The Sunken Gardens

The sunken Gardens is an example of commercial roadside attractions in Florida beginning in the 1930’s began as a roadside attraction in the 1930’s.  The Gardens are now owned by the city of St. Petersburg and are open for tours, special events and educational programs.  In 1903, plumber, George Turner purchased the property which included a lake ten feet below sea level.  He drained the lake and started planting papayas,  citrus and exotic plants. In 1925 he started a nursery and sold fruits and vegetables, but in 1935 he started charging admission to the gardens.  For twenty years, the gardens ranked among the top ten most commercial attractions in Florida. 

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