ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM
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SONOTECH
N 29° 52.927 W 081° 17.315
17R E 472133 N 3305758
ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM
Waymark Code: WMVJ3
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/17/2006
Views: 48
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of the oldest continuously operated attractions created specifically for the purpose of entertaining visitors to Florida. Its origins date to the early 1890s, the first decade of St. Augustine's emergence as a popular tourist destination. Alligators were initially used to attract visitors to a small museum and souvenir shop on St. Augustine Beach at the terminus of a tram railway that ran across Anastasia Island. The owners soon discovered the public fascination with the reptiles and in 1909 incorporated the South Beach Alligator Farm and Museum of Marine Curiosities, which they moved to its present location in 1920. W.I. Drysdale and F. Charles Usina purchased ownership in 1936 and after a disastrous fire, began at once to rebuild the facilities, expand the collection, and create national publicity for the attraction. Thousands of servicemen who visited the Alligator Farm during World War II helped to broadcast its popularity. The collection of Alligators and other animals in a controlled environment has provided a unique opportunity for scientists who have conducted research in cooperation with the institution. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s role in the development of tourism in the state was recognized in 1992 with its listing on the National Registry of Historical Places.
Marker Number: No number.
Date: 1993
County: St Johns
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM IN COOPERATION WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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