Historic Spanish Point
Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point
An archaeological and historical park on Osprey Bay, where prehistoric shell mounds, pioneer farmhouses, and early 20th-century estate gardens all stand side by side.
Historic Spanish Point is located in Osprey, about 20 km south of Sarasota. It has been managed by Selby Gardens since 2020. The park covers about 12 hectares and tells roughly 5,000 years of human history. Visitors can walk inside a cross-section exhibit of a large shell mound left by Native Americans. The park also has the Webber family's 19th-century pioneer farmhouse, a small chapel, and a cemetery. The ruins of the estate gardens built in the 1910s by Bertha Palmer, a socialite from Chicago, include a sunset garden and a massive banyan tree. Trails along the bay pass mangroves and waterbirds. Admission is about $25, and combined tickets with Selby Gardens are available (check the official website for details). It suits visitors interested in history and gardens.
Opening hours
10:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Turtle Beach (Siesta Key)
- Oscar Scherer State Park
- Siesta Key Beach
- Venice Beach (Venice, Florida)
- Lido Key Mangrove Tunnels
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
- Celery Fields
- Bayfront Park & Unconditional Surrender