Museum Visit: Pinecrest Gardens

I chose to visit Pinecrest Gardens for the Landscapes and Cities museum visit. 

Before becoming Pinecrest Gardens, this site was once the “Parrot Jungle Historic District”. Parrot Jungle was founded in 1936 by Franz and Louise Scherr and became a world-famous tourist attraction, one of the first and oldest surviving in Florida. Pinecrest Gardens was dedicated as a municipal park by the Village Council on March 8, 2003. In 2009, it was designated a department of the Village government. Pinecrest Gardens received historic designation on October 17, 2011 when the U.S. Department of the Interior placed the property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Parrot Jungle, now Pinecrest Gardens was at one time an oasis for tropical birds and a getaway for tourists. The district encompasses 15 aces and includes original attractions from the former Parrot Jungle habitat and park. Parrot Jungle was founded in 1936 and was home to animal attractions, walkways, and exotic landscape architecture. The park was renamed Pinecrest Gardens when Parrot Jungle and its animal attractions moved to another site. Pinecrest Gardens still features over 1,000 varieties of rare and exotic tropical plants and palm trees in a native tropical hardwood and cypress setting.

Mission Statement:

Pinecrest Gardens celebrates, cultivates and conserves South Florida’s rich botanical heritage. We enrich our community through historic preservation; demonstrate a commitment to nature through education, community service, sustainability; and provide an entertainment destination that fosters artistic excellence, diversity and spirit of community.

 The botanical garden is about 81 years old. The attraction opened on December 20, 1936, to about 100 visitors, each paying 25 cents admission to see and hear Scherr talk about his birds, trees and flowers. Pinecrest Gardens is one of the most significant cultural assets in South Florida and still serves as a beacon for the residents of the small Pinecrest community.  It functions as a model of excellence in preservation, civic engagement and community building for surrounding communities.