It was founded in 1929, when Waldo E. Sexton and Arthur G. McKee purchased an 80-acre (32 ha) tropical hammock along the Indian River.

[3][4][5] Tropical landscape architect William Lyman Phillips was hired to design its streams, ponds, and trails.

The site remained vacant for twenty years until the Indian River Land Trust purchased it in 1995.

[6] It is now a Florida landmark and on January 7, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places under its former name of McKee Jungle Gardens.

[1] Currently, there are several buildings on the garden including the office, gift shop, education center and a restaurant.