Explore a large variety of tropical plants in all shapes, sizes and shades during your visit to this Miami botanical garden. Scenic tours with expert volunteer guides run year-round and offer an introduction to the garden’s history, mission and plant collections. Enjoy delectable food at one of Fairchild’s award-winning dining options. If time permits, stop by the Shop at Fairchild, carrying a variety of gifts and keepsakes.
Garden Exhibits
The Fairchild Botanic Garden’s exhibits and collections can be found throughout its Uplands and Lowlands. At 23-acres, the Uplands is more formal by design and features the botanical garden’s conservatories, labs, restroom facilities and The Shop at Fairchild, while the Lowlands is significantly less formal, offering a more naturalized botanical experience throughout its 60 acres.
The Uplands
Wings of the Tropics
Discover Wings of the Tropics in The Clinton Family Conservatory. Enter into an exotic paradise home to thousands of beautiful butterflies including the Blue Morpho, Owl Bamboo, Page and Leopard Lacewing. Butterfly releases occur twice daily, offering you the opportunity to see the butterflies up close.
DiMare Science Village and Hsiao Labs
Visit state-of-the-art science center, DiMare Science Village and Hsiao Labs, for a lesson in tropical botany. The center was opened in 2012 and revolves around a collection of over 3,000 butterflies, exotic orchids and tropical plants. Take a look at Fairchild’s labs through large windows. Scientists are happy to answer questions about Fairchild’s various conservation science initiatives.
Richard H. Simons Rainforest
Experience the plants and environment of the world’s dwindling rainforest ecosystems. The Richard H. Simmons Rainforest is home to streams that wind through two acres of waterfalls, tropical palms, orchids and lush foliage.
Lisa D. Anness South Florida Butterfly Garden
In the Lisa D. Anness Butterfly Garden you will encounter over 30 different species of native butterflies. Walk through the garden and watch as these winged wonders interact with hundreds of butterfly nectar and larval host plants.
Gate House Museum
The oldest building on the garden’s grounds is the Gate House Museum. Built in 1938 of limestone and wood, the two-story structure was originally occupied by the grounds keeper. Compare the iconic building to others on the grounds like the Shehan Visitor Center, DiMare Science Village and Glass House Café and see how it clearly set the architectural aesthetic for the buildings erected after it at Fairchild’s.
Palm and Cycad Collection
Wander the tropical palms and rare cycads of the Palm and Cycad Collection. The collection includes 1,500 palm accessions while the cycad collection includes representations of many of the world’s 315 species.
Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion
See, feel and taste some of the most exotic tropical fruit species of Borneo, the Amazon, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia in the Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion. Popular species include mangosteen, durian, chocolate and vanilla.
The Edible Garden
The Edible Garden was originally created to interpret the tropical fruit program and research at the botanical garden. Learn what vegetables, herbs and tropical fruits are best to grow in your garden and just how easy it can be to put delicious, freshly grown food on your table.
Lougheed Spiny Forest of Madagascar
Discover the plants found in Madagascar’s spiny desert and learn about the destruction of these natural areas in Lougheed Spiny Forest of Madagascar. The exhibit showcases the variety of unusual and rare plants found in the threatened habitat of which 95 percent are found nowhere else in the world.
The Arboretum
The Arboretum at Fairchild’s boasts 12 acres of over 700 species of tropical flowering trees and shrubs from around the world. Explore tropical flowering trees and shrubs arranged by plant family and showcasing the magnificent diversity of form, structure, texture, color and fragrance.
Tropical Plant Conservatory and Rare Plant House
Explore the Tropical Plant Conservatory and Rare Plant House. Among the tropical and rare plants you will come across fantastic blooms, red-trunked palms, massive tree ferns, rare cycads, unusual vines, gorgeous orchids, the Corchid Tree, exotic fish and much more.
Sibley Victoria Pool
The Sibley Victoria Pool is one of the only in the U.S. to showcase the Victoria water lilies outdoors. The Victoria cruziana and the Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ are native to South America with a leaf span from 12 to 40 inches. Their flowers bloom white on day one, pink on the second day and die off the third day.
The Lowlands
Jewels of the Caribbean
Jewels of the Caribbean is a large exhibit featuring a scientifically important collection of plants, trees and shrubs from the Caribbean, including the Bahama islands.
The Key Coastal Habitat
The Key Coastal Habitat is a densely-planted collection of plants native to South Florida and the Florida Keys. Specifically designed to attract migratory birds and other wildlife, you might just spot a painted bunting or tiny warbler as you explore 4 acres of mangroves.
Pine Rockland
Discover how South Florida was once densely populated by the now endangered pine rockland habitat. Only two percent of the pine rockland habitat remains and Fairchild’s is dedicated to saving the pine rockalnd ecosystem and its many plants. Explore an endangered pine rockland habitat and learn about Fairchild’s efforts to save them.
Shopping and Dining at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
The Shop at Fairchild
Stop by the Shop at Fairchild, located in the Shehan Visitor Center. In the shop you will find an extensive array of botanical and horticultural books in the region and a wide variety of unique gifts, educational children’s toys, jewelry, apparel and home and garden items.
Award Winning Dining Options
Take a break during your visit to the Fairchild Botanic Garden at one of its award-winning dining options. The Glasshouse Café serves tropical fare and offers panoramic views into the Wings of the Tropics exhibit. Lighter on-the-go options and stunning lakeside seating can be found at Lakeside Café. Starbucks coffee and breakfast options are available for purchase from The Shop at Fairchild.
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens is ADA compliant.
- Binoculars are available for rent from the Information Desk at The Shop at Fairchild, giving you the chance to see closer views of Fairchild’s birds, butterflies and blooms.