Weeki Wachee

Weeki Wachee Springs is one of Florida’s original roadside attractions; it is the Home of the World Famous Mermaids! “Doomed dads have been steering their wood-paneled station wagons towards these mesmerizing maidens since 1947,” according to RoadsideAmerica. Even Elvis came to see the mermaids in their heyday. It's about a 10-hr drive from Huntsville and on the way to other fun and interesting sights in Tarpon Springs, Tampa, and Sarasota.  

The mermaids alone make it worth a visit, but it is also a beautiful natural site where you can see wildlife on a narrated river cruise, paddle in a canoe or kayak, visit with birds and reptiles in encounter shows, picnic, swim and snorkel in the 72-degree clear spring water (burr!), and enjoy the beach and flume ride in Buccaneer Bay. 

The first Weeki Wachee mermaids didn’t wear tails.

(They did, however, wear bathing suits.)

You can watch the 15-minute live mermaid show three times a day from the only underwater observatory (a 400-seat theater) built directly into a natural spring. Weeki Wachee Spring is a first magnitude spring (the flow is 117 million gallons per day) with a 100-ft wide basin; divers have yet to make it to the bottom. The current is a strong five miles per hour at 16 to 20 feet below the surface where the mermaids perform. They use air hoses and swim among the wildlife, which includes turtles, fish, and the occasional alligator, while enacting a short Disney tale such as The Little Mermaid. Afterwards you can meet one of the mermaids for photo ops. The first time we visited this park my children were young (the oldest was 6) and they were very excited to have their photo taken with a live mermaid. The next time we visited they were teenagers, but we all still enjoyed this iconic attraction!

The spring is the source of the Weeki Wachee River which winds its way 12 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The ½-hr river cruise takes you a little way down the river, until it gets too shallow for the boat (in case of emergency, grab you life vest, hop off the boat, and walk!). Along the way, you get a look at “Old Florida” – the moss draped cypress trees, turtles, fish, birds, and even wild manatees (who can resist a manatee?!). On our first visit we saw a mother and baby manatee swimming together in the crystal clear water!

Manatees!

 There are lots of peacocks on the grounds of the 538-acre park.

In 2008 Weeki Wachee Springs became an official Florida State Park. The very reasonable entrance fee includes the mermaid shows, animal encounters, and river cruise. It is open 365 days per year. We visited in September and in January. I love middle-Florida in September because the crowds are gone, the air temperature is nice, and the ocean water temperature is at its peak. January is not for swimming but otherwise the weather is warm enough and there are no crowds at the attractions.

There are some great super-kitschy photo-ops around the park.