THE KAMPONG NATIONAL
TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

By  Mike Miller August 26, 2025

The Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden is a nine-acre garden in Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida. It sits on Biscayne Bay.

Part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, it features tropical plants and historic buildings.

Visitors can explore exotic fruit trees, palms, and flowering plants. The site serves as a research and education center. 

The Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden

David Fairchild, a renowned botanist, and his wife Marian bought the property in 1916 as a winter home.

Fairchild introduced 30,000 plant species to the U.S. through the Department of Agriculture. He planted many at the Kampong.

In 1931, Marian’s sister and her husband, Gilbert Grosvenor, bought adjacent land.

After Fairchild’s death in 1954 and Marian’s in 1963, Catherine Sweeney and Edward Sweeney purchased the estate in 1963.

They preserved the gardens and donated it to the National Tropical Botanical Garden in 1984. The main house joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  

The Kampong is at 4013 South Douglas Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Last entry is at 3 PM.

Reservations are encouraged to ensure parking. Self-guided tours are available at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM.

Guided tours offer deeper insights; call (305) 442-7169 or visit their website to book tours. Parking is limited; reserve in advance.

The garden is a short walk from Coconut Grove’s shops. Check the website for events like art exhibits or yoga classes.

• The Kampong’s name comes from a Malay word for “village” or “cluster of houses.” 

• A baobab tree, blown over decades ago, still grows and can fit three people in its trunk. 

• The garden has over 50 mango varieties and 23 avocado cultivars.  

• Fairchild’s study, now a museum, holds documents linked to Everglades National Park’s creation.  

• A wooden dragon carving from Indonesia decorates the Fairchild-Sweeney House. 

THE KAMPONG WEBSITE