ORLANDO, Fla. – A magical scavenger hunt takes you through Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando.
The fairy doors are a whimsical, one-of-a-kind works of art with a magical story behind each fairy who lives inside.
“I love the experience. The fairy doors are all just so cool,” said 8-year-old Sam Ostrowsky.
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Ostrowsky guided his family through the botanical gardens in the scavenger hunt to locate all of the fairy doors.
“We have a map with numbers and we can follow the numbers to the fairy doors,” Ostrowsky said.
Some are hiding in plain sight.
“The dragon one is my favorite,” Ostrowsky said.
Tracy Micciche, the events and marketing director for Leu Gardens, said this marks the fifth year for the Fairy Doors event. Each door is one-of-a-kind and hand-made from a variety of materials including wood, metal and cardboard. Some fairy doors are complete with artistic detail and mini accessories. The event even brings out visitors for magical photo ops.
Micciche said her favorite door is the Fairy Tales door, shaped like a book. The door was inspired by her daughter.
“She loved reading fairy books as a kid. Every year we have a book fairy, the story may change and the fairy name may change, but the book is important to me because I enjoy reading,” Micciche said.
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Through the Fairy Doors event, Micciche is hoping to inspire visitors of all ages, like Ostrowsky, to take a moment to appreciate and learn about the more than 8,000 plants within Leu Gardens.
“We want people to experience the 50 acres. We want you to get out and go ‘Oh, what’s the plant?,’” she said
An experience that’s a part of history. The plants were collected by Harry P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane in the 1930s.
“That’s how this property started. It was his journey of going around the world and just picking plants and bringing them back here. He and Mrs. Leu thought it was time to retire and deeded the property to the city of Orlando in 1961 so this was their gift was; a public garden.”
The fairy doors will be displayed throughout Leu Gardens through the end of October.
Leu Gardens is located at 1920 North Forest Avenue in Orlando.
It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. The cost is $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 to 17. There are military discounts. Children under four years of age are free. No pets are allowed on the property.
Free Daytime Admission Days at Leu Gardens (admission is free all day, no entry after 4:00 p.m.):
September 5, 2022
October 3, 2022
November 7, 2022
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