HOPE GARDENS KINGSTON JAMAICA

The Royal Botanical Gardens at Hope or the Hope Gardens serves as a national attraction and is frequented by visitors from Kingston Jamaica and tourists as well. The Hope Gardens is a part of the two thousand (2000) acres of land originally owned by Major Hope. Two hundred acres of this land was obtained by the Government of Jamaica in 1880 and was originally established as a plant introduction and crop testing facility for Hope Gardens’ plants such as the pineapple, cocoa, coffee and tobacco.

The formal Hope Gardens were laid out on approximately 60 acres of this land with the assistance of personnel from the Kew Gardens in England. This made an excellent option as the Hope Gardens benefited from this assistance. In the 1950's, the Queen of England after visiting the island and being pleased with the state of the gardens gave permission for it to be called the Royal Botanic Gardens or the Hope Gardens.

The Hope Gardens has many exotic species along with some endemic trees of Jamaica. Over the years, the ravages of hurricanes and other disasters have resulted in the loss of a significant number of species. However, there are still some prominent trees and popular sites to be viewed in the Hope Gardens .

At the Hope Gardens, visitors both Kingston Jamaica locals and travelers can view a number of other features including the Coconut Museum, the Sunken Gardens, the Orchid House, the Lily Pond, the Maze and Palm Avenue. These have become common attractions to many visitors.

In the early 1980’s the Hope Gardens established Jamaica’s first Zoo, housing over 40 species of animals and at least 5 species of indigenous Kingston Jamaica animals. Over the years the Hope Gardens Zoo has lost its attraction as many of the animals have either died or had to be returned to the wild.

However recently the Jamaican government has now sought to improve the gardens into a major attraction not just for Kingston Jamaica but for the entire Caribbean. The opening hours of the Hope Gardens are Sunday to Sunday from 8:30AM to 8:30PM, and it is a minimal cost of JMD$300.00. We recommend the Hope Gardens  as a must see for the capital city of Jamaica.

The Hope Gardens  is also a great venue for weddings, Jamaican wedding receptions and Jamaican dinner functions. It is often know as the most serene spot in the Caribbean and undoubtedly. Many students from the Kingston Jamaica University of the West Indies come to the Hope Gardens to study because of the peace and quiet that they obtain.

The University of the West Indies has a chapel which houses many celebrity Kingston Jamaica weddings and it is commonplace to see many of these Jamaican wedding parties strolling over to the Hope Gardens to take pictures.