Silver Springs, Florida | |
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 Location of Silver Springs, Florida | |
| Coordinates:29°12′59″N82°3′28″W / 29.21639°N 82.05778°W /29.21639; -82.05778 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Marion County |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.19 sq mi (16.0 km2) |
| • Land | 6.16 sq mi (16.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.078 km2) |
| Elevation | 47 ft (14 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,844 |
| • Density | 461.7/sq mi (178.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 34488-34489 (Silver Springs) 34470, 34479 (Ocala) |
| FIPS code | 12-66125 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2805193[3] |
Silver Springs is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) inMarion County of northern Florida. It is the site of theSilver Springs, a group ofartesian springs and a historic tourist attraction that is now part ofSilver Springs State Park. The community is part of theOcala metropolitan area. It was first listed as a CDP for the2020 census, when it had a population of 2,844.[2] One of Florida's first tourist attractions, the springs drew visitors even before theU.S. Civil War.Glass-bottom boats have been a popular way to see the 242-acre (98 ha) complex. A small amusement park with various animals, a concert stage, a carousel, and exhibits also developed.
Silver Springs was founded in 1852.[4]
Since the mid-19th century, the natural environment of Silver Springs has attracted visitors from throughout the United States. The glass-bottom boat was invented and tours of the springs began in the late 1870s.[5] In the 1920s, W. Carl Ray and W.M. "Shorty" Davidson, after leasing the land from Ed Carmichael (upon whose death the springs were left to theUniversity of Florida), developed the land around the headwaters of theSilver River into an attraction that eventually became known asSilver Springs Nature Theme Park. The attraction featured native animal exhibits, amusement rides, and 30 or 90-minute glass-bottom boat tours of the springs. The 1934 'Princess Donna' is the oldest and only remaining operational boat from this bygone era. The "Princess Donna' currently operates on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida. In 2013, the State of Florida took over operations of Silver Springs and combined it with the adjacent Silver River State Park to form the newSilver Springs State Park. TheT. W. Randall House on theNational Register of Historic Places is located to the northeast.
Several defunct tourist attractions were once located near Silver Springs. TheWestern-themedSix Gun Territorytheme park, which included several attractions such as the Southern Railway and Six Gunnarrow-gauge (3 ft or 914 mm)[6] railroad, operated from 1963 to 1984. TheWild Waterspark, also in Silver Springs, operated from 1978 to 2016.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
Silver Springs was "whites only" until 1967. From 1949 to 1969, African Americans were served by nearbyParadise Park, Florida, which closed when Silver Springs integrated racially.
Canadian billionaireFrank Stronach has been building theAdena Springs Ranch for cattle, anabattoir, residential property development, and a Thoroughbred horse farm in the area, stirring concern over plans for water use and how groundwater draw will affect the springs.[13][14]
Silver Springs is in central Marion County and is bordered to the southwest by the city ofOcala, thecounty seat. According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the Silver Springs CDP has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km2), of which 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2), or 0.50%, are water.[1] The springs, in the center of the community, flow out to form theSilver River, which runs 4 miles (6 km) east to theOcklawaha River.
The main road through Silver Springs isState Road 40, which runs east and west fromRainbow Lakes Estates toOrmond Beach in Volusia County.State Road 326 terminates at SR 40, as doesState Road 35, which becomes County Road 35 north of SR 40 before terminating at SR 326. County Roads 314 and 314A are also important north-south county roads that run west and into theOcala National Forest.
Municipalities and communities ofMarion County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
