PORT ORANGE, Fla. – A hidden gem is preserving prehistoric attractions from an abandoned Central Florida theme park.
The 12-acres of botanical garden is quiet, filled with centuries-old oak trees, towering palm trees and native Florida plants.
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“It’s absolutely a little treasure sitting here,” said visitor Jim Thalhuber. “The paths that meander through the botanical garden. Very peaceful. Just a great calming place. With all the traffic and noise and attractions in Central Florida, this is a place you can step back from it.”
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is a roadside attraction off Old Sugar Mill Road in Port Orange. The site of a 19th-century Sugar Cane Plantation now serves as a historic attraction.
Not just for its sugar mill ruins, old machinery on display and greenery, but it’s large dinosaur displays.
“You just don’t anticipate that in this kind of place,” said Thalhuber.
They’re what’s left of a late 1940s theme park called Bongoland, named after the resident baboon. The attraction featured a train ride, replica Native American village and dinosaur-themed exhibits.
Bongoland didn’t even last five years. It shut down in 1952 due to the “lack of public interest.” But four of its dinosaurs like a 25-foot triceratops remain at the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens and you can check them out for free.
Nestled within the tree line, you’ll also find a Ground Sloth, Dimetrodon and Stegosaurus throughout the gardens.
The structures were created by artist M.D. “Manny” Lawrence out of thin concrete and chicken wire. Some of the details on the structures are still visible to this day, while fragile and crumbling.
The T-Rex statue collapsed in 2019, according to the Sugar Mill Gardens website.
“I had absolutely no idea what to expect and then read a little bit about Bongoland and it makes sense,” Thalhuber said.
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens (Botanical Gardens of Volusia) is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily except Christmas and New Year’s Day. There is no admission charge, but donations are greatly appreciated. Master Gardeners are also available the second Wednesday of each month between 9-11 a.m. to talk about your plant successes and problems. Click here to learn more about the history of the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Plantation and Bongoland.
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