BEST OF THE TREASURE COAST
B E S T T O U R I S T AT T R A C T I O N 2 0 2 0
10 www.indianrivermagazine.com
BEST OF THE TREASURE COAST
M A G A Z I N E
McKEE BOTANICAL
GARDEN
350 U.S. 1, Vero Beach
772.794.0601
mckeegarden.org
Immerse yourself in the green beauty of McKee Botanical
Garden in Vero Beach. Follow its winding paths to the
enormous bamboo pavilion. Relish the flicker of sun
and shade as you walk, keeping your eye out for surprises
alongside the path.
The garden has a long history behind it. It opened in 1932
as McKee Jungle Gardens and attracted more than 100,000
tourists a year. Eventually it became McKee Botanical Garden,
with an outstanding collection of waterlilies, native plants,
tropical plants, ponds, streams and trails.
Two features, the Hall of Giants and the Spanish Kitchen,
were restored meticulously to the way they looked when
co-founders Waldo E. Sexton and Arthur G. McKee opened
McKee Jungle Gardens.
The garden has been written up in numerous national publications
including National Geographic Traveler. It is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places and endorsed by The
Garden Conservancy as a project of national significance.
McKee always has something new for visitors to enjoy. This
year, two very unusual exhibits are on tap. The first is Ocean
Sole Sculpture, 40 brightly colored whimsical marine creatures
created by artisans in Kenya. They are made of pieces of
discarded flip-flops that were cleaned and cut into pieces and
then assembled into starfish, an octopus, a sea turtle, a shark
and lots more.
The second is Stickwork, first seen at the Garden in 2016.
Patrick Dougherty will build a structure from flexible willow
branches harvested from a farm in upstate New York.
WHAT R E A D E R S S AY
‘‘ ‘‘ Beautifully kept grounds and exhibits.
‘‘ ‘‘ Stunningly gorgeous!
M A G A Z I N E
BEST OF THE
TREASURE COAST
2020
M A G A Z I N E
BEST OF THE
TREASURE COAST
2020
/www.indianrivermagazine.com
/mckeegarden.org