Remembering Oriental Gardens

[Metro Jacksonville]

Remembering Oriental Gardens



Situated just south of Craig Creek in San Marco, Oriental Gardens charmed Jacksonville visitors for nearly two decades.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/912

[civil42806]

Very interesting, I had never heard of the oriental Gardens.

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

WOW! That would be so nice. Is there anything remotely like it still around?

[Ocklawaha]

It must have stumbled along for another 5 years of so after the new company bought it. Either that or they just allowed folks to still visit the site while building new homes here and there. Those were not the days of clearing all 18 acres in order to plant a tree or two. I say this because I was there, even knew where it was after all these years, but was born the year it closed... SO? Humm? How does that happen?

Ocklawaha

[leahfu]

This is why I love this site!! I was looking at an old brochure for Florida and it had a map and in the Jacksonville part it had a little picture for the Oriental Gardens. I completely forgot about it until I came here and saw this!!


Now the only thing that I REALLY wanna see is the old Ostrich Farm that the arcade in the Landing was named after(I'm not too sure about this). I know I've seen pictures of this in books about Jacksonville's history but where exactly was it?

[Ernest Street]

There is a full story on the Ostrich/Alligator farm somewhere in the archives, but I remember them mentioning it being on the south bank of the river between the Former southside generating station and the South Trust building? Correct me if I'm wrong.The man had thousands of Gators there divided by size..a couple were big enough to ride,and was a popular attraction.He was quite the character as I am told.

[Ron Mexico]

That is really cool.  I wish there were more things like that in JAX.  The new Arboretum off Monument is great.  With some funding (will be tough these days), that will be a real asset to outdoor Jacksonville.

[stjr]

Postcard postmarked 1949:

[Tommonoli]

My mother was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL and have her at 17 visiting Oriental Gardens in 1942.  Would be happy to share the one picture I have if requested, shows a canoe in the background.

[ben says]

Please share.

(Typing this from Oriental Gardens...)

[IrvAdams]

My mother was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL and have her at 17 visiting Oriental Gardens in 1942.  Would be happy to share the one picture I have if requested, shows a canoe in the background.

Yes, please. I'd love to see that picture and any others you may have from that era. I used to collect Jax postcards from the early to mid 1900s, kinda hard to find nowadays.

[Scarlettjax]

Love that area.  Lived in San Marco and Miramar for a while and we walked all over those neighborhoods looking at the remnants of Oriental Gardens.  Still a lovely place.

[Buforddawg]

That is awesome, I only know Oriental Gardens as the neighborhood not the attraction.  I grew up in Central Florida (Lake Wales) and we had Masterpiece Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens.  Masterpiece is gone but Bok Tower remains.  Winter Haven had Cypress Gardens and sadly that is gone as well.   I wish there were more places like those gardens still around.

[Tommonoli]

Will be happy to post it, currently out of town, but will when I return. I have other photographs, mostly of family members from Jacksonville.  Is there another website that allows you to post photos from the period?, I would prefer to keep this forum for the "Oriental Gardens", thank you.

[thelakelander]

That is awesome, I only know Oriental Gardens as the neighborhood not the attraction.  I grew up in Central Florida (Lake Wales) and we had Masterpiece Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens.  Masterpiece is gone but Bok Tower remains.  Winter Haven had Cypress Gardens and sadly that is gone as well.   I wish there were more places like those gardens still around.

Cypress Gardens is still there (I grew up in Winter Haven). Merlin Entertainment converted the theme park grounds into Legoland but preserved the original gardens for guest to continue to enjoy.