Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater Postcard

Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater Postcard

Postcard: Image of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids Posing Atop the Underwater Theater, c.1960s

Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)

Tourism--Florida

Photograph albums--1960-1970

tourism & museum

Tourism--1960-1980

Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History

Theater--20th century

Color postcard with an image of Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids posing on top of the newly constructed underwater theater. Text on the back reads, "Weeki Wachee, Florida's underwater grand canyon presents a new million dollar underwater aqua-theatre and underwater musical revue daily from 9 to 5, rain or shine. Located at the junction of U.S. 19 and Florida 50 north of Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa." This Postcard made sometime in the 1960s.

Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.

Postcard of Weeki Wachee Mermaids on Roof of Underwater Theater

Weeki Wachee Spring State Park

Original color postcard of Weeki Wachee Mermaids atop Underwater Theater, c.1960s: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Collection.

c. 1960s

Digital reproduction of original postcard: c. 1960s. Scanned by RICHES team. RICHES, Orlando, Florida.

Weeki Wachee Collection, RICHES.

image/jpg

4.24 MB

1.25 MB

Color Postcard

Still Image

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Humanitites Teacher

Visual Arts Teacher

Theater Teacher

Originally created by Weeki Wachee Springs, owned by Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, and published by RICHES.

Florida Humanities Council Community Grant Program and Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

Schwandt, Rebecca

Collection of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Allman, T.D. Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2013.

Ammidown, Margot. “Edens, Underworlds, and Shrines: Florida’s Small Tourist Attractions.” The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts 23, (1998): 238-259.

Georgiadis, Bonnie and Lu Vickers. Weeki Wachee Mermaids. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.

Hollis, Tim. Glass Bottom Boats and Mermaid Tails: Florida’s Tourist Springs. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2006.

Pelland, Dan and Maryan Pelland. Images of America: Weeki Wachee. Mount Pleasant: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.

Revels, Tracy J. Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2011.

Vickers, Lu. Weeki Wachee City of Mermaids: A History of One of Florida’s Oldest Roadside Attractions. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007.