Campaign to Protect Cypress Gardens

Photo by: Cypress Gardens

Beloved by generations of Floridians and visitors from around the world, Cypress Gardens was Florida's first theme park, known for its extensive botanical gardens, water ski shows, and hoop-skirted Southern Belle hostesses.

But Cypress Garden closed April 2003, and plans for lakefront housing on the site have met with a strong public outcry. In response, the property owners and state officials began looking a way to protect the historic site. TPL has a contract to purchase 142 acres of the property and has committed its resources to securing and maintaining the land.

Make a Donation to Preserve Cypress Gardens!

Photo by: Cypress Gardens

Cypress Gardens - Past and Future

Located in Winter Haven, in central Florida, Cypress Gardens opened in 1936. Built as a Depression-era federal works project, the park became a popular attraction with the new residents and winter visitors who flocked to Florida following World War II--laying the groundwork for Disney World and other amusement parks that would follow.

In recent years, attendance at Cypress Gardens has dwindled, due to changing tastes and competition from newer amusement parks. Since 1985, four sets of owners tried and failed to make Cypress Gardens profitable. The park was closed in April, with plans in place for residential and commercial development.

Public outcry was immediate and vocal. Thousands of people emailed and called Governor Jeb Bush asking that the gardens be saved, and state officials began looking for a way to preserve the property. In August, 2003, TPL stepped in to negotiate with the landowner.

With a deal with the current landowner in place, TPL will now begin looking for a permanent property owner and manager. Under the current plan, the State of Florida will buy development rights to the park, and TPL staff are working with the state to fine-tune the language of that conservation easement. Several buyers have expressed interest in continuing the land's use as an amusement park, and TPL will structure a process under which private buyers can bid for the land minus the development rights. That owner/operator will be responsible for managing Cypress Gardens. TPL may also look for a public buyer to preserve the historic core of the gardens.

Photo by: Cypress Gardens

Make a Donation to Help TPL Preserve Cypress Gardens!

Your donation will help TPL fund routine maintenance, security, and volunteer days to involve the community in efforts to maintain the park. Our goal is to protect the gardens while they are in our care, and to transfer them to a long-term owner committed to preserving the site.

To make a tax-deductible gift to preserve Cypress Gardens, please:

Donate online to save Cypress Gardens! Make an immediate gift online to help TPL to preserve historic Cypress Gardens.
Print and complete our Mail/Fax Donation Form. Be sure to indicate that you'd like your donation dedicated to preserving Cypress Gardens.
Send your check, payable to the Trust for Public Land, to 306 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301, or call us at (850) 222-7911

You can volunteer to help with a gardens cleanup by contacting the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce by email at chamber1@winterhavenfl.com or by phone at (863) 293-2138. (Email is preferred.)

For more information, contact us at cypressgardens@tpl.org, or call TPL's Florida office at (850) 222-7911.

Selections from Recent Press Coverage

Miami Herald--"Cypress Gardens will be Purchased by Conservation Firm" (9/25/03)

Tallahassee Democrat--"Treasure Wins a Reprieve" (9/26/03)

Tampa Tribune -- "Interest In Gardens Grows" (10/10/03)

Updated 10/2003

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