Back to the Future DeLorean DMC-12 at Universal Studios Florida, located at 6000 Universal Boulevard in Orlando, Florida, in 1991. Also seen in the photograph is the entrance of the Phantom of the Opera Horror Make-Up Show.

Universal Studios Florida, a movie- and television-themed amusement park, opened on June 7,1990. Design began in 1982, with plans to include a working studio. However, the project was put on hold until 1986. The park originally featured several themed areas: "In Production" (Front Lot and Production Central), "Now Shooting" (New York), "On Location" (San Francisco and Amity), and "The World of CineMagic Center" (Expo Center). In 1998, Universal began expanding its property to include Islands of Adventure.]]>
Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

Weeki Wachee, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida, is best known for its famous tourist attraction, Weeki Wachee Springs. Weeki Wachee Springs features performances by underwater mermaids, a glass-bottom boat ride, and other natural attractions. The springs are named after the Seminole words for "little spring" or "winding river." In 1946, former U.S. Navy member Newt Perry (1908-1987) began to develop a tourist attraction at Weeki Wachee. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was one of the top tourist stops in the United States. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased the site in 1959 and continued to expand. In 2008, Weeki Wachee was taken over by the state of Florida as a state park.]]>
Laura Cepero Collection, RICHES.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

Rosie O'Grady's was a restaurant that was once part of the Church Street Station entertainment complex in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The original site was occupied by a railroad depot built around 1883 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The depot was designed by T. B. Cotter in the Queen Anne/Eclectic Victorian style and constructed by Henry B. Plant (1819-1899). The building was demolished around 1890 and the current Church Street Station Depot was constructed by the South Florida Railroad on the same lot. The site also served the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad, and the Orlando and Winter Park Railway. In 1926, the Orlando Health/Amtrak station took over passenger operations, but Church Street Station continued to serve as a ticket outlet and freight station until 1972.

In 1973, a Dixieland-theme entertainment complex was established between the railroad tracks and Garland Avenue in seven vacant buildings for $22 million. The depot itself houses retail shops. The depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1978. In 1988, the complex was expanded to include the Church Street Exchange and the Church Street Market. The development was led by Bob Snow and Steve Fuller and sold in 1989 for $61 million. The complex peaked in the 1980s, drawing approximately 1.7 million visitors a year. Due to failure to compete with major theme parks, visitor attendance dwindled and the complex was sold in 2001, only to close shortly after.]]>
Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>