Fairchild Gardens is one of the worlds premier botanical Gardens so you cannot compare the two in all honesty. The café at Fairchild is open. Pinecrest Gardens is a small local garden, used to be Parrot Jungle - very pretty, but not even in the same league as Fairchild tropical garden which has one of the worlds greatest collections of palm trees and other rare plants as well as a beautiful butterfly garden and the only tropical rainforest in the contiguous United States. Hence the difference in the price! Both are lovely in their own way but you are comparing apples and oranges in all honesty.

Yes!

The gardens are beautiful and the light show can be enjoyed even in inclement weather. You can always call the gardens ahead of time during normal business hours and they will tell you if they are opening the full program or not.

Tickets to the night show from 6:00 until 10:00 are $33.00 for an adult $26 child under 10

I believe they were $33 for adults at the gate. Military and children receive a discount. Save a few dollars by buying online.

Yes the Gardens are safe. The Gardens are fenced and you must pay for admission. The Night Lights are fabulous. I would not use a flashlight as that will detract from the lights and possibly annoy others enjoyment of the show.

Hi BT, Like Michael W said, there are a limited number of Miami-Dade public transportation options that will take you to Fairchild. You can try Bus 136 from Douglas Road Metrorail Station it has a rush hour weekday service. It’ll head southbound in the morning (7:00 a.m., 7:40 a.m. and 8:20 a.m.) and northbound (you’d have to hail Bus 136 around 3:20 / 4:00 p.m. and 4:41 p.m.). When you board the bus at Douglas Road, tell the driver that you’d like to be dropped off at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and he/she will remember. Fairchild also has an eco-discount where if you walk, ride your bike or take public transportation to Fairchild, receive $5 off the admission price for adults and $2 off the admission price for children.

I never saw any snakes, it is a very manicured garden. That's not to say that there couldn't be snakes in the area. There are lots of lizards (invasive species). In theory, they say that this is an area where both crocodiles and alligators can live, but again, I've never seen either species at this garden.

Yes, and also look out for alligators and crocodiles. Signs are posted around the property.

Hi Ksenia, Thank you so much for your question! We have highlighted some of our attractions below: *I'd suggest starting out your visit with our free narrated tram tour. The tour takes you around the 83-acres of the Garden and is a great way to learn about the mission, history and cool tropical plants before exploring the different exhibits! - Wings of the Tropics exhibit: This is our exotic butterfly exotic where we feature up to 40 different exotic tropical butterflies from all around the world. We also offer butterfly releases twice daily, which gives our guests a chance to get up close and personal with a butterfly! - Rainforest exhibit: We're the only location in the continental US that is able to host an outdoor tropical rainforest (the other location being Hawaii). Roam through our Richard H. Simons Rainforest and take in the sights and sounds. We also have an orchid display that features different varieties of orchids throughout the rainforest. All of our exhibits and collections are also available on our website! We have a five star rating (over 1,400 reviews), and are listed as the #1 thing to do in Coral Gables. Thank you! Best Regards, Maureen Tan Public Relations Coordinator