Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Show - Weeki Wachee, FL
N 28° 30.992 W 082° 34.411
17R E 346021 N 3155433
Decades old roadside attraction that features live mermaids. Once in danger of closing for good, the state of Florida has stepped in and now taken over this favorite tourist stop. Thank you, Florida, for preserving a bit of old 20th C. Americana.
Waymark Code: WM3EXN
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/25/2008
Views: 122
The residents of Weeki Wachi hope you'll stop by and spend the day.
If you stop- you can take the day and play in the Buccaneer Bay water park or you can take a river cruise. But - the biggest draw of all is The Mermaid Show! Once again it's up and running- a piece of 20th C Americana culture is alive and well.
In 1946, Newton Perry, a former U.S. Navy man who trained Navy Frogmen to swim underwater in World War II, scouted out Weeki Wachee as a good site for a new business. At the time, U.S. 19 was a small two-lane road. All the other roads were dirt; there were no gas stations, no groceries, and no movie theaters. More alligators and black bears lived in the area than humans.
The spring was full of old rusted refrigerators and abandoned cars. The junk was cleared out and Newt experimented with underwater breathing hoses and invented a method of breathing underwater from a free-flowing air hose supplying oxygen from an air compressor, rather than from a tank strapped onto the back. With the air hose, humans could give the appearance of thriving twenty feet underwater with no breathing apparatus.
An 18-seat theater was built into the limestone, submerged six feet below the surface of the spring, so viewers could look right into the natural beauty of the ancient spring.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
March 2008
Daily ~ 10:00am to 4:00pm
April 2008 - August 2008
Daily ~ 10:00am to 4:00pm
September 2008
Monday & Tuesday ~ Closed
Wednesday - Sunday ~ 10:00am to 4:00pm
Labor Day ~ 10:00am to 4:00pm
October 2008
Monday - Wednesday ~ Closed
Thursday - Sunday ~ 10:00am to 3:00pm
Hours are subject to change without notice
Admission Prices:
Ticket Information
Parking
$3.00
Cash Only
Daily Admission beginning March 22, 2008
Adult ~ $24.95 Plus Tax
Child (Ages 3-10) ~ $16.95 Plus Tax
Ages 2 and under free
Admissions includes Weeki Wachee & Buccaneer Bay. Be sure to check the hours of operation for Buccaneer Bay!
Season Passes
Adults & Children (Ages 3-54) ~ $56.95 Plus Tax
Seniors (Ages 55+) ~ $21.95 Plus Tax
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Half of a day (2-5 hours)
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle Only
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