Kampong Gardens: Historical Beauty

Updated May 1, 2019

Where: 4013 S Douglas Rd.
Coconut Grove, Florida 33133
For reservations call: (305) 442-7169
Historical Kampong Gardens, a South Florida Wonder

Tours: Two-hour guided tours take place at 10:30 am Wednesday and Saturday through the end of June ($20 per person). Self-guided by reservation only Monday through Friday from 9 am – 5 pm ($15 per person).

East of US-1 on Douglas Ave (SW 37th Ave) lies a hidden treasure known as The Kampong. The Kampong, meaning village or cluster of homes in Malay or Javanese, is home to a variety of exotic fruit cultivars, flowering trees and was the residence of famed horticulturist David Fairchild of whom Fairchild Gardens was named after. David Fairchild and his wife Marian – daughter of Alexander Graham Bell – purchased the property for use as their private residence as well as an “experimental” space for David Fairchild to see how exotic species brought in from Southeast Asia, Central and South Americas, the Caribbean, grew in Florida’s environment.

The property was later deeded to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (NTBG) by its next owner and now is used as an educational site as well as a way for plant enthusiast of all ages to enjoy the beauty of tropical plants. The National Tropical Botanical Gardens is headquartered in Hawaii and currently manages five gardens, four of which are located in Hawaii.

“It’s a beautiful garden and a unique piece of Miami history.” Ann Parsons, Director of The Kampong said. She encourages visitors to come and visit The Kampong in order to view its beautiful plants as well as be immersed in Miami History. The Kampong transports its visitors out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into the peaceful tranquility of a lush garden. The Kampong is situated directly on Biscayne Bay and visitors have the opportunity to access the shoreline through an exotic plant filled stroll across the property.

Jane Dworman, 4th time visitor to “the hidden treasure right on Biscayne Bay”, keeps returning because the setting is “so gorgeous and intimate”. However, The Kampong is so well hidden that many long time residents know nothing or little of its existence. One visitor said she’d been living in Coconut Grove since the 1950’s and knew nothing about The Kampong until this visit.

The Kampong is home to a wide variety of plants including over 50 varieties of mango, pomelo fruit, candle fruit, bayobob trees, avocado trees, bisnay fruit, Bougainvillea trees, star fruit, orange and white champaca, jaboticaba, peanut butter fruit, zombie palms, egg fruit, cocoplums, and more.

The Kampong is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.