Earlier this week I finally had a chance to visit Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. While the park encompasses over 300 acres, only 53 are open to the public. There’s a lot packed in the small space: a river boat tour, a nature trail, a center for the care of injured, non-releasable wildlife, and a water park (during the summer), but the highlight of the park is the historic “Under Water Mermaid Theatre”.

The undersea show at the mouth of the Weeki Wachee spring was created by stunt swimmer Newt Perry. In 1947, he set up air hoses, carved seats down into the adjacent limestone, installed large windows, and a roadside attraction was born.

Over the ensuing years, the mermaid performances grew in popularity. The theater was enlarged and eventually, fully enclosed. I had heard good things about the show from friends so I made sure to get in line early – I didn’t want to miss a thing.

Fittingly, the mermaids, mermen, and even a mer-turtle swam and danced to the telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. While I admired the choreography, I really enjoyes the fish that randomly swam through the performance.

The “stage” sits in the mouth of the spring while the river flows overhead. So, any aquatic fauna that chooses can drop in. I’ve heard that even manatees, the original mermaids, join in the fun on occasion.

In 2008 the venue became part of the Florida State Park system and in 2020 the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Hopefully that means the mermaid show will go on for years to come!