The Wonder Gardens were an old-style Florida attraction operated for 77 years by one family. It closed last year and the animals have been sent to other locations. A local photographer is
working to re-open the Wonder Gardens, while the family is trying to sell it and
the city of Bonita Springs is considering whether to buy it.
This post is linked to Monday Murals.
24 comments:
I wonder what 21st-century families think about old-style attractions. It could be a money-losing venture for the city of Bonita Springs...but maybe not.
Wonderful mural Jack. Hopefully it will be re-open.
A throwback to an earlier era of family entertainment.
aw that's a bummer...hope they are able to reopen it...love the mural!
I have childhood memories of thing we did in the Everglades. The glass bottom boats stands out more than anything else.
I remember stopping there with my parents on our drives to Florida. Sorry to hear it closed. Just another part of my childhood gone.
I have mixed feelings on this subject Jack, its like zoos..they're good in that they let people see animals they would otherwise never get to see and as much as I love taking photos there, there's just something .....
I tend to have mixed feelings, too. I love being able to see animals that I wouldn't be able to see without zoos, etc. But I hate to see animals caged. That's one thing I really like about the zoo in Seattle, no cages mostly fenced in grassy areas so they could roam. The cats/lions and such were caged and yet their enclosures didn't look like a cage!! Wonderful place!! Hope your week is off to a great start, Jack! Enjoy!!
Hopefully it re-opens... but still the private family should have the choice to do with their property as they wish...
I'm with Gracie about what to think about animals shown in such places .This being said, the mural is old fashion and attractive.
Love the ad, but I am not sure about the rest...
It definitely feels like a throwback to an earlier era.
I'm of mixed feelings too... if the animals are given room to move about, a zoo might be okay, but if not... I'd have problems with it.
It often seemed that the animals in those smaller places were quite tiny and thankfully that kind of thing is no longer very popular. It would be nice if they could reopen as a garden or something similar.
Super mural but I am going to agree with many above...not sure about the zoo idea. Hope the decision on its future is the right one.
Very mixed feelings here...
Commendable that one family ran it for so long - but it does seem a bit retro now. Gardens, yes, but not zoos.
Nice mural.
Sequim has an attraction like this - Olympic Game Farm - originally set up by a man who did animal training for Disney. It has long been popular, though toward the end of the founder's life it began to get a little frayed at the edges. His grandson now runs it and more energy has gone back into it. It seems to be a good family tour.
Very beautiful! Lot's of cool detail in this mural!
Léia
There's also attractions in my part of Canada that have closed. Sometimes the municipalities buy them up but that plan doesn't seem to work too well.
Time marches on yet I dislike seeing a family business dismantled in our fast-paced world.
Uh oh, does that mean Big Joe's closed too? Even if the Wonder Garden can't be saved, maybe someone will think to preserve the mural as a nostalgic momento. Thanks, Jack, for contributing to this week's Monday Mural.
If the animals were given the right conditions it's a pity the place has been closed.
looks like quite an old sign!
and to me, very american... :)
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