Explore South Shore Gardens — Allerton & McBryde in Koloa, Hawaii

South Shore Gardens - National Tropical Botanical Garden in Koloa, Hawaii

South Shore Gardens, part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden network, offers visitors concentrated access to two distinctive Kauai landscapes: Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden. Located in Koloa, Hawaii, these gardens deliver a mix of guided tours and self-guided experiences focused on tropical plants, cultural history, and conservation.

Allerton Garden Guided Tour

• Highlights: exotic plant collections, sculptural features, water elements, and formal landscape design.
• Notable feature: the iconic Moreton Bay fig trees, which appear in film history including Jurassic Park.
• Visitor experience: expert-led interpretation on garden design, plant origin, and landscape art.

McBryde Garden Self Guided

• Coverage: approximately 50 acres of curated plant collections.
• Focus areas: Hawaiian native plants, ethnobotanical species, the Hawaiian Life Canoe Plant Garden, and the Biodiversity Trail.
• Visitor experience: independent exploration at a self-directed pace with clear signage and interpretive markers.

Best of Both Worlds — Behind the Scenes Tour

• Availability: offered Tuesday through Saturday.
• Format: guided combination tour that visits highlights of both Allerton and McBryde Gardens.
• Ideal for: visitors seeking an efficient, guided overview of the South Shore Gardens properties.

Allerton Garden at Sunset

• Unique offering: a guided evening tour that includes the historic Allerton home, displays of the Allertons’ personal memorabilia, and a concluding refreshments service on a lanai at sunset.
• Atmosphere: a blend of botanical beauty and historic context with Pacific views at dusk.

What to expect at South Shore Gardens

• Guided tours: scheduled, interpretive experiences led by trained guides (Allerton Guided Tours, Best of Both Worlds, Allerton at Sunset).
• Self-guided options: McBryde Garden Self Guided across extensive planting collections.
• Conservation and education: the gardens are part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden network, emphasizing research, plant conservation, and public outreach.

Practical details and search terms

When searching for experiences in Koloa or Kauai, common queries that match these offerings include: Allerton Garden Guided Tour, McBryde Garden Self Guided, Allerton Garden at Sunset, Best of Both Worlds Behind the Scenes Tour, Moreton Bay fig trees Kauai, Hawaiian native plants McBryde, and Biodiversity Trail Koloa. Use these keywords to find bookings, tour descriptions, and visitor information.

Why visit

• Access to two adjacent, meticulously managed botanical properties.
• A mix of guided interpretation and independent exploration tailored to different visitor preferences.
• Direct engagement with Hawaiian native species, ethnobotany, and landscape history in a trusted conservation setting.

Plan visits in advance to reserve guided tours or the sunset experience. South Shore Gardens in Koloa, Hawaii provides a concentrated botanical encounter that combines horticultural richness, cultural context, and conservation-focused interpretation.