Visiting Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Florida
Looking for a fun and educational place to visit with the kids near Fort Lauderdale, Florida? Then make sure you add Flamingo Gardens to your list of things to do with kids in Fort Lauderdale. This 60-acre wildlife sanctuary with of lush gardens filled with native species of Florida plants and exotic trees along with wildlife and wildlife encounters.
Visiting Flamingo Gardens in Fort Lauderdale Florida
While technically located in Davie, Florida it is only a short drive to Flamingo Gardens from Fort Lauderdale.
When you are visiting the Flamingo Gardens I will tell you off the bat this location is super low key. It is not a fancy place by any means but it was for sure a place the kids enjoyed going to. We were able to have a relaxing walk around the grounds, watch the live animal show, and enjoy some slow-moving (which was much needed at this point in our trip) but fun time as we explored the grounds.
The best way to explore is to check out all of the wildlife and the live animal shows. Once you have done the animals, make visits to the gardens including the Hummingbird Garden, Croton Garden, Bromeliad Garden, and Main Arboretum. From there make sure you get on the narrated gardens tour that takes you through all the gardens.
If you are a family like ours that homeschools and uses travel as a way for the kids to learn, this is a great place for the kids to visit. There is a lot of learning to be had while exploring. My kids loved checking out the birds of prey and then
What is Flamingo Gardens?
Flamingo gardens wildlife sanctuary is a nonprofit botanical gardens along with a wildlife sanctuary for Florida’s native wildlife and non-releasable birds. Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest botanical gardens and animal sanctuaries in south Florida.
While visiting you will get to see over 3,000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. You will also get to meet the animal ambassadors of Flamingo gardens that include wildlife that has been rescued and now live at the gardens because they can not survive in the wild.
Why it is a great place to take kids
- Animals. Kids always love animals and there are plenty of animals to see when you visit. My kids loved the animal encounter show where they got to see the animals and learn about them. If you want to get close up to the animals and learn even more you can take part in the animal encounters that they offer.
- Tram ride. All kids love rides and the tram ride takes you thru the gardens.
- Easy walking. The walking paths make it easy for the kids to walk and if you have younger kids with you then you can also easily push a stroller.
- Fun pictures. My kids love taking pictures and they enjoyed taking photos of the animals, with the plants and of course with the Florida flamingos we saw.
What does Flamingo Gardens have?
Flamingo gardens everglades wildlife sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Florida natural wildlife including alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacocks, and flamingos!
There is also a 60 acre botanical garden that features over 3,000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. You can view this by walking around the grounds and with the narrated tram tour.
You can also take a tour of the Historic Wray Home Museum with a guided tour or a self-guided tour. This home was built in 1933 and it is the oldest residence in Broward County west of University Drive.
You can also book tours to explore more. There are a few different tours and close up animal encounters that you can book.
What tour options are there at Flamingo Gardens?
If you want to have a tour guide instead of exploring on your own there are a few different options for guided tours.
VIP Experience Tour at Flamingo Garden
- A three hour private tour with your own guide for up to five people
- Narrated Tour by Tram
- Golf cart visit to the Wetlands
- Guided tour of the Historic Wray Home (pictured)
- Tour of the Wray Botanical Collection of over 3,000 plant species
- Visit to the Wildlife Sanctuary and Aviary
- Lunch at the Flamingo Cafe
- Unlimited beverage breaks
- $25.00 Gift Certificate for the Flamingo Gardens Gift Shop
VIP Tour Experience at Flamingo Gardens
- A four hour tour with your own guide for up to five people (price listed is per person)
- Narrated tour by tram
- Golf cart visit to the Wetlands
- Behind the scenes visit with Josh the Bear and our Florida Panthers
- Wildlife Encounter Show
- Guided tour of the historic Wray Home (pictured)
- Lunch at the Flamingo Cafe
- Beverage breaks
- $25.00 Gift Certificate for the Flamingo Gardens Gift Shop
- Be up close and personal with a surprise from our Animal Care Team, with one of our animal ambassadors!
VIP Garden Tour at Flamingo Gardens
A 75-minute golf cart tour for 1-5 people with the Director of Horticulture.
What animal encounter tours are at Flamingo Gardens?
- Reptile Encounter. You will get to learn and interact with three kinds of reptiles and meet baby alligators, snakes, and a blue tongue skunk.Â
- Flamingo Encounter. Get hands-on with a flamingo and get to feed him. You will also learn about Flamingos while in this animal encounter.
- Bear encounter. You will get to go behind the scenes to meet the resident black bear Josh and learn about Black Bears, their place in the Florida ecosystem, and how Josh came to live at Flamingo Gardens.
What time are the animal encounter shows at Flamingo Garden?
To catch the animal encounter shows you will want to arrive a few minutes ahead of the start time so you make sure that you get a seat. Show times are at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30 weather permitting.
What time does the Narrated tram tour run?
You will be able to take the narrated tram tour multiple times through out the day, the tram tour start times are 11:00, 11:30, Noon, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, and 4:00. The tour runs hourly, on the hour, weekdays during August and September.
How much is admission?
Adults are $21.95 and children are $15.95.
Is there a military discount?
Yes. When you purchase tickets online there is a military discount.
What is included with Admission?
Included in the general admission cost is the animal exhibits, live animal show, the gardens, and the narrated tram ride.
What are the hours of operation?
Flamingo Gardens is open daily from 9:30AM – 5:00PM with the last entry at 4pm.
How long should I plan for my visit to Flamingo Gardens?
To be able to see everything that they have i suggest planning for a 2 to 3 hour visit. There is a narrated tram tour and a wildlife encounter show that you will want to do and see that are both about 30 minutes long so that that into account when you are making your plans.
