Wikimedia Commons/John Margolies
Parrot Jungle, Miami
Franz Scherr had a wild dream in 1936 – birds flying free without cages. The Austrian immigrant leased 20 acres in Florida for just $25 a year and opened Parrot Jungle.
His wife called it “foolishness,” but Scherr charged 25 cents per visitor and the park took off. Then in 1946, Winston Churchill showed up, gifting turkeys from Texas during his VIP tour.
Soon after, Scherr built Flamingo Lake, which later shot to fame in the Miami Vice TV show opening. The park moved in 2003, but those iconic pink flamingos still wait for you at what’s now called Jungle Island.
Wikimedia Commons/Curteichcolor
Austrian Gardener Dreamed of Birds Flying Free
Franz Scherr came to America from Austria in the early 1900s with little more than grit and gardening skills. He worked as a gardener across several states before settling in Florida during the Great Depression…