Silver Springs Nature's Theme Park (1991): The Official Film *** Restored in 1080p HD ***

Please consider supporting my channel booking your OCALA vacation on Expedia: https://expedia.com/affiliates/hotel-search-ocala.jW8N8Tu Silver Springs is a group of artesian springs that feed into the Silver River in Marion County, Florida. It is the largest artesian spring in the world and the site of the oldest commercial tourist attraction in Florida, and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. Its main features are the glass-bottom boat tours on the river, which have operated there, in various forms, since 1878. (The oldest and only remaining operational boat is the 'Princess Donna' built in 1934. Still in operation today but in Dunnellon FL.) Long privately owned and operated, the springs area was formerly the site of a small amusement park, Silver Springs Nature Theme Park. Developed in the late 19th century, the springs became a tourist destination for Northerners. It changed hands several times over the years, with various operators introducing boat rides and building related attractions of varying scientific and entertainment quality. It was first used as a location for a Hollywood film in 1916, and was a frequent location for the series of Tarzan films in the 1930s and into the 1950s. Beginning in 1993, the first thorough scientific studies of the springs were conducted and wildlife rehabilitation was started. That year, the State of Florida bought the underlying land, while private businesses continued to operate the attractions and concessions. Environmental issues such as nitrate runoff, related to development in the region, adversely affected the park's health and tourist revenues declined. On January 23, 2013, the Florida Cabinet announced the state would take over the facility after the end of the 2013 summer season, and that the park operators would receive a $4 million buyout of their lease. In October 2013, the State of Florida took over operations of Silver Springs Nature Theme Park and combined the property with the adjacent Silver River State Park to form Silver Springs State Park. Silver Springs Nature's Theme Park (1991): The Official Film *** Restored in 1080p HD *** Chapters: 00:00 Opening Titles 00:10 Introduction 00:35 Silver Springs transitioned from a theme park to a state park in 2011 00:55 This park got totally gutted and looks awful nowadays 01:05 They bulldozed Wild Waters water park, too 01:20 Weeki Wachee is just a lot better maintained than Silver Springs 01:45 The didn't destroy Buccaneer Bay like they did Wild Waters 02:10 Silver Springs Florida's National Landmark (1991) Begins 04:10 What Silver Springs used to look like 05:10 Glass Bottom Boat Ride 06:10 Cypress trees 06:25 Discovering Silver Springs 06:55 Steam ships on the Silver River 07:30 Celebrities that visited Silver Springs 08:45 Famous TV Series & Films filmed here 09:15 The Monkey colony that lives at Silver Springs 09:45 The SeaHunt tv series 10:10 Silver Springs is the world's largest spring formation 10:40 The Lost River Boat Ride 11:50 The Safari Jeep Ride 12:55 Doolittle's Park 13:30 Ross Allen Island's Animal Shows 14:25 Florida Alligator Exhibit 14:50 The fossils found on the lost river ride 15:50 The gardens of Silver Springs 16:15 The retail shops of Silver Springs 16:45 The "Way It Was" outro 17:53 Ending Credits