ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s considered one of the first real roadside attractions in the state of Florida. Sunken Gardens has been part of St. Pete’s history since 1911, and this month the city honored that tradition by opening a new history center on the grounds.
Sunken Garden’s current entrance is off of 4th Street, but in the 1940s, the public actually entered off of 18th Street.
All those years later, the building that housed the original entrance and gift shop is still there. So the city thought, "Why not restore it to become the new history center?"
Education Coordinator Jennifer Tyson said people have been enjoying the nature and beauty of Sunken Gardens for more than 100 years, so it only makes sense to open an exhibit dedicated to the history of this magical place.
The new history center takes visitors on the journey of George and Eula, a young couple starting out in St. Petersburg who turned the private family oasis into a world-renowned tourist attraction.
“It was a sinkhole, and they knew that this land was really rich in mucky soil," Tyson said. "They were in love with each other, but they were also in love with their plants. [The exhibit has] videos and documents and photos that really no one has ever seen before because they were donated to us by the Turner family themselves."
There are also plenty of photos exploring Sunken Garden’s pop culture history, featuring the likes of Merv Griffin and Arnold Palmer.
“It was really hopping in the '50s, '60s and early '70s,” Tyson said.
She also loves to point out all the times the garden almost closed.
“The residents of St. Petersburg voted to save the gardens by taxing themselves. That story is so inspiring to people,” Tyson said.
The community continues to step up. Tens of thousands of dollars in grant money and donations went into restoring the old entrance and gift shop into the new history center.
The history center is part of a regular admission ticket and is currently open to the public.
