Discover Cypress Gardens

Cypress Gardens is a beautifully preserved botanical oasis and a place with a history as an entertainment destination. The grounds are located within LEGOLAND® Florida Resort and were established as a botanical garden on the shore of Lake Eloise near Winter Haven. The lakeshore and proximity to Winter Haven help place it geographically; Cypress Gardens’ local and statewide significance for entertainment and recreation also reveals another side of the place. If you plan your trip around a particular focus, you can consider the garden character and the history of entertainment as two distinct ways to experience it.

Garden Features and Film History

The banyan tree was planted in 1939 and still stands today. It connects the garden’s present-day appearance with a precisely dated part of its history. The Florida Pool is shaped like the state of Florida; it was built for MGM's Easy to Love. The contrast is telling: the banyan tree represents the botanical heritage, while the pool combines distinctive design with film and entertainment history.

The Park’s History Over Time

Cypress Gardens opened in 1936 as Florida’s first commercial theme park. From 1940 onward, the site became known for so-called Southern Belles, who walked around the grounds in hoop skirts and posed for photographs. The dates mark different aspects of the park’s history: the opening represents the start of the commercial theme park, while the later tradition represents a form of entertainment associated with photography. This makes it possible to understand the early history both through the site’s status and through one of its well-known forms of entertainment.

Waterskiing: Shows and Championships

The historic waterski shows included human pyramids, barefoot waterskiing, synchronized formations, and daring jumps. Together, these elements describe a show tradition featuring group displays, coordinated movements, and jumps. One specific sporting highlight came in 1950, when the World Waterski Championships were held at Cypress Gardens, with Dick Pope Jr. and Willa McGuire as overall winners. The championship was a single dated event and should be distinguished from the broader history of the shows. Another way to experience the historic canals is on the nearby Pirate River Quest boat ride: visitors can see the canals from a unique perspective.

The facts form a clear timeline: the opening in 1936 was followed by the planting of the banyan tree in 1939 and the Southern Belles tradition from 1940 onward; in 1950, the World Waterski Championships added a specific sporting event. This makes it possible to distinguish botanical history, park entertainment, and sport chronologically.

Admission and Visit Planning

The admission policy is also important when planning a visit: access to Cypress Gardens is included with regular admission to the LEGOLAND® Florida Resort theme park; no additional admission is required. As admission conditions may change, check the current ticket information before your visit.

Explore more destinations: Winter Haven, Haines City, Mulberry, Polk City, Davenport, Lakeland, Lake Wales, Auburndale.

For the broader travel overview: Polk.