Silver Springs Nature Park

Useful Information

Location:	East of Ocala, Florida on S.R. 40. I-75 exit 352 east, I-95 exit 268 west. Signposted.
Open:	MAR to mid-AUG daily 10-17. Mid-AUG to SEP Wed-Sun 10-17. 04-JUL 10-22. [2010]
Fee:	Adults USD 29.99, Children (3-10) USD 24.99, Children (0-2) free, Students USD , Family (2+2) USD . Groups (15+): up to 50% off, reservation required. Plus tax. [2010]
Classification:	Karst Spring
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	Yield: 2,000,000 m³
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Silver Springs Nature Park, 5656 East Silver Springs Boulevard, Silver Springs, FL 34488-1874, Tel: +1-352-236-2121, Fax: +1-352-236-1732. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1880	visited by President Ulysses S. Grant.
1920s	visited by President Calvin Coolidge.
1930s	wild rhesus monkeys established on an island in the Silver River by Colonel Tooey.
1980s	acquired by the state of Florida to become a state park.

Description

Silver Springs Nature Park is somewhere between a theme park and a nature and zoological Park. But the interesting feature for us is obviously the eponymous Silver Spring, one of the uncountable karst springs of Florida. This is one of the bigger and most beautiful ones, and as a result it is a tourist destination since shortly after the American Civil War. And it is easily accessible, with glass bottom boats allowing visitors to see the inside of the spring similar to divers.

The glass bottom boats, which are said to have been invented here, made the place famous, it was mentioned in journals and guidebooks. It also became a mandatory stop on the so-called grand tour of Florida.