McKee Jungle Gardens

McKee Jungle Gardens (HM1QQI)

Location: Vero Beach, FL 32962 Indian River County
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Country: United States of America
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N 27° 36.47', W 80° 22.942'

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Inscription
This is the original site of McKee Jungle Gardens, one of Florida's earliest tourist attractions. McKee Gardens was founded in 1932 by Vero Beach pioneer Waldo Sexton and Cleveland industrialist Arthur G. McKee. They engaged William Lyman Phillips, a landscape architect who designed Fairchild Tropical Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens, to enhance and develop the 80 acres of dense tropical vegetation. The gardens contained a collection of native and imported tropical plants, an aviary, resident monkeys, and an alligator named "Ole Mac." One of the most impressive components of Phillips' design was the magnificent Cathedral of Palms, a colossal stand of more than 300 royal palms planted in precise rows. At its height of popularity the garden attracted 100,000 visitors annually, but closed in 1976, unable to compete with the allure of new theme parks nearby. Most of the acreage became a golf course and condominiums. The remaining 18 acres, now known as McKee Botanical Garden, were saved from destruction by the Indian River Land Trust and the citizens of Indian River County, and serves as an example of environmental stewardship and horticulture inspiration.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places - January 1998
Florida Heritage Landmark
Details
HM NumberHM1QQI
Tags
Marker NumberF-403
Year Placed1999
Placed ByThe Indian River Land Trust, Indian River County Historical Society, Indian River County Tourist Development Council and The Florida Department of State
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, February 15th, 2016 at 5:01pm PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 560946 N 3053913
Decimal Degrees27.60783333, -80.38236667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 27° 36.47', W 80° 22.942'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds27° 36' 28.2" N, 80° 22' 56.52" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)772
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 20A Vista Gardens Trail, Vero Beach FL 32962, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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