Guided Tours and Special Events

Silver Springs first offered glass bottom boat tours in the 1870s making it one of Florida's first tourist destinations. This tradition spread to other springs and continues to attract visitors from around the world. Today, at Silver Springs you can take in a concert by the Beach Boys or other musical groups, and at Wakulla Springs around Halloween you are guaranteed a scary encounter during the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" film festival. Weeki Wachee Springs, better known as the "Home of the Mermaids", was the first place to offer visitors a front-row seat to the world's first "underwater ballet". Many springs State Parks and recreation areas also offer guided nature tours and other special events to help visitors better understand and appreciate the spring ecosystem.