Walking the grounds will introduce you to a large variety of tropical plants and their amazing array of sizes, shapes and colors. The garden includes many collections and displays such as the Wings of the Tropics, the Tropical Flower Garden, Spiny Forest of Madagascar, Rainforest, Vine Pergola, Victoria  pool, Butterfly Garden, Palmetum, Tropical Fruit Pavilion, Conservatory,  Bailey Palm Glade, Jewels of the Caribbean, and the Keys Coastal Habitat.  All of these are brought together in a unified design that flows from one area to another.

Please allow two hours or more if you plan to walk the entire garden.  Benches can be found throughout the garden for moments of rest and enjoyment. Additionally we offer tram tours year round and walking tours seasonally. All tours and shuttle services are included in the the price of admission.

Each month our horticulture department creates a list of plants of interest to enjoy on your visit.  You may get a copy at the information desk upon your arrival or check The Garden section of the website for what's blooming.    

There are a number of events during the year that you may want to attend.   If you can visit more than once during a year you may want to consider becoming a member to enjoy free admission all year long. 

                                                                                                                               
Tram Tours

Year-round, narrated, open-air tram tours start on the hour beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The last tour departs at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 4:00 p.m. on weekends.  Tours last approximately forty-five minutes.  Proceed to the Tram Plaza for boarding. 

Tours are led by trained volunteers and offer an enjoyable introduction to the Fairchild landscape, plant collections and mission. The tours give an excellent overview of the garden, after which you can explore on your own. 

Seasonally on weekends there may be additional tours. Check with the information desk at the Visitor Center for the schedule. 

Spanish Tram Tours

Narrated tram tours of the Gardenare given in Spanish each Sunday beginning at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. 

During December through May there will also be Spanish tram tours at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.on Saturdays.

Each tram is accessible for two wheelchairs. 

For the safety of our visitors, the trams may be suspended on festival days.

Special Art Tram Tour

First Saturday of the month now through May 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

February 2, 2013
March 2, 2013
April 6, 2013
May 4, 2013

If you would like to learn about the artists who have sculptures on display at Fairchild, this tour might be for you. At 11:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month during the Fairchild Art Season now through May,  Bob Petzinger, Fairchild tram guide and art lecturer, will guide visitors on a full Garden tram tour to examine the works of art and to discuss the artist’s life and influences. The tour will last 75 minutes (30 minutes longer than the regularly scheduled hourly tram tour), and it will include some stops along the way. At these stops, Bob will guide short walking tours to examine some of the sculptures – especially those that are not visible from the tram. This special art tour is included with paid admission.

Seating on the tram is limited and on a first come basis, please meet at the Tram Plaza by 11:15 a.m.

Tours of Fairchild’s Edible Garden

Don’t miss tours and tastings in the Edible Garden every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Learn about mangos, avocados, carambolas and much, much more while tasting the tropical fruit picked fresh from Fairchild’s collection located at the Fairchild Farm.

Private Tours of Fairchild

Enjoy a private tour of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

An oasis of peace and tranquility in Miami, Fairchild is a hub of scientific, educational and cultural activity for local and out-of-town visitors to enjoy. The Garden offers more than 83 acres of unmatched beauty and features unparalleled tropical plant collections, including rare and endangered plants from around the world, a tropical rainforest, a butterfly garden and a world-renowned display of palms from all over the world.  You can also view art from Dale Chihuly and Daisy Youngblood.

Private Tours accommodate up to six people, are approximately two hours long and include a light meal and private narrated tram tour.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please call Leslie Bowe at 305.667.1651, ext. 3338 or email lbowe@fairchildgarden.org.

 

Borrow Binoculars

Borrow a pair of binoculars and get a closer look at Fairchild’s birds, butterflies and blooms! You may borrow one pair for a maximum of two hours. Please see the Information Desk inside The Shop at Fairchild for more information or to borrow binoculars.

Guided Walking Tours

Butterflies and Their Host Plants Walk

Year-round on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the Butterflies and Their Host Plants Walk begins at the Visitor Center at 10:00 a.m. and will last approximately one and a half hours.
This is your opportunity to explore for butterflies in the garden and identify host plants. Larval host plants and nectar plants found in the garden attract free-flying butterflies so you are sure to find at least some of the 45 butterfly species that have been seen here. If you are considering putting in a butterfly garden in South Florida this is a must. Your walk will conclude at the Lisa Anness Butterfly Garden.

For all walks, please check at the information desk or 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 for tour confirmation and group reservations. Call 305.667.1651, ext. 3328 for more information about the tours. 

Discover the Tropics Walk 
 
Weekdays from mid November through May, tours of Fairchild's plant collections are offered to visitors. Tours are led by trained volunteers.  Along the way you will enjoy many different plants, flowers, birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The content of these 45-minute tours will vary depending on the starting location and interest of the visitors.

Morning tours begin at the Visitor Center at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. They may include: 
The Tropical Flower Garden, the Arboretum, native plants, the Victoria pool, the Lin Lougheed Spiny Forest of Madagascar and the historic vine pergola .

Afternoon tours  begin at the Cycad Circle at 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. They may include:
The Palmetum containing the hundreds of palms and cycads whose ancient lineage dates back to before the dinosaurs, or the two-acre Richard H. Simons Rainforest with its captivating stream and surrounding areas.

Shuttle Service

Courtesy Shuttle available for visitors with disabilities upon request. Please check at the Information Desk or Information Kiosk. 

 

 

Themed Weekend Walking Tours

As part of the weekend walking tours we offer themed walking tours which vary each month. Tours run every Saturday and Sunday, twice per day. Below you will find the description of the tour, including the departure's location which will vary each month. 

The morning tour starts at 11:30 a.m. and the afternoon tour at 1:30 p.m.

April 2013
Location: Garden wide
Type of experience: Walking Tour
Theme: 75th Anniversary Walking tours. Focusing on History of design and of the Fairchild plant collections.

May 2013
Location: Educational cart at the Rainforest Plaza 
Type of experience: Interaction with volunteer
Theme: Plant-Animal interactions 

June 2013
Location: Fairchild Collections
Type of experience: Walking Tour
Theme: Ferns, Bamboos and Exotic Plants (Themes vary every weekend) 

July 2013
Location: Educational cart at the Rainforest Plaza 
Type of experience: Interaction with volunteer
Theme: South Florida and Rainforest Ethnobotany (Two different tours) 

August 2013
Location: Educational cart at the Rainforest Plaza 
Type of experience: Interaction with volunteer
Theme: Tropical Rainforests of the World