Disney World at 50: Before the mouse came to Florida, roadside attractions reigned

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Before Walt Disney brought his big theme park concept to town, Florida was filled with roadside attractions on highways that took motorists around the state before the turnpike and interstates appeared.

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By PATRICK CONNOLLY

ORLANDO SENTINEL |

MAY 26, 2021 AT 5:30 AM

 

 

Before Walt Disney brought his big theme park concept to town, Florida was filled with roadside attractions on highways that took motorists around the state.

 

 

For nearly a century before Walt Disney’s dream theme park landed in Orlando, tourists were taking trains, boats and cars around the Sunshine State, enjoying roadside shows and Floridian kitsch along the way.

Florida’s tourism boom started in earnest when northerners were encouraged to visit for health reasons, said Pam Schwartz, executive director of Orange County Regional History Museum.

“Around the turn of the century in the 1900s, people were being sort of prescribed to come here, to drink the water and spend time in the sunshine,” she said. “But it really started to kick off with cars and the building of the Dixie Highway in 1915. Improved roads did a lot for Orlando and the Central Florida region.”

A new wave of tourism came with the end of World War II and the advent of air conditioning, making year-round travel possible in the state. Roadside attractions had their heyday, up and down Florida’s coast and throughout the middle of the state, too. Eventually, the convenience of the turnpike and interstates took motorists past many of the classic attractions, causing many to shutter for good.

While some remnants of Florida’s past have vanished away, left to the pages of history, others are still operating today, preserving the legacy of the roadside attractions that once reigned.

Gatorland through the years

Owen Godwin, owner of Gatorland, holds open the jaws of 'Bone Crusher' in 1954. (GATORLAND)

 

 

Gatorland

Capturing the public’s interest in ancient reptiles, Gatorland has drawn tourists to its roadside destination for dozens of years with alligator wrestling, snakes and a giant gator-jaw entrance. The Orange Blossom Trail attraction was opened in 1949 by third-generation Floridian Owen Godwin as the “Florida Wildlife Institute.” In the decades to follow, Gatorland expanded rapidly, building a 2,000-foot boardwalk and a steam engine dubbed “Iron Horse.”

Now, the 110-acre park features an extensive network of zip lines, a swamp buggy tour and gator-centric shows for visitors of all ages. Amid the rise of Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, Gatorland has persisted to this day, still owned by Godwin’s family, standing the test of time to welcome in tens of thousands of visitors per year.

More information: gatorland.com

Citrus Tower

Thousands of acres of citrus groves surrounded the Citrus Tower in Clermont when it opened in 1956. An estimated 17 million trees could be seen from the top. (The Citrus Tower/Courtesy)

The Citrus Tower

Originally built as a roadside monument to the Sunshine State’s citrus heritage, the Citrus Tower has welcomed millions of visitors to see fresh views of Central Florida since its opening in 1956. Sitting along U.S. 27 near Clermont, the 226-foot tower once featured carillon bell concerts and overlooked an estimated 17 million citrus trees.

The view has changed considerably, as those farms have given way to sprawling development, but the attraction has remained largely the same for those who have made the journey to the top over the years. Topping out at nearly 500 feet above sea level, the Citrus Tower provides panoramic views of the Orlando skyline and Disney hotels, plus dozens of lakes.

More information: citrustower.com

Silver Springs State Park

The swimming area at Silver Springs in the 1960s. (Silver Springs State Park / Handout)

Silver Springs

The glass-bottom boats of Silver Springs are touted as Florida’s oldest attraction, providing views of the state’s pristine springs for nearly 150 years. To this day, visitors to Silver Springs State Park can take a trip on one of these special watercraft every half-hour to catch glimpses of turtles, fish and sometimes manatees.

Along the way, tourists can also uncover Florida history when learning about movies filmed in the springs — namely several “Tarzan” films and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” In adapting to present-day needs, Silver Springs State Park has added a handicap-accessible boat to its fleet for guests who use wheelchairs and powered scooters.

More information: silversprings.com or floridastateparks.org

St. Augustine Fountain of Youth

Tourists take note of the odiferous sulfur spring water at the Fountain of Youth in St. Petersburg in 1951. (Joseph Kaleita / Florida Photographic Collection)

St. Augustine Fountain of Youth

While Silver Springs’ glass-bottomed boats are typically thought of as Florida’s oldest attraction, the St. Augustine Fountain of Youth may rival that notion. The archaeological park and “edutainment” experience have sign-ins from visitors dating back to 1868.

It’s a place where “legend meets history,” and modern-day visitors can drink from the same spring that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León likely did. Tourists can find a planetarium show and a two-story Discovery Globe on the site, plus a Timucua village and historical re-enactments. A gift shop complete with “Fountain of Youth” spring water awaits visitors at the end of their experience.

More information: fountainofyouthflorida.com

Cypress Gardens

Skiiers perform in a 1965 Cypress Gardens water show. (Handout)

Cypress Gardens

With a famous water skiing show and a 200-acre garden filled with tropical blooms, Cypress Gardens has been regarded among Florida’s greatest attractions throughout the state’s history of tourism. Opening in 1935, this “photographer’s paradise” was heavily advertised in magazines and attracted plenty of celebrity cameos.

The arrival of Walt Disney World took tourists away from the famed gardens as attendance dropped rapidly. In 2003, the gardens closed and changed hands several times before reopening as Legoland Florida in 2011. Remnants of the gardens can still be seen by visitors today.

Six Gun Territory

Six Gun Territory, shown here in April 1979, was a Western-themed attraction in Silver Springs. It opened on Feb. 2, 1963 and closed on Jan. 1, 1984. (File / Orlando Sentinel)

Six Gun Territory

There was a time when the Wild West could be visited in the South, thanks to the presence of Ocala’s Six Gun Territory attraction. Beginning in 1963, tourists could witness gunfights, take stagecoach rides and visit a saloon within this model Western town. Later, a gondola sky ride and movie theater were added with other rides.

The rise of Orlando theme parks and a series of accidents plagued the attraction, causing it to close permanently in 1984.

Weeki Wachee Springs

Weeki Wachee Springs presents the first live underwater mermaid show to the public in 1947. (George Skene, Orlando Sentinel)

 

Weeki Wachee Springs

For nearly 75 years, the Weeki Wachee mermaids have captivated audiences, entertaining fans of all ages with their unique underwater show. The idea for such a performance was hatched when Navy veteran Newton Perry built a theater 6 feet below the water’s surface and invented an air hose method for breathing underwater. The first mermaid show was held in 1947.

A renovated theater now houses guests to view acts similar to the mermaid shows of decades ago. In addition, Weeki Wachee Springs, now a state park, provides a water park for children to play and paddling on pristine waters.

More information: floridastateparks.org

Space Shuttle

Visitors at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 18, 1983 inspect the Gemini 9 spacecraft which was launched from the Florida Space Center in 1966 with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Thomas Stafford aboard. The three-day manned spaceflight mission was part of NASA's Gemini program. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Kennedy Space Center

When Americans were rocketed to space in the 1960s, nationwide interest surged, and tourists flocked to Cape Canaveral to get an up-close look at the country’s burgeoning space program. Public visitation at what was then known as “Cape Kennedy” started with self-guided vehicle tours in 1963 and 1964.

Tours later expanded to include areas of Kennedy Space Center, an addition that proved popular. Several years later, a visitors center was built and guided bus tours provided another way for guests to get a close view of the American space program on Florida’s east coast. Today, more than one million guests per year come to see a rocket garden, hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes tours.