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The Kampong National Tropical Botanical GardenWelcome to Miami | Parks and Gardens | Guide Services
The Kampong - National Tropical Botanical Garden Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, it contains a fascinating array of tropical fruit cultivars and flowering trees. In 1916 Dr. David Fairchild, a renowned explorer/horticulturist for whom Fairchild Tropical Garden was named, and his wife Marian, daughter of Alexander Graham Bell, purchased the property and named it The Kampong - a Malay word for a village, or a cluster of dwellings for an extended family. Some of the first plantings there came from Indo-Malaysia, brought there by Dr. Fairchild, who introduced these species to the United States. In 1928 the Fairchilds built a house (designed by Edward Clarence Dean) that still exists within the gardens, and made it their permanent home after David Fairchild retired. In 1984 the building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. In 1963, the property was purchased by Edward Cleaveland and Dr. Catherine Hauberg Sweeney. The Sweeneys were world travelers and Mr. Sweeney served as president of the Explorers Club. Dr. Sweeney, a botanist, philanthropist, and preservationist, had the means and the expertise to preserve Dr. Fairchild’s unique plant collections. She was primarily responsible for preserving this irreplaceable botanical treasure for future generations and transforming it into a botanical garden. She has been referred to as the “Savior of The Kampong.” in 1984 Dr. Sweeney gifted the garden and buildings to the the National Tropical Botanical Garden. She remained a principal sponsor until her death in 1995. The gardens contain a diverse array of plants from the tropics and warm subtropics, including tropical fruits, palms, flowering trees, flowering shrubs, and vines.The focus at yhe institution is education, using the property’s unparalleled living collections. Tours are available by appointment. Self-Guided
tours:
Guided
Tours: Entrance
Fees: Bus/Metrorail
services: At
Miami Downtown Government Center ascend
to the Metrorail
station using your Easy Ticket. Take the southbound train and alight at Douglas
Road Station, which is the fourth stop. Descend
to street level and take the No.
37 bus in the southbound direction (South Miami Station). Runs every 30 minutes. Driving
directions: Location
and Contact: |
