Cypress Gardens was originally part of Dean Hall Plantation, one of the larger plantations in the area. There are approximately 80 acres of open swamp filled with Water Lilies, 100' Cypress trees, and alligators. The Butterfly House is a climate controlled Butterfly Habitat.
The Aquarium showcases many of the local inhabitants and is well worth the time. Outside the aquarium you will find a couple of the less friendly residents of the area: alligators.
There are over four miles of walking paths here which lead the visitor through many fine gardens and to the water lotus pond. Further walking will take you through The Wildflower Field and The Inland Rice Field. Along this path you will encounter alligators if you are watchful, but they seem well fed and prefer sunning themselves more than bothering us tourists.
One odd feature of the gardens is a church, where no church should be. I asked why anyone would build a church on an island, 30 feet offshore, in an alligator infested swamp. The reply was quite simple: it was a movie prop for the movie The Patriot. After they finished shooting the movie, they merely left the Styrofoam and Plywood church remains. It certainly will fool your eyes as I got within 20 feet of it and could not say it was a fake for certain.
The best part of Cypress Gardens is the swamp and the fact that you can just grab a boat and enjoy paddling through the lillies, cypress, and alligators, with or without a guide. I have to warn you that my wife and daughter-in-law were not happy with me concerning this decision not to use a guide for this, but I preferred the seclusion. Besides,it was the first time I have ever heard either of these women stay quiet. The swamp here has it's own kind of quiet beauty and should be enjoyed slowly. Again my wife disagrees, she is happy she did it once though. We did see a couple of alligators near the boat, but they dive pretty quickly. I believe we had one within a stand of Lilly Pads about 20 feet from our boat.This is a worthwhile part of the experience here, and is perfectly safe.
Not many people were in Cypress Gardens the day we visited, it was perfectly serene and beautiful. The gardens are in full bloom during March and April. The cost of admission was $7.00 and that included all features of the facility, including boating in the swamp. Picnic facilities are provided, and there is of course a visitor center and gift shop. Vending machines supply candy or sodas.
They have a 5000 Sq.Ft. Conference Room with a stage and kitchen. They will rent the facilities out for concerts, special events, weddings,e ducational programs etc.
The Phone Number is (843)553-0644 or (843)553-0515.
This is a good place to relax while seeing something a little different.