If Silver Springs
was the king of
Florida souvenirs,
Cypress Gardens
wasn’t far
behind. Owner
and promoter
Dick Pope was
a master of
publicity, and
his team sold a
massive variety
of souvenirs,
especially during
the 1950s and 60. Now
Legoland, Cypress Gardens
has many dedicated
collectors.
Some lesser known
attractions were important
manufacturers and sellers of
Florida souvenirs, including
Casper’s Alligator Farm
in St. Augustine (not to be
confused with the St. Augustine
Alligator Farm, which continues
today as Florida’s oldest tourist
attraction) and the Florida Reptile
Ranch in St. Petersburg, two of
the largest producers of alligator
products during the 1940s and 50s.
Musa Isle in Miami was an
important manufacturer and
distributor of Seminole Indian
souvenirs and other Florida curios.
Other attractions are very
popular among souvenir collectors,
most notably Weeki Wachee, Tiki
Gardens, Six Gun Territory and
Marineland. But souvenirs from
the more obscure attractions often
are quite valuable. Souvenirs from
the notorious Lewis Plantation and
Turpentine Still in Brooksville are
very collectible, as are items from
Paradise Park, “The Silver Springs
for Colored People.”
Souvenirs from Africa USA in Boca
Raton, Dog Land in Chiefland, the
30
Atomic Tunnel near Daytona Beach
and Ocala Caverns (aka Uranium
Valley) are very difficult to find.
There were hundreds of roadside
attractions in Florida before Disney
opened in 1971, and you can
read about them in my latest
book Florida Roadside Attractions
History – The Complete Guide to
Florida Tourist Attractions Before
Disney.
This 208-page, all
color hardcover book
is available only on
eBay and Etsy. It is
illustrated with rare
photographs and
unique souvenirs
and advertising
items.
Thanks to the
automobile, the
period 1930-1970
allowed the masses
to travel, and Florida became the top
destination. My next book Florida
Tourism Souvenirs and Advertising
– The Material Culture of Florida’s
Tourist Attractions will be out next
summer and cover this era in detail,
with hundreds of photographs.
Ken Breslauer
grew up in Delray
Beach, Florida, and
now lives in the
historic Flamingo
Park section of
West Palm Beach.
A gra d u a t e o f
the University of
West Florida, he
earned a Master’s
Degree in Historic
Preservation from Goucher College in
Baltimore. Breslauer has been collecting
Florida tourism memorabilia and
advertising for over 30 years. For the
past 35 years he has served as Media
Director and Track Historian at Sebring
International Raceway.