In 2020, civic leaders founded The Friends of Pinecrest Gardens to assist the Village with development of educational and cultural programming and to procure funding for these programs. Additionally, the Friends of Pinecrest Gardens Board of Directors will serve as Placemakers who facilitate the funding of capital projects including expansion and upgrades to its recreational and cultural facilities. Today, nearly twenty years after it opened, Pinecrest Gardens welcomes more than 180,000 visitors annually, who enjoy nature trails through three unique eco-systems, twelve acres of botanical and specialty gardens, seven sculptures, and a multitude of annual educational programs, exhibits and events for all ages. By aligning with Master Plans adopted in 2019, the Friends look forward to being part of the team to complete and enhance Pinecrest Gardens over the next decade. While the Village will commit public funds for the infrastructure and ongoing maintenance of this community asset, much of the programming and capital improvements will come from grants, fundraising initiatives and donations.
Our Mission
To support, advance and help develop cultural and environmental projects, programs and other initiatives at Pinecrest Gardens, and to provide a mechanism for private contributions, grants and funding. With performing arts, fine art, eco-art and environmental education at its core, we will help to grow audiences with a focus on diversity, inclusivity and affordability while encouraging assistance from the greater community through memberships and donations.
Vision
Friends of Pinecrest Gardens is helping to advance Pinecrest Gardens, South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park, by doing its part to convey what it means to experience and support a great cultural, educational, historical and recreational facility.
Guiding Principles of Our Vison
Advancing Artistic Excellence
Friends of Pinecrest Gardens is committed to producing some of the most exciting, artistically excellent, thought-provoking, educational and cultural experiences to our community.
Respecting Our Environment through Eco-Art Initiatives
Friends of Pinecrest Gardens will help to inspire ecological programing that brings the environment and art together in a way that celebrates our relationship with nature, while putting forward new and creative ways to honor our environment.
Reflecting the Diversity of South Florida
Friends of Pinecrest Gardens is committed to embedding inclusivity, diversity, equity and access into all facets of its operations.
Modernizing and improving our Garden
Friends of Pinecrest Gardens is committed to both preserving the history and facilitating the enhancement and upkeep of the garden to ensure enjoyment and great experiences for all.
Pinecrest Gardens History
On December 17, 2002, the Village of Pinecrest, with extraordinary grant assistance from the Florida Communities Trust and Miami-Dade County, purchased Pinecrest Gardens. The property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, was formerly Parrot Jungle and Gardens. At one time an oasis for tropical birds and a getaway for tourists, the 14 acres originally founded in 1936, was home to animal attractions, walkways, sand exotic landscape architecture. Pinecrest Gardens still features over 1,000 varieties of rare and exotic tropical plants and palm trees in a native tropical hardwood and cypress setting. Also featuring a 500+ seat amphitheater known as the Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest Gardens is one the most significant cultural assets in South Florida. Featuring over 70 annual performances in the Banyan Bowl, hosting numerous monumental art installations and countless environmental and art-centric programs, it is known regionally as South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park. The heart of Pinecrest, Pinecrest Gardens serves as a model of excellence in preservation, civic engagement and community building.