Located on 80 acres in the rainforest near Xilitle, San Luis Potosi, Mexico lies the sculpture and tropical garden created by Edward James.

James was a British poet and rumored grandchild of King Edward VII. He was a supporter of the Surrealist movement and decided to create his own “Garden of Eden” in the tropics starting in 1945. The cost was over $5M and was largely paid for by James auctioning off his art collection.

The garden is comprised of several natural waterfalls and pools with bridges, walking paths, and concrete sculptures and structures up to 4 stories high. The sculptures have names like Stairway to Heaven and The House With a Roof Like a Whale. etc. The garden plantings are. of course, tropical and at one time boasted 29,000 orchids. Construction of the private garden lasted until Edward James died in 1984. After his death, caretaker and photographer Plutarco Gastelum Esquer assumed ownership but because of finances had to sell off portions of the property. However, in 1994 because of laws declaring waterways federal property the site was opened to the public. In 2006 the garden was named a heritage site and a year later the foundation Fordo Xilitle was created to preserve and restore the garden.

If you’re interested in visiting it’s recommended you buy tickets online ahead of your trip. If you’re digging around online travel sites you might see some reviews of people complaining about the $125 entrance fee, but this is actually pesos which amounts to just over $6 US. You might also see some moaning from others that their choice of footwear kept them from being allowed into the garden due to a strict policy of no high heels and/or that most of the employees don’t speak English. Which, for some reason, wasn’t expected in a wet rainforest located in a Spanish-speaking country.