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All the United States Florida Weeki Wachee Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids
AO Edited

Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids

Welcome to old Florida, where a 1940s mermaid show is still enchanting visitors.

Weeki Wachee, Florida

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anhie
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The performances include a rendition of ‘The Little Mermaid.’   Robin Wendell/CC by 2.0
The performances include a rendition of ‘The Little Mermaid.’   Robin Wendell/CC by 2.0
The mermaids, pictured here on a postcard, perform underwater acrobatics and dance.   Steve Shook/CC by 2.0
Little Mermaid Performance at Weeki Watchi   jennifer4 / Atlas Obscura User
The shows have been dazzling visitors for decades.   Jeff Miller/Public Domain
Weeki Wachee 60th Anniversary, 2007.   User submitted
Evil Witch and Froggy   arc459 / Atlas Obscura User
Mermaids of Weeki Wachee   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance   cynthiadebock / Atlas Obscura User
Statue of Original Weeki Watchi Mermaids   jennifer4 / Atlas Obscura User
Entry gate   Rindy99 / Atlas Obscura User
Weeki Wachee 60th Anniversary, 2007.   User submitted
Weeki Wachee 60th Anniversary, performers in lycra mermaid fins. 2007.   User submitted
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About

Long before Disney World became the staple of Florida's tourism industry, there was Weeki Wachee, the City of Live Mermaids. Since opening its doors in 1947, Weeki Wachee has attracted thousands of roadside visitors—and aspiring mermaids—from all over the world.

Set on 538 acres and home to the deepest naturally formed spring in North America, this state park is best known for its live Mermaid Shows, where "half-fish, half-human" performers swim and dance in an underwater theater built 20 feet below the spring's surface.

It was built by former Navy man Newton Perry who invented a new way of breathing underwater and taught it to some girls who were willing to perform while submerged. It takes rigorous training to become a full-fledged mermaid. Candidates from all over the world, as far away as Tokyo, come to this Gulf-coast destination in hopes of fulfilling their dreams of becoming a mermaid.

Although the park's popularity peaked in the 60s, today's Mermaid Shows are equally whimsical, offering a glimpse into the old charms of Florida's rich heritage. Just as in the original shows, today's mermaids use free-flowing air tubes for oxygen and, with an array of glittering props, present underwater renditions of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" as well as the complete history of Weeki Wachee Springs.

The geological backdrop is no less stunning than the synchronized song and dance; the theater sits above subterranean aquifers that pump over 170 million gallons of freshwater per day. Though the natural pumping system keeps the water at a cool 74 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, the current at the depth of the theater is a steady 5 miles per hour, making it difficult for the mermaids to swim in one place!

If that's not enough, you can marvel at Weeki Wachee's old Cypress trees (by way of the River Boat Cruise or your own kayak), or head next door to Buccaneer Bay, Florida's only spring-fed water park. And don't expect anything less charming in the surrounding town of Weeki Wachee; with a population of 12, it's known as one of the nation's smallest cities and, of course, is proudly run by a mermaid-turned-mayor.

Related Tags

Water Wondrous Performances Subterranean Sites Mermaids Underwater Week

Know Before You Go

The park is 45 minutes north of Tampa and about 90 minutes west of Orlando, at the intersection of State Road 50 and Hwy 19. There is an admission fee that covers both the mermaid side and the water park side of the park. It’s 13 dollars for the day. After the show you can enjoy the water in the spring next to the aquarium. It’s a good place to snorkel and see fish and turtles in the wild.

Community Contributors

Added By

anhie

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, rugby007, thommandos, FilmFunATL...

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • rugby007
  • thommandos
  • FilmFunATL
  • arc459
  • jennifer4
  • jessicahester1
  • Rindy99
  • blimpcaptain
  • cynthiadebock

Published

July 21, 2016

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Sources
  • http://weekiwachee.com
  • http://www.floridastateparks.org/weekiwachee/default.cfm
  • http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0322_040322_TVmermaid.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeki_Wachee,_Florida
  • http://whenonearth.net/watch-real-live-mermaids-in-weeki-wachee-springs-florida/
  • https://britonthemove.com/mermaid-show-in-florida/
Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids
6131 Commercial Way
Weeki Wachee, Florida, 34606
United States
28.516707, -82.57392
Visit Website
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