Hibiscus Herald (Summer 2009 Edition) NEW

Pinecrest Gardens selected as one of the best parks in Greater Miami

Pinecrest Gardens: A Five Year Vision

• The Splash 'N Play includes several water features for the enjoyment of children ages 2 - 12 and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to one hour prior to the park's closing.  There is a $3 admission fee for this activity.

• The Petting Zoo is open daily at at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. 

• The new Playground offers kids a wide variety of fun and exercise. 

• The park's Botanical Gardens offer some of the most beautiful and rare plants from around the world and enjoy Florida's wide variety of fauna at Swan Lake.

It has taken more than a half-century for Pinecrest Gardens to evolve into the lush oasis of towering banyans, natural streams, and panoramic landscapes that can inspire awe among its visitors.  The Village of Pinecrest welcomes all residents and neighbors to drop life’s pressures at the entrance to this historic park and take a stroll through paradise.  Spend a memorable day exploring the garden with your family or participate in a class, concert or lecture to enlighten your horizons and those of your children.  Pinecrest Gardens is the place where a community convenes for a formidable array of relaxation, social and enrichment opportunities.  Visit us and discover…the hidden treasure in your own backyard.

In the 1930s, Austrian born Franz Scherr envisioned building an attraction where birds would "fly free".  He rented twenty acres of hammock land for $25.00 per year and started developing the tourist attraction that would become Parrot Jungle.  A winding nature trail was dug through the coral rock and hammock land, leaving the natural flora untouched. An entrance building was built on Red Road.  On December 20, 1936, about 100 curious visitors paid 25 cents admission to see and hear Scherr describe his birds, trees and flowers.  Since 1936, Parrot Jungle attracted over a million visitors, including Sir Winston Churchill, and became a world-famous tourist attraction.  The attraction moved to Miami's Watson Island in 2002.  On December 17, 2002, the Village of Pinecrest completed the purchase of the Parrot Jungle property and began the transition towards developing the site as Pinecrest Gardens.  Pinecrest Gardens was dedicated by the Village Council on March 8, 2003 and was officially opened as a municipal park.