Homosassa Springs is another classic Florida day trip–one that should be near the top of your list. It has been popular since the early 1900s when passing trains would stop to let passengers take a look at the blue spring filled with exotic Florida fish and manatees.
In the 1940s the spring and surrounding land was bought up and was operated as a small attraction. The Norris Development Company bought the property in 1964 and marketed it as “Nature’s Own Attraction.” The spring and exotic animals were the main attraction.
Also, the Ivan Tors Animal Actors, a company that trained animals for TV and movies, kept their trained animals at Homosassa Springs. One of the animals, Lucifer the Hippo, still resides there.
Everybody calls him Lu.
Lu was born in 1960 at the San Diego Zoo. At the age of 4 he was sold to Ivan Tors to be trained as an animal actor. Lu made several TV and movie appearances, including the TV show Daktari and the movie Cowboy in Africa.
In January 2019, Lu celebrated his 59th birthday. He is the oldest hippo in the Americas. The oldest known hippo is Bertha who reached the age of 65 at the Manila Zoo. Hippos can live up to 40-50 years in the wild.
Across from Lu’s habitat is the Gator Lagoon. So, you’ll be guaranteed to see some big gators during your visit too.
The other iconic thing at Homosassa Springs is an underwater observatory, dubbed “The Fish Bowl.” The observatory looks over the spring and all the wildlife that it encompasses, including Florida fish and, sometimes, manatees.
The first time I visited Homosassa Springs the windows of the observatory were so clouded I could barely see through them, but in 2017 the park developed an innovative way to buff the 50 year old windows. Now the 360 degree view is crystal clear.
Another big highlight is the Florida boardwalk that winds through the state park past exhibits filled with rare–and sometimes endangered–Florida animals. Whooping cranes, bald eagles, the Florida panther (it has been said that seeing a Florida panther in the wild is like seeing a ghost), key deer. There is also a reptile house showcasing Florida’s native snakes.
The final highlight I would like to point out is manatees. When winter moves in so do the manatees…hundreds of them. I have never seen more manatees in one place in my entire life than when I visited Homosassa Springs during the winter.
Getting to the park itself is an adventure too, as you have the option of taking a boat (free & highly recommended) up the river to get to main sections of the state park.
Honestly, Homosassa Springs State Park feels much more like an old time Florida roadside attraction than a state park. This is one of my favorite state parks and I can highly recommend this day trip for everybody.
Homosassa Springs became a state park in 1988. The park is named after Elmyra Felburn Schiller (1943 – 2009), who was deeply involved with the Florida State Park system.
Further Information
Location: 4150 S. Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa FL 34446
Admission: Adults (age 13+) $13 | Children (ages 6-12) $5 | Children 5 and under are free
Hours: 365 Days A Year, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Website: Official Website
Phone: 352-628-5343
Doing It On The Cheap…
The Florida State Park system periodically has free days. The easiest way to keep track of the free days is to join their mailing list or to follow them on social media.
However, I can promise you that the free days at Homosassa Springs State Park will be slammed. It might be better to just pay the full price so you have a little bit more elbow room during your visit.
(updated 10/02/2019)
