Grand Opening of the Roberts Ranch Garden and Grove
Published on April 13, 2026
Grand Opening of the Roberts Ranch Garden and Grove Restoration
Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.
Celebrate the completion of the Immokalee Pioneer Museum’s Garden & Grove restoration project, which includes the planting of 140 citrus trees, avocados, and mulberries, as well as a recreation of Mrs. Sara Jane Roberts’ vegetable garden. This project was financed in part by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Federal Award Number 1505-0271 and by the Collier County Community and Human Services Division.
The Roberts family maintained a half‑acre garden where they grew a variety of root and cruciferous vegetables to help feed their family of eleven, as well as other ranch workers. They also operated a citrus grove on the property, continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1870s. In 2021, the Museum Division received an American Rescue Plan Act grant to re‑create the half‑acre vegetable garden and restore 1.25 acres of the historic citrus grove. Together, the revitalized Garden & Grove will enhance the interpretation of pioneer life at the Roberts Ranch while also serving as a community food forest for Immokalee.
The project was completed in March 2026 and features a recreation of Mrs. Roberts’ historic garden, seven large raised beds for growing vegetables that will be donated to local food pantries, and more than 140 citrus trees. The grove now includes Meyer and Ponderosa lemons, Australian limes, Sugarbelle tangelos, Hamlin sweet oranges, as well as four varieties of avocado and three varieties of mulberry. Two chickee huts have been added for guests to enjoy and for Museum staff to host educational workshops and lectures. A newly constructed raised gravel path now extends visitor access to the back half of the ranch. We will be opening up opportunities to volunteer and participate in gardening workshops. The Immokalee Pioneer Museum is open from Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, visit colliermuseums.com or call us at (239) 252-2611.
Please join us for our grand opening and ribbon cutting and take a tour of the Garden & Grove!
Date: May 9, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, 1215 Roberts Avenue W., Immokalee, Florida
About Collier County Museums
The Collier County Museums have five fascinating locations: Collier Museum at Government Center, Naples Depot Museum, Museum of the Everglades, Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, and The Marco Island Historical Museum.
Our unique locations each provide a different glimpse into our past, where a diverse blend of old and new, history and legend, weaves its story across a glittering landscape of sun-warmed beaches, ancient cypress forests, and the sprawling grasslands of the Florida Everglades. Discover fierce saber cats and long-vanished civilizations, stunning archaeological finds and curious inventions, turn-of-the-century trading posts, cowmen, cattle ranches, and some of Florida's most adventurous and colorful characters. It's a story that's far too big to be told in just one visit — or one museum.
Our museums are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.
Visit our website for a full list of special exhibits and events: colliermuseums.com