Lost Attractions of Silver Springs

For more than fifty years, there was no more iconic Florida tourist attraction than Silver Springs. Its sheer popularity meant that the area around it–indeed, the entirety of Marion County–serviced the entertainment, gas, food and lodging needs of millions of tourists annually. Visitors flocked to places like Ross Allen’s Reptile Institute, Tommy Bartlett’s Deer Ranch and natural spots like Rainbow Springs and Ocala Caverns. As Florida tourism moved into the theme park era, scores of smaller attractions and their related businesses were abandoned. Author Tim Hollis revisits these once-thriving attractions.