Walter and Bessie Bellingrath first opened their opulent gardens to the public in 1932 and built their ten thousand square-foot mansion in the heart of the 65-acre estate in 1935.
Bellingrath made his fortune as owner of the Coca Cola bottling plant in Mobile, where he was the first to introduced coke in individual bottles—previously Cokes were only available as soda fountain drinks.
The Bellingrath’s passed-on long ago but their renowned gardens and mansion remain as an extraordinarily popular destination for events and weddings, along with garden visitors from nearby and around the world.
Come along and join Tom McGehee, retired museum director and curator at Gardens and Home estate to discover the rest of the story.
McGehee’s grandfather was Bellingrath’s personal physician and he’s the one who spurred the Coca Cola executive to take a break from his grueling schedule to indulge in fishing and gardening at his Theodore, Alabama estate.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home remains today as one of the most charming and fascinating destinations in the Mobile, Alabama region.
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