Upcoming Event!

Magic Christmas in Lights

NOV. 29 – JAN.5, 2025

Learn More
Masked image
 

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is a unique icon for the Gulf Coast region, housing thousands of exquisite plants and flowers. The beauty of the Gardens has made it a perfect location to host community occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and special events. Many hands are working together to keep the Bellingraths’ dream alive to create a place of beauty that enhances the community experience.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home Foundation

The Bellingrath Gardens and Home Foundation was created in 2004 to assist with garden enhancements, special events, educational programs, and capital projects.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home Timeline

Discover the timeless beauty of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath's legacy at Bellingrath Gardens & Home.

left

right

1869

1878

1903

1906

1911

1914

1917

1919

1927

1932

1934

1938

1939

1943

1949

1955

1956

1961

1967

1979

1981

1995

1996

1869 – Walter Bellingrath is born in Atlanta.

1878 – Bessie Morse is born in Mobile.

1903 – Walter and Will Bellingrath divide the southern half of Alabama’s Coca-Cola bottling franchise. Will retains Montgomery while Walter travels to Mobile.  Walter began his Mobile franchise that spanned a 100-mile radius and which he covered single-handedly at first.

1906 – At 37, Walter marries his Bessie Mae Morse, his stenographer.  She is 28.

1911 – A new Coca-Cola bottling plant is opened on Royal Street, the first to be built from the ground up for the company.  The couple buys the Tacon House on Ann Street in the block north of Government Street in downtown Mobile.

1914-1920 – The Bellingrath’s garden on Ann Street is quickly filled with azaleas, camellias, and other seasonal blooms. Mr. Bellingrath buys the vacant lot behind the house and extends the flower beds from Bradford Avenue to the west. The couple sends word that automobiles may travel the drive and admire the blooms. Household staff is often sent out to direct traffic.

1917 – During an influenza scare in Mobile, Walter visits his doctor to discuss his ailments. The doctor diagnoses him to be overworked and tells him to “learn how to play”. He advises him to buy a property he has been admiring, go fishing, and relax.

1919-1926 – Belle Camp begins to be developed as a country retreat for the Bellingraths and their siblings. The overflow of flowers from their Ann Street home begins steadily arriving on the property.

1927 – Walter and Bessie Bellingrath take an extensive European tour and are particularly impressed with the gardens and country estates in England, as well as on the continent. Upon their return to Mobile, they hire architect George Rogers to assist them in the development of their estate. They reportedly want a design to be less formal than the European examples and one to showcase regional plants and landscapes.

1932 – The couple invites a regional Garden Club to visit Belle Camp one Saturday in April. They announce the general public is welcome. The next day, a traffic jam ensues. They decided to open the Gardens permanently, as has been done in Charleston at Magnolia Gardens and Middleton Place. A gatehouse is installed and a 50-cent admission fee is instituted for crowd control. The property is renamed Bellingrath Gardens.

1934-1936 – The Bellingrath Home is completed. This becomes the couple’s permanent residence. Architect George Rogers creates a modern home using the brick from the recently demolished Mobile birthplace of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont.  Iron galleries salvaged from the demolished Southern Hotel, formerly standing at Conti and Water where the Adams Mark parking garage now sits, are also used in the construction of the home. He terms the 15-room home to be in the style of “English Renaissance”.

1938 – The Bellingraths return from a week in New Orleans to find over 200 Mobilians waiting for them. A bronze plaque is unveiled, thanking them on behalf of the citizens of Mobile for opening their private estate and making it a nationally known destination.

1939 – George Rogers designs the Guest House above a six-car garage with an adjoining Chapel. This is his last commission. At the age of 76, Rogers died in 1945. 

1943 – Bessie Morse Bellingrath dies from a sudden heart attack while on vacation in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She is 64.

1949 – Walter Bellingrath announces the formation of the Bellingrath-Morse Foundation, amidst the celebration of his 80th birthday. The foundation will maintain the Gardens, oversee the operation of the Museum Home, and benefit Central Presbyterian Church, St. Francis Street Methodist Church, Southwestern at Memphis, Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, and Huntington College in Montgomery. The Gardens and his Home are to be maintained as “a fitting and permanent memorial to my wife”.

1955 – Walter Bellingrath dies in August at age 86. He is buried beside his wife at Magnolia Cemetery.

1956 – In January, the Bellingrath Home is opened to the public.

1961-1963 – New entrance building and café replace the “Lodge”. Oriental American Gardens are installed.

1967 – The Garage is enclosed to create the Delchamps Collection of Boehm Porcelain. This American porcelain was a gift from the Delchamps family. Mr. Ollie Delchamps, Sr. had been a friend and admirer of Mr. Boehm.

1979 – Hurricane Frederick hits the area and closes the Gardens.

1981 – In March, the Gardens are reopened to the public.  Chapel restoration is also completed.

1995 – In February, the Southern Belle River Cruiser begins cruising along the Fowl River from Bellingrath Gardens. In October, the Ecological Bayou Boardwalk is opened. 

1996 – Magic Christmas in Lights is initiated.

Learn more about the history of Bellingrath Gardens