Reminisce Extra – July 2018

40

POSTCARD: STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA; MERMAIDS, FANCLUB AND ELVIS: WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS STATE PARK (3)

THE FIRSTtheater

sat fewer than

20 people. When

ABCboughtthe

park in 1959 ,it

built a 400 -seat

arena. Even so, the

eight daily shows

often sold out.

WEEKI WACHEEWEEKI WACHEEWEEKI WACHEE

“HOW I WISHED I COULD JOIN THEM FOR THE CHANCE

TO BE WEIGHTLESS AND FROLIC UNDERWATER.”

–PAUL McMORRIS, WOODSTOCK, VT

ORIGINAL MERMAIDS in the late

1940 s would dress in their bathing suits

and pose on U.S. Highway 19 to attract

drivers to the theme park. At right, park

founder Newt Perry tries a bike stunt.

ELVIS PRESLEY

visited Weeki

Wachee in June

1961 while filming

Follow That Dream

in nearby Ocala, FL.

Mermaids staged

a special show with

a cutout of the star

(far left). He signed

autographs and

chatted with fans.