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Palm Arboretum

Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum

A lush oasis on St. Petersburg’s Tampa Bay waterfront, the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum features a bounty of palm species in a small space

St. Petersburg      ( 27.782204,-82.625795 )      0.3 miles

Formerly a miniature golf course, this two-acre waterfront park just north of the Vinoy in St. Petersburg became a lush showcase of palms in 1976.

It’s now a pleasant park with paved paths to enjoy the Tampa Bay waterfront and the bounty of beauty that has filled in over nearly half a century.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: St. Petersburg
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 27.782204,-82.625795
Address: North Shore Drive at 11th Ave NE, St. Petersburg
Fees: Free
Land Manager: City of St. Petersburg
Phone: 727-893-7441

Opens 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset and closes 11 PM. Leashed dogs welcome.


Directions

 
Following Interstate 375 into downtown St. Petersburg, merge onto 4th Avenue North. Turn left on Beach Drive NE and continue 0.5 mile north. Turn right onto 10th Ave NE, which comes to a T with North Shore Drive in front of the park. A parking area sweeps around the gardens to the bay.

About the Park

Named for its primary benefactor, the arboretum was dedicated on May 16, 1977, Miss Gizella Kopsick’s 100th birthday.

It was a major improvement to a former waterfront attraction that has only grown more lovely with time.

Brick pathways wind through the two-acre park, where the breeze is constant off the water and the views are superb. Benches and a pergola are provided for relaxation and shade.

More than 500 palms and cycads represent over 100 species from around the world. As you walk through the gardens, you’ll find interpretive tags pointing out each species.

Palm Arboretum
Along the paths of the Kopsick Palm Arboretum

Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Flamingo feeding at Sunken Gardens

Sunken Gardens

One of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, Sunken Gardens is now a county park showing off more than a century’s worth of botanical bounty in St. Petersburg

Florida Botanical Gardens

Florida Botanical Gardens

Walk through the garden gates into a wonderland of sensory stimulation. With nearly 180 acres in the heart of Largo, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a place for peaceful immersion.

Path at Boyd Hill Park

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Once a zoo in St. Petersburg, Boyd Hill Park has 3 miles of trails looping through a mosaic of natural habitats and tropical landscapes along Lake Maggiore.

Footpath leading through ferns

Sawgrass Lake Park

Explore a maple swamp and an oak hammock on a pair of family-friendly loops along boardwalks and footpaths that lead to a tower on Sawgrass Lake

Official Website

Category: City Parks, Gardens, Hikes, Nature Trails, Parks, TrailsTag: Arboretums, Big Trees, Botanical, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

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