Silver Springs 1965

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Florida's original themepark - Silver Springs shown here back in 1965. As I understand it, this park opened in the late 1800s when people from up north flocked to see the "unusual" tropical beauty of Florida. The area was settled by local Indians in the 1500s but the Spanish invaded in 1539 lead by DeSoto looking for wealth. A wooden boat still exists from this time -I believe - at the bottom of the river. It can be seen today while riding in one of the famous Glass-Bottom Boats. You can check out the history of the park here.

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It seems that Silver Springs had a relatively popular beach area in the 60s (photo above) I don't recall seeing that on my last visit, but the park has expanded to included a waterpark and music venue.

I've always enjoyed the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of Silver Springs, it's like stepping back in time to when Florida was unexploited and unspoiled. When you're on the Silver River, it's hard to imagine how someone actually found the river. The trees and plants are so thick it's difficult to see 50 feet ahead; not to mention chopping through the thick undergrowth
in the blazing Florida sun to create a trail for the expedition.

Silver Springs

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi, I just ran across your post looking for old pictures of Silver Springs. There was, indeed, a popular swimming area back then. I spent many hours there as a kid. There was a 25 cent entry fee for the day and you got a little ribbon (like you wrap packages with) to tie around your wrist so you could come and go from the swimming area. We would purchase one entry, split the ribbon down the middle to share it and then use the extra quarter for a treat! Loved that place!