A Theme Park Was Built And Left To Decay In The Middle Of Florida’s Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
While many people visit Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange for the beauty of nature, others visit in order to get a glimpse at one of the hidden aspects of the history of the area. Bongoland, as it was known, was intended to be a dinosaur-themed adventure park, with life-sized sculptures throughout. Unfortunately, the theme park didn’t last, but what did, were the humongous structures that can still be seen to this day. Come explore the Bongoland Ruins in Florida and see what history remains.
Don’t be alarmed if you’re walking through Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, Florida and you happen to see a life-sized cement sculpture of a dinosaur or two.
This delightful 12-acre garden was once home to Bongoland, an attempted dinosaur theme park by Dr. Perry Sperber and Manny Lawrence back in the 1940s and 50s.
With a strange combination of exhibits, from the historic sugar mill ruins to the dinosaur sculptures and even a few live animals, the theme park didn’t get the type of tourist attention it desired.
The name Bongoland was used thanks to a large baboon that was housed on the premises, which also was confusing to tourists who expected one attraction but received something else entirely.
Unfortunately, Bongoland closed a mere five years after it opened, however, the cement dinosaurs have seemingly been left to decay - but also defy nature.
Today, visitors to the Sugar Mill Gardens can still see many of the remaining dinosaurs throughout the park, sometimes side-by-side with the flourishing succulents and wild palm.
Have you ever been to the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange before? Did you see a rouge dinosaur here and there? Share with us your experience in the comments section! Or if you want more information about the gardens or Bongoland, make sure to visit the garden’s website here.
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Address: Bongoland Ruins, 950 Old Sugar Mill Rd, Port Orange, FL 32129, USA
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A New Jersey native with over 15 years of writing experience, Marisa has studied at both New York University and Florida International University. She has lived all over the country, including a decade stint in South Florida. Marisa is well-versed in exploration as she travels a good majority of the year in her self-converted Sprinter van. Her articles have been featured in various notable publications over the years, she has a published collection of short stories, and three completed screenplays under her belt.
