By Mike Miller Updated August 27, 2023
As I travel around Florida on the backroads, I am cursed - or blessed - by remembering where some of the old tourist attractions used to be. It's a memory trip.
There were many of these tourist attractions scattered around the state that are fondly remembered even though they finally failed and closed their doors.
Quite often they were the victims of the phenomenal success of Walt Disney World and other major theme parks that opened in the 1970s and later.
Other times they were bypassed by the rerouting of traffic along new highways like the Florida Turnpike, I-95, I-75, and I-4.
Here are some of these attractions from my alleged memory and the pages of Florida history.
NOTE
ATTRACTIONS BELOW ARE GONE. DON'T TRY TO BUY TICKETS.
BLOUNTSTOWN
Western Daze Putt-Around
FORT WALTON BEACH
Funway Amusement Park
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
NORTH CENTRAL
BUSHNELL
Rainforest Art Garden and
Dinosaur Jungle
CHIEFLAND
Dogland
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)
NORTHEAST
BUNNELL
Marco Polo Park
FERNANDINA BEACH
Peppermint Land
JACKSONVILLE
Dixieland Park
Florida Ostrich Farm
Griffen Amusement Park
Oriental Gardens
Riverview Amusement Park
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
CENTRAL EAST
DAYTONA BEACH
Atomic Tunnel
Forest Amusement Park
Klassix Auto Museum
Jungle Gardens
Sea Zoo
The Museum of Speed
MELBOURNE
Houser's Zoo
PALM BAY
Indian Springs Museum
PORT ORANGE
Bongoland
VERO BEACH
McKee Jungle Gardens(Part of it is now a park)
TITUSVILLE
Tropical Wonderland
Marine Life Park
CENTRAL
CLERMONT
Governors Grove
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
LAKE BUENA VISTA
Discovery Island
River Country
LAKE WALES
Black Hills Passion Play
Masterpiece Gardens
LONGWOOD
Sanlando Springs
OCALA
Birds of Prey
Black's Haunted House
Ocala Caverns
ORLANDO
Church Street Station
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
Silver Springs (now a Florida State Park)
Prince of Peace Memorial
Ross Allen's Reptile Institute
Tommy Bartlett's International Deer Ranch
Six Gun Territory
WINTER HAVEN
Cypress Gardens
Jungleland
Weapons of the World
ZELLWOOD
Zellwood Corn Festival
BROOKSVILLE
Fort Dodge
Lewis Plantation
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)
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH
Tiki Gardens
LAND O' LAKES
Dupree Gardens
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
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
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
* Reopened as Rev Institute
SOUTHEAST
BOCA RATON
Africa U.S.A.
Ancient America
International Museum of Cartoon Art
BOYNTON BEACH
Waite Bird Farm
Lewis Bird Farm
DANIA
Dania Chimp Farm
Pirates World
Wyldewood Bird Farm
DANIA BEACH
Graves Museum of Archaeology
DAVIE
Pioneer City
FORT LAUDERDALE
Atlantis the Water Kingdom (6 Flags Atlantis)
New River Tunnel Radio Station
Ocean World
HOLLYWOOD
Six Flags Atlantis
Sportatorium
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 Indian Village
North Miami Zoo Garden
Parrot Jungle
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
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