Lost Florida Tourist Attractions
Gone But Not Forgotten

For every existing Florida tourist attraction, there seems to be another one that didn't survive. Lost Florida tourist attractions are dreams that didn't work out.

People invested, worked hard, made payrolls.

In the years after World War Two and up into the 1960's, there were no interstate highways in Florida and no Turnpike.

The main north-south routes were US-1, US-27, US-301, US-441, and US-41.

A lot of these roads converged near Ocala, and then fanned out to head southwest toward Tampa and Sarasota or southeast toward Lake Okeechobee and Miami beyond.

Many of these lost Florida tourist attractions were on these old highways, typical Florida backroads.

Others came later, trying to feed off the frenzy surrounding Walt Disney World and the other major theme parks.

Many of them didn't make it either.

I've wandered around this state for almost 50 years and I am the first to admit that I don't always know which attraction is still alive and which ones have gone to that great theme park in the sky.

For example, Cypress Gardens, founded in 1936, finally bit the dust on September 23, 2009. That's only yesterday in the world of Florida tourist attractions. It is rumored that the home of Southern Belles and water skiers will become a new attraction, Legoland.

Even Epcot, still alive and well, is not the same attraction that Walt envisioned. The final chapter of "What Would Walt Do?" shows what Walt might have thought of today's Epcot.

The attractions listed on this page are no longer in business (I think). There may be something else on the site where they used to be because these things are like reincarnation.

Some of them die and are reborn with different themes and different names.

For example, in the early 1970's I worked on the early phases of Circus World at I-4 and US-27 north of Haines City. It flopped, and became Boardwalk and Baseball in the late 1980's.

That also flopped, and the property is now Posner Park, a mixed use development of residences, hotels, shopping centers and offices.

Orlando's International Drive is also the graveyard of lost Florida tourist attractions. More than one have bit the dust.

For example, the Guinness World Records Experience was on I Drive (as it's called locally), and when it failed it was replaced by Hard Rock Vault. Hard Rock Vault closed, and I don't know what's in the building now.

When you are wandering around Florida's backroads, it is fun to ask the locals where the lost attraction was and go visit it.

Here are the ones I know about. I'm sure there are many more, but this is a start.

I also invite you to create your own web page about any of these lost attractions - or others you might know of - using the form at the bottom of this web page. Tell us about any attraction you visited or give us any information you might have.

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - NORTHWEST

BLOUNTSTOWN
Western Daze Putt-Around

PANAMA CITY BEACH
Castle Dracula
Jungleland Zoo
Long Beach Deer Ranch
Magic World
Miracle Strip Amusement Park
The Ocean Opry
Petticoat Junction/Old Laredo
Snake-a-Torium
Toombstone Territory
Top O' the Strip Observation Tower

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - NORTH CENTRAL

BUSHNELL
Rainforest Art Garden and Dinosaur Jungle

DUNELLON
Rainbow Springs (Now a Florida State Park)

GAINESVILLE
Fred Bear Museum

LAWTEY
Florida Reptile Land

MCINTOSH
Bird Island Cruise

TALLAHASSEE
Garden of Mystery

WAKULLA SPRINGS
Wakulla Springs (now Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park)

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - NORTHEAST

BUNNELL
Marco Polo Park

FERNANDINA BEACH
Peppermint Land

ORMOND BEACH
Parrot Paradise

PALM COAST
Animal Land

ST. AUGUSTINE
Casper's Ostrich & Alligator Farm
Cross and Sword
Gator Land (not the one in Kissimmee)
Mystery House
Tragedy In The US Museum

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - CENTRAL EAST

DAYTONA BEACH
Atomic Tunnel
Forest Amusement Park
Klassix Auto Museum
Jungle Gardens
Sea Zoo

PORT ORANGE
Bongoland

VERO BEACH
McKee Jungle Gardens(Part of it is now a park)

TITUSVILLE
Tropical Wonderland (AKA Tarzan's Jungleland or Florida Wonderland)

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - CENTRAL

DUNDEE
USA of Yesterday Americana Museum

HAINES CITY
Boardwalk & Baseball
Circus World
House of Mystery

KISSIMMEE
Haunted Mansion (not the one at Walt Disney World)
Indian World Museum and Trading Post
Jungleland Zoo
Splendid China
SST Museum
Water Mania
Xanadu: Home of the Future

LAKE WALES
Black Hills Passion Play
Masterpiece Gardens
St. Anne Shrine, Grotto of Lourdes

LAND O' LAKES
Dupree Gardens

LONGWOOD
Sanlando Springs

OCALA
Birds of Prey
Ocala Caverns

ORLANDO
Florida Festival
Guinness World Records Experience
Hard Rock Vault
King Henry's Feast
Mystery Fun House
Stars Hall Of Fame
Terror on Church Street
Skull Kingdom
Wings and Wheels Museum

PALMDALE
Cypress Knee Museum

SILVER SPRINGS
Carriage Cavalcade
Early American Museum
Paradise Park
Prince of Peace Memorial
Ross Allen's Reptile Institute
Six Gun Territory
Tommy Bartlett's International Deer Ranch

WINTER HAVEN
Cypress Gardens
Jungleland
Weapons of the World

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - CENTRAL WEST

BROOKSVILLE
Fort Dodge

CLEARWATER
Kapok Tree Inn

CLEARWATER BEACH
Sea-Orama

DUNEDIN Hobby House Museum & Eden Gardens

HERNANDO
Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame

HOMOSASSA
Homosassa Springs(Now a state park)

OSPREY
Floridaland

RUSKIN
Voice in the Wind

SARASOTA
Circus Hall Of Fame
Museum of the Cross
Sunshine Springs & Gardens
Texas Jim's Sarasota Reptile Farm and Zoo

SPRING HILL
Foxbower Wildlife Exhibit (AKA Dinosaur Wildlife)

ST. PETERSBURG
Caswell Orchid Gardens
Criswell's Money Museum
Florida Wild Animal & Reptile Ranch
Fountain of Youth
Gresh Wood Parade
HMS Bounty
Moses Tabernacle In The Wilderness
St. Petersburg Alligator Farm
Sunken Gardens (Now a city park)
The Peacock Farm
Webb's City

ST. PETERSBURG BEACH
Aquatarium
Shark World
Tussaud's London Wax Museum

TAMPA
Fairyland Park
Fun Forest
Rattlesnake Farm
Supertest Amusement Park
Treasureland

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - SOUTHWEST

CAPE CORAL
Cape Coral Gardens
Waltzing Waters Aquarama

FORT MYERS
Fantasy Isles
Florida Marine Museum
Fort Myers Tropical Gardens
Honey Bee Observatory

NAPLES
Collier Automobile Museum
The Teddy Bear Museum of Naples

SAN CARLOS PARK
Rainbow Palace Waltzing Waters

LOST FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - SOUTHEAST

BOCA RATON
Africa U.S.A.
Ancient America
International Museum of Cartoon Art

BOYNTON BEACH
Waite Bird Farm
Lewis Bird Farm

DANIA BEACH
Graves Museum of Archaeology

DAVIE
Pioneer City

FORT LAUDERDALE
Atlantis the Water Kingdom (6 Flags Atlantis)
Ocean World

HOLLYWOOD
Six Flags Atlantis

HOMESTEAD
Orchid Jungle

HYPOLUXO
James Melton Autorama

KEY BISCAYNE
Crandon Park Zoo

KEY WEST
Ripley's Odditorium

LAKE WORTH
Alligator & Ostrich Farm
Lake Worth Aquarium

LANTANA
Ostrich and Alligator Farm and Zoo

MIAMI
Bryce's Kiddie Park
Coppinger's Pirate's Cove
Donnin's Arms Museum
Famous Trees
Funland Park
Lost Lake
Miami Aquarium & Marine Museum
Miami Marine Stadium
Miami Rare Bird Farm
Miami Serpentarium
Miami Wax Museum
Musa Isle
North Miami Zoological Garden
Planet Ocean
Policemen's Park
Tropical Hobbyland

MIAMI BEACH
Fun Fair

NORTH MIAMI
Anirama
Aquafair
Holbrook Antique Arms & Gun Museum

NORTH MIAMI BEACH
Old West Kiddie Park

POMPANO BEACH
Storyland
World of Miniature Horses

RIVIERA BEACH
Bazaar Trylon Observation Tower

SUNRISE
The Upside-Down House

WEST PALM BEACH
Alligator Joe's

REFERENCES:

Websites:

The internet is a treasure trove of information about these old tourist attractions. Here are some interesting websites.

Brochure Steve's Florida Roadside Mega List
Dogland
Lost Florida Tourist Attractions
Miami Marine Stadium

Books:

Several good books are available that focus on the grand old days of Florida lost tourist attractions.

Historic Photos of Florida Tourist Attractions

Roadside paradise: The golden age of Florida's tourist attractions : 1929-1971

Roadside Florida: The Definitive Guide to the Kingdom of Kitsch

Create Your Own Web Page
About A Florida Tourist Attraction

Do you have a great story about a Florida tourist attraction? Share it with us and we will create a free web page for you to be included on Florida Backroads Travel!

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