FAQ

Guest Considerations

You are welcome to walk on the grass but please do not climb garden structures or trees.
Public restrooms are located in the Garden House Welcome Center, behind the kitchen in the Idea Garden and in the building next to the Butterfly Garden.
Vending machines are located in the Garden House Welcome Center.
Water features are for reflection only.
Picnics and blankets are not permitted in the gardens.
Pets, jogging, skating and bicycles are not permitted.
In the event of threatening weather, please refer to your map or Gardens’ staff will direct you to shelter.
Our flowers are happy here, please don’t take them home.
Trash cans are located throughout the Gardens.

Is there a place to purchase lunch?
We do not currently have a café on site. There are many local restaurants in the neighborhood that serve delicious meals.

Can we bring food?
Yes, we allow small bag lunches on the patio of the Garden House Welcome Center. It is first come first serve. Please do not picnic in the gardens.

Can we bring our dog?
No, pets are not allowed in the gardens. In accordance with federal law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are permissible within the Gardens provided they are controlled (leashed) and do not enter garden beds and damage the plant collections. Therapy and comfort animals do not meet the definition of a service animal and thus are not permitted on Gardens property.

How many people work here?
We have a team of eight horticulturists maintaining the 50-acre gardens.

How long should we plan for our visit?
It would be very difficult to see our diverse collection of more than 15,000 plants in one visit. Depending on the time of year, we often recommend a two-hour visit with expected return visits again and again. Here are our recommendations for visiting.

One-Hour Visit

From the Garden House Welcome Center, walk out toward the Gardens crossing the Tropical Stream Bridge and continuing to the Idea Garden.
Enter the Idea Garden, pass through the Courtyard Gazebo and proceed out to the open lawn with the seven pieces of sculpture by Florida artist Peter Oftinoski.
As you leave this garden, continue out to the main path and at the large brick circle turn right down the road. On your left, just after the white picket fence, is the Vegetable Garden and Butterfly Garden.
From this point, we would recommend checking to see the time for a tour of the Leu House Museum. These tours last approximately 25 minutes and are offered on the hour and at 30 minutes after the hour.
After the Leu House Museum tour, enjoy a stroll through one of Florida’s largest formal rose gardens.
It is probably time for you to start making your way back now, but don’t forget to plan your next visit!

Two-Hour Visit

A two-hour time frame should give you time to visit all of the different gardens with a brief walk through the South woods.
During the winter months, November through March, you will want to spend considerable time viewing the historic camellia collection in the South Woods. Stop to appreciate the different colors, shapes and sizes of the third largest camellia collection in the United States.
Make sure to visit the Leu House Museum on the hour and 30 minutes after the hour for a complimentary tour of the first floor only. The last tour of the day is at 12:30 p.m.
As you explore further in the Gardens, we recommend visiting the Palm and Bamboo gardens near the Floral Clock. These gardens feature a diverse collection of really interesting plants not usually seen in Central Florida.