Weeki Wachee Springs State Park — Attraction in Weeki Wachee

An overall wonderful and enjoyable experience for the family. Weeki Wachee is a great "starter" for those that are new to natural springs and want to get their feet wet (no pun intended).

Tips: As a good rule of thumb, get there early. We went during the last days of the summer (during Labor Day weekend), and a third of the lot was already full right after opening (9 am). Parking is free - first-come-first-serve, so if you want a good spot, see first tip above. There's a website that will give you an idea of what you can and cannot bring into the park (definitely recommend bringing an authorized cooler for snacks and beverages, although there are food and refreshments available on site). The admission covers access to the general areas of the park, wading area of the natural spring, and mermaid shows. Everything else comes as an additional fee (ie. the lazy river, boat tour, etc.). The beach area is a first-come-first-serve area (you don't have to rent the loungers, but the umbrellas might come with a rental charge). If the mermaid shows are on your to-do-list while you're here, make sure you get to the show at least 15 minutes prior if you want good seats. The ushers will cap off when the auditorium reaches capacity. It's a great show covering the history of the Weeki Wachee Springs, so I definitely recommend attending if you have the capacity to do so. Make sure you dry off before coming here though.

The Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is a great park to take the family to cool down and enjoy some water activities. As a disclaimer, my review is covering the park side of the overall Weeki Wachi Springs. There is a more "active" portion of the park in which you can cruise the entire length and tributaries of the springs.

About a 40-minute trip from north Tampa, Weeki Wachee Springs sits along the main Route 19 corridor in Hernando County. The environ of the natural spring does not lend itself to be apparent, however, there are signs and displays directing visitors to the park.

As you park, you may notice that there are two "entrances". There is the park entrance (which this review is covering) and another entrance for canoe, kayak, and paddle board rentals (I believe this entrance leads to the more "active" portion of the park).

It was a wonderful experience. The park does a great job at maintaining its tidiness, although sometimes the trash containers may fill up quickly during peak visitation. It was nice to see through the clear water in both the wading areas and lazy river. The water was extremely cool, but refreshing (do not let this discourage you from getting in - I assure you that your body will acclimate to the springs and it's going to feel great afterwards). As it is a natural spring, there is naturally loose debris of vegetation floating around - so don't be alarmed. There are amenities such as bathrooms, rentable lockers, umbrellas, and cabanas to augment your experience.

The lazy river portion came at an additional $10 fee per person for unlimited rides. It's a short and slow journey, but the water in this portion is crystal blue. It is deeper than the wading area, so just prepare yourself if you have anxiety about treading into deep waters. There's also plenty of large fish in this portion which is pretty neat.

The mermaid show was spectacular. The show times were limited, and we were barely able to squeeze in to the showing. The center of the auditorium probably offers the best view and presentation of the show, however the extreme ends of the auditorium still offer decent views. Although it might not be for everyone, it was a great experience to learn some history while enjoying the spring.

We definitely recommend this for families...

Not a small kid friendly place. I'm not sure where to start, but this place was highly recommended to visit. It was just horrible! Online, it doesn't show prices, or what the capacity is. I had to find the prices on other websites. It says the height restrictions for the slides, but once you get it, it says a certain age. 🙄

The line to get in moved pretty fast, once in, we noticed people already in line for the mermaid show. We were told by workers to line us 45 minutes before if starts if we want to get in! Only nice thing about the line is it's next to a playground.

My kids were hot so we opted to wait for a later show. We went to the water area. We stood under the bar to cool off while trying to figure out where to sit, get tents and chairs. We got yelled at for having our kids there. There is no where shaded with fans to stand with kids, only for adults to drink alcohol in a 'family friendly park'.

I took my two youngest kids to the toddler, under 5 area. There is only 1 small slide that is mostly under water and a crawl through small tunnel. No shade, no sprinklers, nothing. There was a lot of older kids in there pushing my 2 year old. Lifeguards did nothing. I had to correct other kids multiple times for pushing, picking up and trying to force my 2 year old down the slide while they did nothing. I saw multiple little kids go under water and struggle to get up from the slide, again, lifeguards did nothing.

In the spring water , my 4 year old was cold so he was on my husband's back, we got yelled at by the lifeguards multiple times. There are ZERO signs saying that's a rule.

There are rules that there are no thing bikinis allowed and no vaping, but all I saw was thongs and smoke clouds. But the lifeguards didn't correct that 🙄.

The bathrooms suck. For the women's restroom in the water area, there is only 4 stalls. There is no changing rooms, so people are using the restrooms to change, causing long lines. The stall I went in was so gross, literally poop smeared on the walls! 4 bathrooms for hundreds of women!!

The mermaid show was absolutely packed. What's the point of having a capacity limit if you are going to be shoulder to shoulder with people? The seats were beyond uncomfortable..my legs and butts went numb. The supports in the wall/window blocked the mermaids, the view was blocked either by that or by peoples phones up in the air. The show was very boring. The mermaids never came close to the windows, the songs were very old & outdated, the mermaids didn't do any tricks or anything fun.

Food is extremely expensive. $6 for an uncrustable!! $8 for 2 small chicken tenders.

We went to get a boat ride, and they were already filled up for the day only an hour after opening. 🙄

The peacocks were cool to see, but their 'home' literally has...

In our discovery to learn about "Old Florida," we took a spontaneous trip to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park where mermaids have "been swimming their tails off" since 1947.

In 1946, Newt Perry capitalized on the mermaid myth to create Florida's then famous mermaid attraction. "Although it wasn't the open ocean, the setting was a massive clear spring with exposed limestone rock and a steep drop to 185 feet." Weeki Wachee is one of 33 Florida's 'first magnitude springs,' those that discharge an average of 100 cubic feet of water per second or more.

Perry developed breathing hoses, underwater breathing chambers and even an underwater breathing dressing room. At first, the mermaids were 'paid' in hamburgers, hot dogs and publicity but no salary. In the early days, applicants had to be good swimmers, in good health and aged 18-25 with long hair. Local girls portrayed the mermaids; tails didn't appear until the 60's.

The attraction did well until the mid- 1960's when I-75 diverted traffic away from the highway. Then came "The Mouse" and it went into decline. Several companies owned the attraction including ABC which bought WW in 1959 and built the current one-of-a-kind 400 seat theater16 feet below the spring's surface where visitors feel like they are inside a flowing spring. Eventually, the state stepped in and Florida's 160th state park opened in 2008.

Weeki Wachee is a great destination for families. Swimming is a major attraction but ranger programs, the mermaid shows, playground, kayak rentals, river cruise, trails, gift shop, tube rentals, food and beverage, picnic areas and Panama Jack portable 'tents' make it a venue with something for everyone. I was surprised to see several peacocks strutting their stuff

We arrived at 2:30, not knowing a regularly scheduled 30” mermaid show (one of four during the day) began at 3:00. Perfect timing. $13.00 gained us entry into the park (no coolers allowed) and the underground mermaid theater. While waiting for the show to begin, videos and still pictures show the history of WW so you can see how the attraction has developed over time. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each show; seating is first come, first served. Many people came in their swim suits. Doors close once the the theater reaches capacity.

The show was delightful. One has to admire a scuba-certified mermaid's athleticism and stamina especially while breathing in a hose while mouthing a pre-recorded script. "About 30 mermaids are employed at the park; of these, several are often on the road promoting Weeki Wachee at venues around the country." After the show, a mermaid will pose for pictures.

One thing to keep in mind is there are no refunds or return tickets issued for any cancellations and/or closures due to...