Fruit and Spice Park

Location: 24801 SW 187 Avenue, Homestead

Hours: Daily: 10 am - 5 pm

Admission:  Adults, $3.50; children under 12, $1.

Overview

Munch your way through a 32-acre tropical paradise at the Fruit and Spice Park, a unique almost-all-edible botanical garden located 35 miles south of Miami in the rural Redlands agricultural district of Homestead, Florida.

In 1944, the Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department established the Fruit & Spice Park, the only garden park of its kind in the United States, on 32 acres of fertile farmland in the area
known as the Redlands, 35 miles south of Miami. The Fruit and Spice Park is internationally known for its more than 500 varieties of exotic and subtropical fruit, nut, spice and herb trees and shrubs. Visitors can sample and learn about many of these varieties and take daily guided tours and naturalist-led workshops.

Among the park's many services are classes and tours of various fruit and vegetable-growing regions, including farm tours and fruit safaris, plus expert gardening and botanical advice. The park has its own store, where visitors from around the world can buy exotic and wonderful jellies, canned preserves, aromatic teas, unusual seeds, cold fruit juices, plus an amazing selection of books ranging from cookery to plant propagation.

The Fruit and Spice Park plays an important role in the introduction of new crops to the public, and of providing new germ plasm for nurseries, farms and backyard growers. The park has an active exchange program with botanical gardens and parks in Central American, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Every January, more than 15,000 people flock to the annual Redland Natural Arts Festival at the park, where local artisans, artists, and gardeners display and sell their crafts. A like number of
participants attend the annual Asian-American Arts Festival, held in March, to experience the culture and food of more than 40 Asian nations. This festival has helped to bring many new and unusual vegetables and fruits to the South Florida market.

Also of interest in the Park is one of the original coral rock buildings constructed in South Florida in 1912. This structure exemplifies early pioneer life in south Miami-Dade County.

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