Address: 6131 Commercial Way Weeki Wachee FL 34606. Since then the stage has been expanded to seat more people and there are other attractions like the nature show, wilderness cruise and buccaneer bay. For $13 you get a full days worth of activity and fun. Attractions included the mermaid shows, orchid gardens, jungle cruises, an Indian encampment and a new beach. July 18, 2022. Im not sure how long the boat ride is but you could call 352-610-5660. 3 Beds. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It encompasses Buccaneer Bay Waterpark, complete with two scream-like-a little-girl waterslides that finish in the springs; and offers kayaking and a boat tour down the river. In the end our party had to split up because of misinformation from their workers and two of us had to kayak another 3 miles to Rogers park because they cut off the shuttle back for private launches at 3pm (a service that we paid for) This was after we were told at launch as long as we make it back by 4pm wed be fine. In addition, to live mermaid shows . I even asked if we would have enough time if we dropped in when we did (around 1:30pm) I just feel like they shouldve done a better job communicating such an important detail to us. Yearning to have legs like him, she makes a deal with the sea witch to give her what she wants in exchange for her beautiful voice. "It's a group of about 20 girls, and you're with them almost every single day. We splashed around a bit in the waterpark (two slides and a diving platform - the lazy river costs an extra $7 for a tube). Seating is first-come, first-served. The state park's mermaids performed their first show back in 1947 and have been one of the more Florida roadside attractions since then. Celebrate your big day in the enchanted city of mermaids. Watch the "world-famous" Weeki Wachee Mermaids perform live in the spring, while you view the show behind the windows of a . Will be back to the river but will not be using this company again. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. On October 13, 1947, the first mermaid show premiered in the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs. This is from the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Mermaid Christmas Show "Winter Waterland" holiday event. What little girl, or grown woman for that matter, doesnt have the thought that she would like to be a mermaid too? Published. Weeki Wachee Springs is a spectacular spring site. Solvent-based paint must be used by the selected artists. The mermaids will read each letter, with their videoed response posted on the parksFacebook pageandTwitter page. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Tickets are $16 for adults ages 12+, and $8 for children 3-11. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is best known for its iconic mermaid show offered twice a day at 11am and 3pm. We were told one thing and then another thing so many times. Athanason said the park will bring together mermaids from over the decades, including 92-year-old Diane Wyatt McDonald, one of Weeki Wachee's first "Aquabelles.". And no, you can't JUST get tickets to the mermaid show. The underwater theater would be the viewing place of the first mermaid show on October 13, 1947, where the first mermaids of Weeki . Prince Nick loves watching Star Wars movies! . My favorite was the matching mermaid sets for girls and their dolls or barbies! Updated: 11:07 PM EDT August 3, 2021. Movies like Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid were filmed there. For the safety of the underwater staff, mermaid performances can be delayed or canceled due to weather-related issues. Perry built an 18-seat theater into the limestone, set six feet below the waters surface, so viewers could look right into the natural beauty of the ancient spring. Have your child handwrite a letter to their favorite mermaid (or Prince), asking about the environment they swim in or anything else mermaid related. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. As the prince struggles to save the Little Mermaids beautiful voice, a fierce battle ensues between him and the evil sea witch. How to Stay Safe on a Road Trip in 2022; Best Road Trip Games for Kids; How to Make Sure Your Car Is Road Trip Ready. Brimming with the remains of rusted refrigerators and abandoned cars, the spring was sited on U.S. 19, at the time, an insignificant two-lane road. The park includes water rides, animal shows, mermaid costume shows, and manatee watching. This event is from 7:30-9:00am! Here's what to watch, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' actor, has died at 61, Barbara Bryant, the first woman to head the U.S. census, has died at 96, How Weeki Wachee Springs State Park will celebrate 75 years and its famed mermaids, Gasparilla 2023: Everything you need to know ahead of the pirate parade and festivities, Here is the unique fair food coming to the 2023 Florida State Fair, Weeki Wachee River may soon become a protected spring zone. It is currently closed due to social distancing requirements but they are hoping to find a way to reopen it soon (as of May 20th 2020). Diving Into the Past. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It appears some of the show have been canceled. Camp sessions are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The sand is soft and fun for kids to play in. Register today for $20 (spectators are free. And I love that the mermaids are state employees can't wait. The last time we went there was about 30 years. Its a real legacy project for them to be a part of. Register today for $20 (spectators are free.) Rachel has been an avid traveler for over ten years and has been all over the globe. Its about one half an hour and the effervescent park ranger/guide, Valentine, pointed out different birds including George and Martha the sometime resident eagles! WEEKI WACHEE Shut down for a year due to COVID-19, the mermaids are swimming again as the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park reopened this week . COVID-19 & Safety Updates. 6131 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, FL 34606-1121. FSP.Feedback@FloridaDEP.gov, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. They always say once a mermaid, always a mermaid. I get to have a statue around forever, so it gives me a real feel of that, Kristy Lowman said. No luck there! 4 1. * MAY 20-21. In the springs depths, the current is powerful enough to knock the mask off of a Scuba divers face. Weeki Wachee mermaid Joyce Hope, 1966 Florida Pictorial. 2022. As of September 2022: Mermaid shows are offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 3 p.m. on weekends. 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Mermaid show. We enjoyed the show. We also use cookies for functional and analytical purposes. I hear the boats fill up so maybe the 9:30 and then mermaids at 11. Weeki Wachee, FL 34606. More so, it's the only place in the world where you can see real live mermaids swimming and performing right before your eyes! All money raised benefits the Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Facebook Tweet Pin LinkedIn. Published Mar. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is open daily 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, at the intersection of State Road 50 and State Road 19. We were wrong. You can view the underwater show featuring the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs from dry seats in the Newton Perry amphitheater. Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. We didn't do that, but when we left the park at 1:00 there were people standing in line already. Try on a tail in the Junior Mermaid Camp, available to kids ages seven through 14; or if youre a more mature water nymph, make a splash in the Sirens of the Deep Mermaid Camp, for adults 30-years-old and up. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Wilderness River Cruise runs between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Weeki Wachee also offers a small nature show that is about 10 minutes long where they show you a couple animals native to Florida. Its a great opportunity for them to show their creative side. Do you need reservations? It doesnt cost any extra! The wilderness cruise remains closed due to social distancing requirements and the water slides, kiddie area and lazy river are only open on weekends until May 29th, 2021. is diving in with a new endeavor with an aquarium, including its own live mermaid show. All Camp Dates Sold Out! Manatees are most abundant when the Gulf dips below 70, mostly January and February, on the west coast of FL. The latest news and how to stay informed. To ensure the safety of our performers, mermaid shows are subject to cancelation based on inclement weather. Weeki Wachee FL 34606 Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is located in Florida's Nature Coast. They went Fast! Newton Perry, a former U.S. sailor who trained Navy SEALs chose the site in 1946 and installed a free-flowing air hoses hidden in scenery for the mermaids to use in order to create the appearance of breathing underwater during the shows. The show itself is quite unique and could be fun for . All in all Weeki Wachee is a great day trip from Tampa. 11 AM and 3 PM (Weather permitting). Children under the age of 17 can get first-hand answers to these and any other mermaid related questions they have, thanks to Tail Mail, sponsored by Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Parkand promoting literacy and penmanship has never been more fun. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. SPRING HILL, Fla. The mermaid shows and wilderness cruise at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park are temporarily unavailable, the Florida Department of . How hard is it to become a mermaid? The mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee have thrilled tens of thousands of . Contact the Statewide Information Line: The mermaid show is about 30-40 minutes long. Participants will be swimming in approximately 15 feet of water. A minute into the performance, mermaids appear from the bottom of the spring, a bit of magic. This is the show we saw, it was very cute! . Destination Mermaids: The Tail Trail Project. The Easter Bunny will have a designated area for a great photo opportunity and story time with the kids. Do mermaids need help getting on their tails? Mermaid shows are offered at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. February 12, 2023 May 28, 2022 by Melanie Lentz-Janney. The park opened at 9:00 am and we arrived at 9:05. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (with the mermaid show and water park) are different than Weeki Wachee Springs kayaking but share the same parking lot. Waiting for the boat a different ranger pointed out 2 manatees! Copyright 2023 Copyright 2018 Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Mermaids promise a real delight to the spectators. About Us. The spring is a true Florida roadside attraction but it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Tampa area. Weeki Wachee is one of the top remaining old Florida attractions. Mermaid Kelley has been performing at Weeki Wachee for six years now and is also the underwater theatre manager. It was Saturday night July 2, 2022, and my wife and I were attending a small family birthday party, when my cell phone turned to be the object of everyone's attention. Theater doors open 30 minutes before show time. First they offer a tour boat ride. The communities of Weeki Wachee Gardens and Spring Hill are nearby. The 12,000-acre Weeki Wachee Preserve and the Weeki Wachee Springs park are located in the area. Due to the high demand, no refunds are offered, and theres no carry over to the following year. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Theater doors open 30 minutes before show time. Located on the scenic Gulf Coast of Florida, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is the ideal destination for your next group event. Great, but plan ahead and arrive before opening hour. Do mermaids get cold when theyre putting on shows? This makes it feel as though youre on the coast. I'm sure that in winter months this place is more manageable and this review is irrelevant. A ferocious battle ensues between the prince and the malevolent sea witch, as the prince fights to save the Little Mermaids voice. I am trying to figure out my most economical way I don't want to spend $150 in food n drink for 2 ?where can I view these menus and prices online. 6131 Commercial Way Weeki Wachee, FL 34606. Privacy Notice: We use cookies on our website to enhance your experience. Do they rent umbrellas for the swimming rea? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. . This includes, but isnt limited to, lightning in the area and temperatures below 50 degrees at showtime. Can you swim here in January or is it too cold? Joanna Keen is the WUSF Stephen Noble Digital News intern for spring of 2023. After clearing the junk, Perry investigated underwater breathing hoses and came up with a way to breathe underwater from a free-flowing air hose supplying oxygen from an air compressor, instead of from a tank strapped to the back. Visit theFriends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Parkonline for more information as well as camp dates. There will also be photo ops with Santa, the elves, and the mermaids. She is a strong swimmer and every day she can see the mermaids from her station performing their beautiful underwater show. The theater is air conditioned and it felt DIVINE to sit and wait for 30 minutes. We went to Weeki Wachee Springs to see the live mermaid show. Certified Visitor Information Centers North Central Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Northeast Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Central West Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Central Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Central East Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Southwest Florida, Certified Visitor Information Centers Southeast Florida, Florida Travel and Vacation Guides - United States, Exchange Rates, Conversions, And Processes, Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | Thank you for your interest! The Ranger Experience is offered daily at 10 . Located on the scenic Gulf Coast of Florida, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is the ideal destination for your next group event. InDepth editor Pat Jablonski takes us to see the longest running mermaid show on Earth that dates back to 1949, and discusses what it takes to be one of the park's seventeen aquatic athletes. A Florida classic since 1947, Weeki Wachee's mermaid show is the creation of Newton Perry, a former U.S. Navy man who trained Navy Frogmen to swim underwater in World War II. Very disorganized management of this beautiful springs and state park! Mermaid Morgan loves animals and dreams of one day owning a dog rescue. A video I created for Weeki Wachee Mermaid Kiyomi as she took her mermaid test. Join us in congratulating Kiyomi as she successfully passed her mermaid t. While the swimming area is open year-round, the waterslides are only open on weekends until daily summer hours begin in early June. The Weeki Wachee spring offers 200 acres of natural attractions and a waterpark with an underwater theater for entertainment. On Jan. 12, the park unveiled 28 new mermaid statues as a part of the "Mermaid Tale Trail" exhibit. They added the Buccaneer Bay water park and Kayaking on the river. View more homes. Ft. 14180 Centralia, Brooksville, FL 34614. Go early! Trained underwater performers will be with participants at all times, and areas exist to hang onto.