The Wonder Gardens’ 90th anniversary in Bonita Springs is more than a birthday; it’s a chance for families to rediscover one of Southwest Florida’s last classic roadside attractions. For 90 years, bright pink flamingos, strutting peacocks, and slow-moving tortoises have greeted visitors along Old 41 in Bonita Springs. Today, this historic garden and zoo is still full of wonder, even as it transforms to meet modern standards and the needs of Collier and Lee County families.
What makes the Wonder Gardens’ 90th anniversary special for families?
Turning 90 is rare for any attraction, especially for a small, privately started roadside stop. From the beginning, the Wonder Gardens has been rooted in family — both the Piper family who created it and the generations of local families who have visited.
For parents, this anniversary is a chance to share a beloved piece of Southwest Florida history with your children while seeing how it’s evolving into a modern, humane, and educational animal experience.
- One of the few remaining historic roadside attractions in Florida.
- A 90-year story of rescuing, caring for, and showcasing animals.
- A walkable, shady garden that works for toddlers, big kids, and grandparents.
How did Wonder Gardens begin 90 years ago?
On February 22, 1936, brothers Lester and Bill Piper opened the Everglades Reptile Gardens in their backyard. They collected alligators, crocodiles, and snakes from the surrounding area and created simple enclosures so visitors could see animals they might never encounter otherwise.
Local children would bring snakes to the Pipers and earn a dollar. Teenagers caught sharks to sell as alligator food. The Pipers planted trees and tropical plants to create a wilderness feel, and soon they added panthers, bears, and otters. Admission was just 25 cents.
For decades, what is now the Wonder Gardens looked like a traditional mid-century zoo. Panthers and bears paced on concrete floors behind black bars in small cages. Alligators and turtles crowded into concrete pits. Yet even in that setting, there was a deep care for animals. Lester Piper, who left school after the fifth grade, taught himself how to care for and even heal local creatures. He began breeding panthers and released some back into the wild.
There was no I-75 or even a completed US 41 when the Wonder Gardens began. Old 41 was the main road through town, and both locals and tourists would stop to see the creatures the Pipers collected. Families came to meet Tom, the black bear who starred in the film The Yearling, and to gawk at Big Joe, a 1,200-pound North American crocodile believed to be the largest in captivity.
Over time, Lester’s children and grandchildren all worked at the attraction. When Lester died in 1992, his grandson David Piper Jr. took the helm. The Wonder Gardens remained a familiar stop for road-tripping families and a point of pride for Bonita Springs.
How did the Wonder Gardens survive when other attractions closed?
From the 1930s through the 1980s, roadside attractions dotted Florida highways. Southwest Florida had its share, including Waltzing Waters in Cape Coral and the Shell Factory, which started in Bonita Springs and later moved to North Fort Myers. There was even a Sugar Cane Museum in Fort Myers. Around the state, families stopped to see animals, pearls, driftwood, and lime rock formations.
Most of those attractions are gone.
In 2013, it looked like the Wonder Gardens might follow. When David Piper Jr. moved to Georgia for health reasons, the attraction went up for sale. A commercial buyer could easily have replaced the gardens with new development.
Instead, a nonprofit group stepped in to save the Wonder Gardens. It secured a loan from the city, took over the property, and began the long work of honoring its history while bringing it up to modern standards.
- Mammals such as panthers and bears were placed in new homes.
- The focus shifted to birds and reptiles that could thrive in the gardens.
- Local photographer and conservationist John Brady cleared overgrown greenery and created winding pathways.
- Directors added educational programs and new species over time, including free-roaming peacocks and colorful parrots.
Current leader Neil Anderson calls this balance the key to the Wonder Gardens’ survival. “The biggest key is to have a vision and a plan,” he said. That vision pairs new experiences that today’s families will love with a commitment to preserving the historic character of the place.
What new experiences mark the 90th year of Wonder Gardens?
As the Wonder Gardens marks its 90th anniversary, families will notice that the fences, bars, and blank concrete walls of the past are disappearing. In their place are more natural habitats and viewing areas designed with children in mind.
Anderson recently opened a new otter attraction, one of the biggest hits with young visitors. He also raised money to build a night house for the flamingos so they can be safely sheltered when needed.
“Especially now with the new otter exhibit, kids can really connect with some of our favorite animal residents,” Anderson said. “There is no place else where you can put your hands up and the otters are putting their paws up. The wonder is having those types of experiences. Ultimately, we want to get the children connected with nature. The moments of wonder are what we are trying to recreate.”
Future improvements are planned to carry Wonder Gardens into its next decades:
- A new animal care center to support the growing collection.
- An event center overlooking the Imperial River.
- A new home for the alligators with underwater viewing.
- A discovery zone and play area with a dino dig.
- A natural history museum with hands-on activities.
- A treetop canopy walk and treehouse where guests can walk above the foliage alongside tamarins.
For families, these changes mean more ways to experience animals up close, more play spaces, and more reasons to come back year after year.
How are kids connecting with Wonder Gardens today?
With the redesign, the Wonder Gardens is once again a busy hub for local and visiting families. Attendance is growing, and the attraction recently broke its daily record with almost 1,000 guests.
“We are designing new habitats with visitor experiences that go along with that,” Anderson said. “Before, everything was designed to lift your kid up over the walls to see things, so we are taking away the cement walls and replacing them with viewing panels, so the youngest visitors can have an opportunity to connect.”
Kids are already forming their own favorite memories.
“Zulu is my favorite,” said 7-year-old Rose Seiger, as she interacted with a violet turaco. “I want to be a zookeeper when I grow up so I can work at the Wonder Gardens.”
“The otters are my favorite,” said 6-year-old William Rusk.
For the Piper family, seeing these new connections during the 90th anniversary year is especially meaningful.
“The place is lovely and we are very proud of it,” said Buck Piper, Lester Piper’s grandson.
“I am thankful to everyone and to the community that they preserved … the legacy of the Wonder Gardens,” said Ashley Piper, Buck’s daughter.
Share the story with your kids as you walk: how a backyard reptile garden survived almost a century, changed with the times, and still feels like a place out of a storybook.
How does Wonder Gardens balance history and the future?
Preserving history is at the heart of the 90th anniversary. As donors help fund new habitats and family spaces, the Wonder Gardens team is careful to keep the original character intact.
Donations paid for the flamingo night house and the new event center. Money is now being raised to build the treetop walkway. At the same time, an original cottage on the property will serve as the new museum, giving families a place to learn about the early days of the attraction.
“We want to keep that historical perspective,” Anderson stressed. “We want to take you back to the beginnings of the Wonder Gardens. It is really keeping trust in the true Wonder Gardens; what it used to be and bringing it up to modern standards with the historic feel. There is something special here. Part of that is the history.”
As you visit during the 90th anniversary year, point out the old and the new: the vintage feel of the paths and buildings, and the modern, animal-friendly habitats and educational exhibits.
If you go: Wonder Gardens 90th anniversary details
The Wonder Gardens 90th anniversary Bonita Springs is the perfect excuse to plan a family outing, revisit an old favorite, or bring visiting relatives to one of the area’s most enduring attractions. Families in Collier and Lee Counties can easily pair a visit with other Bonita Springs stops or make it the main event.
- Name: Wonder Gardens
- Address: 7180 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
- Phone: 239-992-2591
- Website: www.wondergardens.org
- Hours: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. daily (last admission at 3 p.m.)
- Admission: $17 for adults and $12 for children
- Bonita Springs Days: First Sunday of the month, admission is $12 for Bonita residents.
- Events and programs: Check our family events calendar for Collier & Lee Counties for Wonder Gardens happenings and other Bonita Springs family events.
Make a plan to visit during this milestone year. Whether your child falls in love with the otters, the flamingos, or the shady garden paths, you’ll be part of the Wonder Gardens story as it steps into its next 90 years.