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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • bertaron
    230 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit
    As far as botanical gardens this one is very good. The fig and banyan trees were quite impressive. They had a section for Bonsai trees and they were excellent. I felt the garden was kid friendly and has some nice views of the Bay on the water.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 December 2023
  • Ightham1
    417 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A wonderful oasis
    We loved this. We did not expect to find this oasis behind a concrete car park in the middle of downtown. Was greeted by a very friendly Glynis at the ticket office who had moved from Yorkshire 28 years ago but still had that great northern accent! We spend a good couple of hours looking at some fantastic plants. Do watch the video as it really helps to understand the important job that the Gardens does. Plenty of rest rooms dotted about, as well as somewhere to grab a drink and snack. I was bitten by something in the tropical area, so you want to put on some spray ahead of visiting.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 January 2024
  • Bob S
    Cincinnati, Ohio2,537 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful gardens but a bit pricey for what you get
    Yes, the gardens are quite beautiful and meticulously maintained. Parking is in an adjacent, multi-story parking garage. We ate lunch there and the food quality was top notch. There are several walking trails and a great view of the bay and the City of Sarasota. The price of admission ( $20+) kept me from giving it a 5-star rating. It's not that big and the price of admission seemed high IMO. Otherwise, I would recommend it to anyone. They are in the process of opening a 2nd, more formal, food venue which should be a big hit. I would encourage visitors to give it a try.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 January 2024
  • BAB
    10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive!
    We had a few hours before our flight home and spent some time here exploring. Absolutely stunning gardens that are easily accessible via a parking garage. The variety of plants & trees is so impressive! We loved the banyan trees and if you have small children who love to climb & explore, they would enjoy the children's play area. Take time to stop in the cafe & sit outside to soak in all of the beauty.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 February 2024
  • J. Conrad D
    Minneapolis, Minnesota33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oasis in the middle of the city!
    Beautiful botanical gardens! Four adults admission was $104 in February 2024. Get there early before the crowd! Free and easy parking ramp attached to the complex. A really nice, tranquil place to spend some time. Tons of different indoor and outdoor plant species. It boasts beautiful garden paths with lots of open spaces. Highly recommended.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 February 2024
  • rob P
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good and improved
    Selby has always Ben a great stop for all ages, and now is even better. The new parking, entry and restaurant are all great additions. And the gardens themselves are still worth a visit. Beautiful grounds with views of the city of Sarasota. Banyan trees and a children’s area. The orchid exhibit is world class. There’s also usually a traveling exhibit with a theme that is apparent throughout the gardens
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 23 March 2024
  • ArtsyWalker
    Oil Nut Bay, Virgin Gorda2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect for any age. Beautiful, creative gardens.
    Incredible place for all ages. Our group was 3mths-75yrs. Our 3yr old granddaughter loved the children’s area. Lunch at the Orchid was a bit chaotic. Long wait for our order. Lovely gift shop. Walked more after lunch and had tea, cookies & icecream at the cafe (not the Orchid). A A+ way to spend the day with family.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 March 2024
  • Mumu
    Switzerland40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very beautiful.
    OMG :-)) from the parking lot with the flowers strung along the walls, everything is beautiful. You walk in the middle of a amazing nature, beautiful and magical trees. Flowers, birds, cactus, orchids, palms, bonsai… The majestic banyan trees are amazing. The atmosphere is so quiet. You have scenic view of Sarasota Bay. Morning or late afternoon activity is a good idea because of the heat 90° (May 7th)
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 May 2024
  • TKStLouisMO
    Saint Louis, Missouri83 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very nice
    Peaceful and many shaded paths. Very nice children's area. If you are really into plants then $26 for admission may be well worth it. Bring your water. See other reviews from this trip: Sarasota, FL: The John and Mabel Ringling Mansion ("Ca'd'Zan”), The Ringling Circus Museum. Venice, FL: Crow’s Nest, Sharky’s on the Pier Key West, FL: The Hogfish Grill (on next-door Stock Island), Ernest Hemingway House, Harry Truman’s Little White House, Trolley Tour, Key West First Legal Rum Distillery, The Lobster Shack, Hot Tin Roof, Santa Maria Suites Key Largo, FL: Holiday Inn, Skipper’s Dockside Restaurant, Key Largo Princess II Glass Bottom Boat Tour Ft. Myers, FL: Edison/Ford Winter Estates Punta Gorda: Laishley’s Crab House
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 June 2024
  • Escape45918905931
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Plant and history lovers delights in Sarasota/Osprey FL
    What an amazing place to visit in Sarasota. Two Campuses to visit, downtown Sarasota is a living museum of plants on 15 acres with a beautiful view of Sarasota Bay. On most Saturdays - Oct to May, you can take a wonder boat ride by reservation between the two locations. Osprey location is 30 acres of a natural Florida landscape with vintage buildings.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 23 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,353 reviews
Excellent
2,556
Very good
608
Average
129
Poor
30
Terrible
30

Meghan B
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
Horrible customer service!! I bought tickets for the Lights in Bloom event on 12/19/2021 and was very excited, as I have been to the gardens before, and it is beautiful. I knew going in that the tickets were nonrefundable/nontransferable, but I had bought them the week of, and nobody plans on unfortunate things happening to them. Well, the unfortunate thing happened to me. The morning of December 19, my father-in-law had to be emitted to the hospital and with very few other family members to lean on for help I was the only one available to stay with him. Desperately, trying to reach any one at Marie Selby Gardens, before it was too late, I called their main phone number and tried every extension. I never was able to reach any employee. Emailed every department to try and hear from somebody. Never got an email back until 12/21/21 when it was far too late to fix anything. I sent them a response back telling Marie Selby Gardens how disappointed I was, and I still have to wait another three days to get a second response back from them. $50 wasted and no resolution. Very disappointed.

Long story short, you have a family emergency on the day you're supposed to go to one of their events, they don't care. Your ticket is nonrefundable/nontransferable.
Written 22 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter M
Duxbury, MA239 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are a wonderful, creative, and imaginative collaboration of plants, flowers, and tropical trees that turn this pastoral setting into a collection of living art. The current Salvador Dali exhibit is whimsical and fun. This is a regional treasure to be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. The children’s section of the garden is fun and engaging for the entire family. A must see if you are visiting Sarasota,
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tricia G
Charlotte, NC5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
These gardens are magical, so amazingly beautiful, and breathtaking. I highly recommend planning an entire day to visit as we spent a couple of hours and wanted more time just to sit amidst the beauty and process it. We were in awe of the variety and quality of the plants, installation, and exhibits.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GordCummings
Toronto, Canada124 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a large botanical garden that was started about 100 years ago by a wealthy family, there house is still there. Parking is tough but they are working on getting approval for a multi story parking lot. The vegitation is breathtaking. It is about a 2 mile walk to see everything, and well worth the time. We saw a large number of families with small and bigger children all greatly enjoying the outing. A large indoor exhibition area is under rernovation and will open again in February.
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kensal1951
Gulfport, FL190 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021
The gardens and the greenhouse are beautiful. It is located on Sarasota bay. Marie Shelby donated her home and gardens to the city in the 70’s. The orchid collection is wonderful. It currently has a special exhibit of Roy Lichtenstein art work. The outdoor area has trees that are massive, and a great playground for kids. If you have a membership to other botanical gardens, you may get in free.
Written 30 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Desiada
Kings Park, NY55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Well it was cold for Florida for even a New Yorker so we donned jeans, long sleeves and jackets and braved the outdoors. The place is amazing with different rooms of vegetation, bonsai, butterfly gardens, and the best was the outdoor whimsical sculpture additions of the Salvador Dali exhibit. Food truck looked awesome as did their restaurant. Volunteers were helpful. A nice hop and skip from Siesta Key.
Written 2 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting us on one of our colder days! We hope to see you in the Gardens again soon!
Written 4 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

pyanogyrl1
Grand Rapids, MI43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We were a little hesitant to pay $25 per person to tour these gardens, and were truly delighted to find that it was worth the expense. We've been to numerous botanical gardens around the country and this is by far one of the best if not the very best. A wonderful variety of plants with interesting and varied areas, plenty of places to sit and enjoy the scenery. This is definitely a must-see. It's pricey, but totally with it.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

qwerty103
Sarasota, FL344 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Selby has a very unique location on Sarasota Bay. The Orchids are always a delight, the outdoor loop to the point and back has some spectacular Botanical plants and the views of Sarasota Bay are beautiful. The Mansion usually has an interesting exhibit going on. This month it is the Florida Highwaymen, painters of old Florida landscapes, an old Florida that doesn't exist anymore.
Written 9 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Doodle Bird Terrariums
Eagan, MN63 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
Very small botanical garden that is not kept up. Plants look half-hazardly planted around the grounds. Oddly, the succulent/cactus garden is planted in the shade. And shade-loving plants were planted in full sun. All look tattered and uncared for. Nothing exciting in the way of plant types either. For example, most areas were filled with Impatiens (seriously I’ve seen better at Walmart) and weedy looking native plants. Bathrooms were dirty. Barely any parking. The greenhouse for closed the day I visited so I can’t comment on that. And all this cost me $20. During my stay in Florida I also visited Fairchild botanical garden and Naples botanical gardens, both of which are far superior and cost just about the same. Bok tower gardens was also beautiful, and only $15. I would skip this place unless you are already in the area and have nothing else to do.

Oh! One area that did seem nice was the children’s garden. It looked as if it has been recently added or renovated. It had a waterfall, tree houses to climb on, and it is near a pond filled with koi. The kids there that day seemed to enjoy themselves.
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fjones
Osprey, FL102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
This is another one of Sarasota’s gems in the middle of down town on Sarasota Bay. We visited during the week when the crowds were light. The gardens are a spectacular site to see. We were fortunate to be there during the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit of Monet’s Garden goes Pop. Lichtensteins’ interpretation and depiction of Monet’s gardens was whimsical and beautiful. The Gardens features the best scientifically-documented collection of orchids and bromeliads in the world. It also houses the most diverse living and preserved collections of air plants in the world. when you walk around, make sure to look up and down as the displays are everywhere. To really enjoy the gardens it will take 2-3 hours to tour. There is a small cafe on the grounds and restrooms scattered throughout.
Written 18 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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