBG. In addition to the diverse living collections which are the core of The Kampong, there are living quarters for researchers and scientists, as well as meeting facilities for larger groups. The site is also well configured for weddings and outdoor functions of all varieties. The Fairchild-Sweeney House - designed by architect Edward Clarence Dean, constructed in 1928,as a combination of Spanish and Southeast Asian influences. A later renovation to the home incorporated more modern features and added a second floor over a portion of the home, resulting in an unusual blend of styles. Visitors included Thomas Edison and Henry

We decided to do something spontaneous and heard about the botanical garden right next to our home,…read moreso figured we would take a stroll. It was lovely! From the moment you walk in you see a pond small cascading waterfall. As you walk in you start seeing beautiful canopies filled with purple flowers leading into a bamboo forest. This park is perfect for strolls and you can event rent out the gazebos for small parties or get together. As well as, free gazebos for hanging out. One of Hialeah Gardens hidden gems!!

Was looking for a peaceful, less crowded park in my area and, minus the mosquitos and bugs, was met…read morewith that! I went at around 5PM on a weekday to snap photos and relax, there were very few people around. There are several tiki huts with tables around for picnicking. I was a rookie and didn't bring any bug spray, so I couldn't really risk sitting around the water--the mosquitos instantly come out to bite. There's also a cute little maze, but go in at your own risk, there's spiders hiding! Very well kept garden/park, will be returning :)

Love this quirky unimaginable place in the heart of a neighborhood. Came as a treat during a…read moreteachers work day with the kids. It was a great experience. Went back on a Sunday with treats for the animals. The kids had fun feeding the different ones. Playing on the rope swing and punching the bag and being able to explore. An awesome place just to wind down and relax for a bit.

This aerial yoga class at the rescue animal farm in Miami is truly outstanding! The instructor is…read morefriendly, creating a relaxing atmosphere in this unique setting surrounded by rescue animals. The space is well-designed, and the class is expertly guided. My only suggestion would be to avoid storing the equipment directly in the bags; allowing them to air or be washed at the end of the day would be awesome as they smell per bad

This review is based on the look of the building and the three outside relics, as the place was…read moreshut when I visited. See below for information of this Museum. Also while you are here you are very close to the Botanical gardens located at the Westland park. (see my other review) The City of Hialeah Gardens was awarded a $1 million grant from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs for the construction of a new one-story, 5,300 square foot building honoring the noble efforts of the 2506 Assault Brigade during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. A total of 1,113 fighters were captured by Castro's forces and were kept prisoners for 20 months. When they were released they were greeted as heroes in Miami. The 5,300 square foot museum will pay homage to these heroes who so bravely and honorably fought for the freedom of their homeland. The museum boasts several exhibition areas including a library with memorabilia from the failed invasion, which resulted in more than 100 deaths. On display along the walls of the new space will be over 800 photographs from the CIA-backed invasion of Cuba to topple Fidel Castro in 1961. Replicas of some of the weapons used in the battle will also be on exhibit as well as countless relics of the era. The Hialeah Gardens Museum Honoring Brigade 2506 was successful last year, with the support of cultural exchanges between the United States and the government of Guatemala to permanently transfer one of the B-26 bombers used during training of Cuban exiles for the Bay of Pigs invasion. Also on display, after four years of efforts, the museum working with the United States Army (TACOM) managed to acquire an M41 Walker Bulldog Tank, of the same make and model as the five tanks used the 2506 as part of the historic attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro in April 1961. Mayor Yioset De La Cruz highlighted the efforts that have been made to enrich the museum's exhibition and added that the museum will help new generations become informed and understand the sacrifice made by the members of the 2506 Brigade.

Great little museum. It was a nice entertaining and educational visit. It's not busy on weekdays…read moreduring the morning hours so we took out time visiting the museum.

Decided to park here after seeing the giant Botero sculptures outside, unsure if this was a sales…read moregallery or museum. There were two guys painting outside so we asked if we could leave our car there and enter, and they said "absolutely". We were buzzed in and greeted at the front by a lady who was sitting at the front desk. We were unsure if we needed to pay or not but she just told us we could walk around. Inside we were able to see art from different artists from all countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Cuba and Germany! There was a lot of art from Botero and Wilfredo Lam. It was really cool to be able to walk around freely and see all of the sculptures and paintings. We were the only people in there, aside from the employees. A hidden gem!

We came for a kid's birthday party, and I can't believe I hadn't been here or heard of it. This was…read morean awesome location for parties! It looked like it wanted to rain, but that's not an issue here as they have a large covered area in case of rain or harsh sunny days. The kids all loved the animals they got to see from goats, ostrich, macaws, and lemurs. Plus, they had a small train ride which was hit. As a guest, I must say this is on my list for birthday party locations.

I was invited to a kids birthday party at Ebenezer Family Farm and we had a blast. It's basically a…read moremini zoo with lots of cool animals. The facility is great for a kids birthday. Plenty of parking and the staff was very friendly.

Extremely disturbing experience…read more I visited The Ancient Spanish Monastery with a friend expecting to pay the advertised $10 admission. We simply wanted to visit the property and take normal pictures of each other while we were there -- no professional photographer, no equipment, and no commercial photoshoot. I was told that because I was "well dressed," I would need to pay over $300 to take pictures. I explained very clearly that this was NOT a professional photoshoot. What disturbed me most was the explanation I was given: I was told that if I had come wearing jeans and a shirt, I would not be charged the additional fee, but because I was wearing a long dress, jewelry, and had my makeup done, I looked like I had money and therefore could afford to pay more. I also felt racially profiled during this interaction and extremely uncomfortable with the assumptions being made about me. A visitor's admission or photography fee should not be determined by how expensive an employee thinks they look, what they are wearing, or how much money an employee assumes they have. If there is a legitimate photography policy, it should be clearly published and applied equally to everyone based on what they are doing -- not based on their clothing, jewelry, makeup, race, or perceived financial status. I came expecting to enjoy a historic and religious site. Instead, I left feeling singled out, judged, and discriminated against. For this to happen at a place of religious significance made the experience even more disappointing.

Visited on a weekday when there were very few visitors. This place is a hidden gem, so beautiful…read moreand peaceful to walk around and reflect. Short film on the history of, which is amazing!!! Definitely worth the stop.