May Museum Exhibit
Dublin Core
Title
May Museum Exhibit
Alternative Title
Bug Exhibit at the May Museum
Subject
Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Springs--Florida
Parks--Florida
Buildings--Florida
Entomology
Description
The original interior of the May Museum of the Tropics.
The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions.
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.
The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions.
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: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Publisher
Date Created
ca. 1954-1964
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.
Format
C
Extent
179 KB
Medium
black and white photograph
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
May Museum, 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 May Natural History Museum and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project
Curator
Sawhney, Sabrina
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", “May Museum Exhibit,” RICHES, accessed February 5, 2025, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/11064.