Nature Inspires Action
Mission
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is an urban oasis and micro forest in the heart of Miami Beach. Through immersive educational, wellness, and cultural programming, we create transformative experiences that empower individuals of all ages to become champions of our environment.
Garden Values
Inspired by Nature
We embrace the beauty and diversity of the natural world as a source of creativity, curiosity, and wonder-sparking new ideas and deeper connections with our surroundings.
Champions of Well-Being
We design spaces and programs that nourish the mind, and spirit - recognizing that time in nature is essential to human health and happiness.
Rooted in Community
We cultivate a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can gather, grow, and feel a sense of belonging-inside and outside of the Garden’s gates.
Driven by Respect
We honor the value of every person, plant, and place - recognizing our shared responsibility to care for each other and the Earth.
Committed to Learning
We believe education is a lifelong journey and empower individuals of all ages to explore plants, ecology, and sustainability through hands-on, immersive experiences.
Growing with Resilience
We adapt, evolve, and lead with optimism - ensuring the Garden remains a thriving, regenerative force for future generations.
A History of The Garden
In 1962, the City of Miami Beach created the “Garden Center” on a vacant site opposite the Miami Beach Convention Center, which had been built in 1957. Operated then as a city park, the Garden was situated on the historic Collins Canal, an integral part of the early development of Miami Beach. In the early 1900s, pioneer John Collins dug the canal to transport mangos and avocados (then called alligator pears) by boat to the Port of Miami from groves along what is now Pinetree Drive.
The Garden site itself was originally part of a golf course developed by Miami Beach pioneer developer, Carl Fisher. Fisher famously promoted tourism with the help of a baby elephant named Rosie, who in 1921 served as a golf caddy for vacationing President-elect Warren Harding.
By 1922, Miami Beach boasted the largest avocado and mango groves in the world, but the city’s agricultural roots would soon give way to the growing demands of the tourist trade. Over the decades, the area weathered economic downturns, World Wars, and devastating hurricanes. The Garden, once a local gem, had fallen into decline by the time of the Art Deco renaissance in the 1980s, and suffered further damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
A turning point came with the involvement of renowned landscape architect Raymond Jungles, who was commissioned to lead a major redesign of the Garden. Known for his tropical modernist style and commitment to ecological design, Jungles introduced a layout that emphasized native plants, water conservation, and a layered, immersive landscape experience. More importantly, he reimagined the Garden as a democratic space, one that was not just beautiful, but also inclusive, educational, and deeply rooted in the local environment.
Jungles brought true diversity to the Garden, not just through a wide array of native and exotic plant species, but also by opening up the space to serve a broad cross-section of the community. His design encouraged exploration and interaction, transforming the Garden from a passive green space into a dynamic civic resource.
Today, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a successful public-private partnership, owned by the City of Miami Beach and operated by the Conservancy. It stands as a living reflection of the city’s layered history—from agricultural roots and roaring tourism booms to cultural resilience and ecological renewal. Thanks to visionary leadership and community commitment, the Garden continues to thrive as a sanctuary for nature and community.
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