Sarasota Jungle Gardens (1939-Present)

In the early 1930s, David Breed Lindsay, a local newspaper journalist, purchased 10 acres of land west of U.S. 41 with plans to transform the subtropical jungle into a botanical garden. Neighbor, friend, and owner of a local nursery, Pearson Conrad, supported Lindsay’s idea, chartered streams and lakes, and provided him with some plants from his nursery. Lindsay then began importing thousands of hand-picked tropical flowers, trees, and plants to help the gardens flourish. 

In 1936, the owners noticed that the popularity of the jungle was growing, so they began charging an admittance fee, 10 cents for children and 35 cents for adults. Sarasota Jungle Gardens officially opened as a tourist attraction named “The Sarasota Jungle,” on December 31, 1939. When the Gardens first opened, the owners and their families would reside on the property in what is now the Flamingo Cafe. What is now the Koi Pond located outside of the snack bar was once a swimming pool connected to the estate house. The date is unknown, but a new admission building and gift shop were eventually built. Arthur C. Allyn purchased Sarasota Jungle Gardens in 1971, and to this day, his daughter, Dorothy Tinney, and her family operate the gardens. 

The Sarasota Jungle Gardens has hosted many events recognized at State and National levels. These events include multiple Miss Florida Pageants during the early 1960s. During the 1960s, “Jungle Jim,” a talking Mynah Bird, spent 25 months at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza for the Florida Development Commission’s Florida Showcase. He appeared on the Today Show four times and performed a number stating his name, asking people to visit Sarasota, and explaining that “Birds don’t talk!” 

Today, Sarasota Jungle Gardens has been inspiring and entertaining guests for over 80 years. They house over 200 native and exotic animals, including birds, primates, small mammals, reptiles, and lots of pink flamingos. Some of the birds that participated in the first Exotic Bird Show in the 1970s still participate in shows. They are also the home to some rare plants including the Australian Nut Tree, a Bunya Bunya tree, the most towering Norfolk Island pine in Florida, Bulrush, Strangler Figs, Royal Palms, Selloums, Banana Trees, Peruvian Apple Cactus, Staghorn Ferns, and native Red Maples, Oak Trees, and Bald Cypress. The Park owners plan to add an enclosed butterfly garden, update exhibits with glass viewing areas, and add more flamingos to their free-roaming pink birds.

"ABOUT US – Sarasota Jungle Gardens." Accessed August 4, 2020. https://sarasotajunglegardens.com/about-us/.

Dean, Vicki. "Sarasota Jungle Gardens Turns 80." Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20191218/sarasota-jungle-gardens-turns-80.

"Sarasota Jungle Gardens | Visit Sarasota." Visit Sarasota Florida Beaches and Beyond | Official Travel Guide. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.visitsarasota.com/attractions/sarasota-jungle-gardens.

"Sarasota Jungle Gardens." Historic People & Places in Sarasota, Florida | Sarasota History Alive!. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/sarasota-jungle-gardens/.