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Thirty acres of lush subtropical growth and
natural streams comprise the Florida Tech Botanical
Gardens. The main site of the university's extensive
palm collection, the Gardens are derived from
a palm/hardwood hammock that Florida Tech has
preserved since moving to this location. Several
paved and earthen paths wind through the Gardens,
allowing visitors easy access to most areas
within the Gardens.
Numerous Seminole-style chikis
around the Gardens provide places to rest and
contemplate the exotic plant species, and offer
protection from summer sunshowers.
Early settlers called the area occupied by the
Gardens "Cathead", because of the presence of
many Florida panthers and bobcats. While the
Gardens are no longer home to such large animals,
they provide a city sanctuary for a number of
smaller Florida natives, such as the raccoon,
the opossum, the Southern gray squirrel, the
green anole, and the five-lined skink. In the
Garden streams small catfish and bluegill, as
well as various species of turtles, frogs, and
watersnakes, may be found.
The Gardens are also home to Melbourne's first
schoolhouse. This building was erected near
Fountain Heights in South Melbourne in 1883
to serve the children of Melbourne's earliest
families. As was normal in the late 1800's,
white children attended the school during a
morning session, and black children attended
an afternoon session. After a new school was
built in downtown Melbourne in 1916, the little
schoolhouse stood empty and unused. The schoolhouse
was restored and moved to the Florida Tech campus
in 1971. It now sits on a coquina rock foundation
that was a part of the foundation of Florida's
first land-grant university, Florida Agricultural
College.
To help preserve this area of natural beauty
and historical significance, please observe
the following rules:
- Dogs are not allowed in the Gardens
- Bicycles are not allowed in the Gardens
- Skateboards are not allowed in the Gardens
- Place trash in the proper receptacles
- Please do not feed or attempt to
handle any of the wildlife
For more information on the Botanical
Gardens and their availability as an event venue,
please contact the Conferences & Events Office
at (321)674-8125.
Note: Wheelchair-bound visitors may require
some assistance in negotiating some parts of the
Botanical Gardens.
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