Rainbow Springs is a large artesian spring formation in Florida that serves as the headwaters for the Rainbow River. It was formerly known as Blue Spring but was renamed for its colorful appearance. In the 1950s, it was a tourist attraction that featured glass bottom boat tours, submarine tours, and mermaid shows. The land around Rainbow Springs was protected after being acquired by the state of Florida in 1990 to save it from development and create Rainbow Springs State Park.
Rainbow Springs is a large artesian spring formation in Florida that serves as the headwaters for the Rainbow River. It was formerly known as Blue Spring but was renamed for its colorful appearance. In the 1950s, it was a tourist attraction that featured glass bottom boat tours, submarine tours, and mermaid shows. The land around Rainbow Springs was protected after being acquired by the state of Florida in 1990 to save it from development and create Rainbow Springs State Park.
Rainbow Springs is a large artesian spring formation in Florida that serves as the headwaters for the Rainbow River. It was formerly known as Blue Spring but was renamed for its colorful appearance. In the 1950s, it was a tourist attraction that featured glass bottom boat tours, submarine tours, and mermaid shows. The land around Rainbow Springs was protected after being acquired by the state of Florida in 1990 to save it from development and create Rainbow Springs State Park.
Fishing for Mermaids in 1956 Rainbow Springs From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Rainbow Springs, Florida) Rainbow Springs, formerly known as Blue Spring, is a first-magnitude artesian spring formation in Marion County, Florida, United States, several miles north of the city of Dunnellon. Rainbow Springs is the focal point of Rainbow Springs State Park. The spring formation is the fourth-largest in Florida, and produces over 490 million gallons of water daily. Rainbow Springs forms the headwaters of the Rainbow River, which empties into the Withlacoochee River. History Rainbow Springs was known as Wekiwa Creek by the Seminole Indians. It was known as Blue Spring until the 1930s, when the site was developed as a tourist attraction and the promoter sought a more distinctive name (there are several other springs in Florida named "Wekiwa" and "Blue"). To compete with the "glass bottom boats" of nearby Silver Springs, Florida, submarine tours were given of the springs. As for some other Florida springs, such as Weeki Wachee Springs, "mermaid shows" were an attraction in the 1950s. The tourist attraction was forced to close in the 1970s. The entire Rainbow River was designated as a Registered Natural Landmark in 1972, an Aquatic Preserve in 1986, and an "Outstanding Florida Waterway" in 1987. The land around the headwaters of the springs remained privately owned until 1990, when the State of Florida acquired the springs and saved them from development. Much of the work to open Rainbow Springs State Park was done by volunteers from the community. See also Rainbow River External links Rainbow Springs State Park (http://www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings) Withlacoochee River Watershed and Rainbow Springs - Florida DEP (http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/withlacoochee/) 1950s Recording of a Rainbow Springs boat driver (from the Florida Folklife Collection CD, available for public use Coordinat es: 290609N 822613W from the Florida State Archives) (http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/folklife_cd.cfm) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rainbow_Springs&oldid=611103249" Categories: Landforms of Marion County, Florida Springs of Florida Mermaid shows This page was last modified on 1 June 2014 at 17:02. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.