Florida's Mermaids: The History of Weeki Wachee Springs

This is Weeki Wachee Springs. It is just one of over 700 springs located in the state of Florida, yet this one is special because you see, Weeki Wachee Springs is home to mermaids.

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Sources
“Sportsmen Syndicate Plans Weekiwachee Springs Development”, Tampa Bay Times, Jun 30 1946
“Weekiwachee Lease Approved; Piper-Fuller Squabble Renewed”, Tampa Bay Times, Nov 6 1946
“Weekiwachee Spring To Become Resort”, The Miami News, Jun 16 1947
“Florida’s Newest Wonderland”, Tampa Bay Times, Sep 14 1947
“Underwater Theaters State’s Latest Promotion To Lure Visitors’ Dollars”, Tampa Bay Times, Oct 19 1947
“Company To Film Scenes At Weekiwachee Springs”, Tampa Bay Times, Dec 10 1947
“Universal Group Arrives For Film Scenes At Weekiwachee”, The Tampa Tribune, Dec 30 1947
“Today in Tampa”, Tampa Bay Times, Dec 31 1947
“Mermaids Soon Apt To Be Part Of Florida Scenery”, The Tampa Tribune, Jan 11 1948
“On the Waterfront”, Tampa Bay Times, May 9 1948
“Tarpon Springs Girls Lend Beauty To Weekiwachee Springs Water Show”, Tampa Bay Times, Jun 28 1948
“Bathing Beauties To Compete At Park Theatre Premiere of “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid”, Tampa Bay Times, Jul 30 1948
“Mr. Peabody’ Filmed in State”, Tampa Bay Times, Jul 31 1948
“Mermaid Splashes in Pool To Herald Movie Debut”, Tampa Bay Times, Aug 3 1948
“FCC Examiner OKs Theater, Radio Merger”, The Miami Herald, Nov 14 1952
“Weeki Wachee Maidens Get Enlarged Theatre”, Tampa Bay Times, Jan 31 1960
“Home of the Mermaids”, The Orlando Sentinel, Nov 13 1960
“Weeki Wachee Slates Jolly Good Jolly Roger”, Orlando Evening Star, Sep 29 1962
“Remember the Weeki Wachee Premiere? It Make You Wish You Were A Fish”, The Orlando Sentinel, Jul 19 1964
“Sparkling Spring Mermaids Bridge Water-Land Environment”, The Tampa Tribune, Dec 23 1968
“Ocala’s New Perry: The Human Fish”, Ocala Star-Banner, April 11th 1982
“The Last Mermaid Show.” The New York Times, 5 July 2013
Kat Eschner. “The Historic Tail of the Weeki Wachee Mermaids.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Nov. 2017

[cattycorner]

I saw these shows as a little girl in the early 1960's while on vacation with my parents. It was wonderful.

[kriscynical]

One time when my mom and I were eating lunch at Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs we got into a conversation with a woman who worked there and it turned out she used to be a mermaid at Weeki Wachee back in the day!

[pricilladummie]

I live 12 minutes away from this park and every time family comes to visit we take them to watch the mermaids. It’s a wonderful experience each time. It never gets old. You can also paddle board weeki wachee year round. I love it.

[Will-ollp]

All the mermaids and princess now are all certified scuba divers. We are blessed to have this great beautiful place in my state. A must see when in Fl

[foryou-ftvf]

I lived in the Clearwater area of Florida and went many times to Weeki Wachee as a child in the 60's. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up it was a Weeki Wachee mermaid. That never happened but I am so glad to see the mermaid show is still around after all these years.

[TheDrexxus]

Wow.
These women putting in the time and dedication to put on these shows and did it for.... Bathing suits and food? That is so unimaginable today.

[LauraMaisano]

I was a mermaid loving child, and when I was little we visited Weeki Wachee and saw the mermaids. That is one of my fondest childhood memories.

[mlplaura]

"government funded mermaids" now there's a phrase I wasn't expecting to hear today

[starberrycupcake]

I remember that when I watched Mr Peabody and the Mermaid for the first time I was mesmerized by the underwater scenes, I thought they had built some kind of massive pool or something, I never imagined it was a set built in natural springs that were actually used for it!

[IirlyAccesss]

I enjoyed it when I went there back in the late 80s. I wanted to grow up to be a mermaid.

[kmlammto]

Now we need Rob’s history of Cypress Gardens, the ‘original” Florida theme park. The fact that Disney essentially killed the park is a great tie in to the channel and us, the viewers.

[michellecarns]

Mr. Limpet! My dad loves Don Knox so I grew up watching his movies all the time. Thanks for the great memory reminder! 💜🐟

[taylorvickerman]

Video Suggestion: The history of MagiQuest.

MagiQuest was a real world interactive adventure game. It was originally located in Myrtle Beach, and later spread across the world, and then became partially defunct after being bought out by Great Wolf Lodge. There is a ton of interesting history behind it, but not a lot of good videos telling it’s history. There is a great MagiQuest discord server and subreddit that can answer pretty much any questions about it.

[kesiacruz]

It’s wild to see my home town being talked about anywhere on YouTube

[myjapanesechannel]

I LOVE DISNEY!!! But I am very happy that this place is still going. It’s far enough away to be its own attraction.... like many others who have been around for decades. I went here as a child... it was magical to me as a little girl. Gatorland in Orlando has also been around for a long time and still growing and thriving. Living in Florida is like a perpetual vacation.

[Electricut]

It's rare that stories like this have a HAPPY ending as opposed to Disney running them out of business

[zackdouglas]

Awesome topic, I love the classic roadside attractions, especially mermaids. Weeki Watchee is on top of my bucket list.

[nannettecouch]

I've wanted to go there since I was 10 in 1963 and didn't make it until I was age 66, 2019---IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT--how blessed that it still exist unlike so many other great Florida attractions AND IT IS WORTH THE DRIVE! It is still the best value in Florida for family fun and I can't wait to go back...from Orlando where I live it's about a 90-minute drive. It is the oldest Florida tourist attraction and we also love the next oldest, also blessed it still exists, that's Gatorland, southeast of Orlando. It was very sad when we lost the very popular Ocala's Six Gun Territory attraction, across the road from Silver Springs-home of the glass bottom boats (also once owned by ABC) and has a long & rich history, but sadly closed and re-opened as a state park, blessed we can still visit but it just isn't the same thrill as it was before. So there are lots of things to do in Florida besides the amusement parks and when we have visitors as living in Florida you tend to get a lot, we try to introduce them to the more NATURAL parts of Florida's wonders and all of the amazing springs are always appreciated! A favorite is north about 90-minutes from Orlando, Blue Springs State Park, where we go every winter to visit the incoming manatees that winter there in the warmer waters, no mermaids, but a magical place.

[katherinealvarez]

If there's one thing my childself would've loved to see would be mermaids.

[lesam.colvin]

Always loved Weekie Wachee !
Living in Florida 52 years. ..