Mermaid Villa
Dublin Core
Title
Mermaid Villa
Alternative Title
Weeki Wachee's Mermaid Villa
Subject
Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Mermaids--Florida
Springs--Florida
Parks--Florida
Buildings--Florida
Description
The Mermaid Villa building at Weeki Wachee Springs. Mermaids used the building to change into their costumes for their underwater performances, shower after their performances, and lounge while on break.
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.
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.
Creator
Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"
Source
Original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
Publisher
Date Created
ca.1960-1969
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher.
Is Part Of
Weeki Wachee Collection, Hernando County Collection, RICHES.
Requires
Format
image/jpg
Extent
1.22 MB
Medium
black and white photograph
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Humanities Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher and published by RICHES.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project
Curator
Schwandt, Rebecca
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
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. Accessed November 9, 2018. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1504171?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
Georgiadis, Bonnie and Lu Vickers. Weeki Wachee mermaids: thirty years of underwater photography. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.
Hollis, Tim. Glass Bottom Boats &
Mermaid Tails: Florida's Tourist Springs. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2006.
Pelland, Maryan. Weeki Wachee Springs. Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2006. .
Revels, Tracy J. Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2011.
Vickers, Lu, and Sara Dionne. Weeki Wachee, City of Mermaids: A History of One of Florida's Oldest Roadside Attractions. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007.
Collection
Citation
Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky", “Mermaid Villa,” RICHES, accessed October 31, 2025, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/10483.