Flamingo Gardens is a 60-acre (24 ha.) wildlife sanctuary, aviary, and botanical garden on the edge of the Everglades west of Fort Lauderdale. It started off as Flamingo Groves, a citrus orchard, in 1927, and evolved into one of the earliest botanical gardens and tourist attractions in South Florida. Some of the highlights: butterfly and hummingbird gardens, a narrated tram tour of the back 50 acres of natural jungle growth, a live oak hammock with an early Florida home preserved as a museum and gardens for Croton, ginger and heliconia. It hosts gourmet food trucks the first Friday of each month from 5 pm to 9 pm.

flamingogardens.org