Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota

Sarasota, Florida, United States

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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, was founded in 1973 when Marie Selby, a passionate gardener and Sarasota resident, bequeathed her home and land to establish a public botanical garden focused on the study and display of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, ferns, and other tropical plants.

The original Downtown Sarasota campus encompasses 15 acres of bayfront sanctuary featuring rare tropical plant collections, educational programs, and state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities.

In 2020, the gardens expanded to include Historic Spanish Point, a 30-acre cultural and environmental outdoor museum located 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay, showcasing a rich archaeological record spanning about 5,000 years of Florida prehistory alongside preserved pioneer homesteads and native plant preserves. 

The institution is recognized globally for its botanical research, conservation efforts, and cultural preservation, serving as a Smithsonian affiliate and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens offers visitors a unique blend of tropical botanical beauty, scientific discovery, and historical heritage, all within peaceful, scenic settings.​