We could hear Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden before we saw it.
Parrots whistled, cackled and called out to each other from behind a rambling old house with a simple sign out front. This was going to be good.
We entered through a gate, paid the admission fee ($10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 5 to 11) and found ourselves in a shady, jungle-like courtyard filled with magnificent macaws and a few cockatoos chatting up a storm.
When my family visited Key West for the first time, like any good tourist, I had a list of must-do activities. We would take a sunset cruise, check out Hemingway’s house, go dolphin watching, walk around Mallory Square and eat as much Key lime pie as we could stand. We did it all, and it was all worth it.
But one of the most memorable parts of the trip wasn’t planned.
Paradise for parrots
When you visit a place as full of character as Key West, part of the fun is exploring neighborhoods off the main drag. In our case, we found a parrot sanctuary tucked away on a residential street. Owned by Nancy Forrester, a local artist and environmental activist, the garden has provided homes for abandoned birds for more than 30 years. Macaws are known for their intelligence and personality, but they require long-term care — some have been known to live up to 80 years.
As soon as we entered the courtyard, it was clear that this was the parrots’ domain, and we were the guests. Each colorful bird was housed in a spacious cage with perches, toys, ropes for climbing, food, and — here’s the best part — a sign with a biography detailing their likes, dislikes, talents and the story of how they came to live in the sanctuary.
A backyard cocktail party with birds
Some of the write-ups read like dating profiles. Larrybird is a 35-year-old harlequin macaw who enjoys banana chips and dancing to music and once lived in a bar. Mr. Peaches is a friendly peach-colored Moluccan cockatoo who likes being read to and watching videos on a phone. Bailey (pictured above), a 12-year-old green-winged macaw, came to Nancy’s garden after living in a restaurant with other parrots and struggling to compete for food and attention.
A volunteer told us that the birds would choose whether to interact with us, and in most cases, they did. Some said “hello” and “I love you.” Some showed off their toys. And some just peered right back at us. The experience felt a bit like going to a cocktail party and mingling with new people who just happened to communicate through screeching.
We left the garden with our ears ringing and a new appreciation for the intellect and beauty of these parrots — and for Nancy Forrester and the birds’ other caregivers.
Key West is full of surprises if you let yourself wander.
Plan your visit
- Address: 518 Elizabeth Street, Key West, Florida 33040
- Hours: Daily, from 10 AM to 3 PM
- Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 11