The History of Cypress Gardens in Florida

Florida has long been known as the land of theme parks. But the theme park that was here before all the rest is Cypress Gardens. Cypress Gardens opened in 1936 and is located in Winter Haven. Winter Haven, a city along U.S. 27, is located about 20 miles south of Walt Disney World.

Cypress Gardens' History

Dick and Julie Pope established Cypress Gardens at a time when Florida was not the tourist mecca it became later in the 20th century. With orange trees in the state's citrus groves and alligators virtually outnumbering the human residents in the state during the 1930s, Cypress Gardens was pioneering in many dimensions.

With its beautiful garden displays, exquisite gazebos, charming belles, and entertaining water skiing shows, Cypress Gardens attracted tens of thousands during its first few decades. The park's guest list included Elvis Presley, Betty Davis, Johnny Carson, Esther Williams, and Carol Burnett.

While guests flocked to Cypress Gardens during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, other parks opened within a two-hour drive, including Busch Gardens (1959), Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom (1971), Sea World (1973), Circus World - later renamed Boardwalk and Baseball (1974), and EPCOT Center (1982). All the while, Cypress Gardens remained popular for what it first offered guests decades earlier - a peaceful day of serene scenery, shows, and dining in Florida's balmy weather.

In 1985, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (HBJ) purchased Cypress Gardens; in 1989, Anheuser-Busch bought the Winter Haven park and operated it until 1995. While the booming number of theme parks in the Orlando area during the 1980s and 1990s received the bulk of the tourists coming from out of state, Cypress Gardens maintained a steady flow of traffic.

Cypress Gardens was especially popular among older tourists who enjoyed spending a day at a park without roller coasters and thrill machines -- and the often-wild crowds that ride them. In fact, it was Cypress Gardens' lack of major rides before the 21st century which later set the park aside from virtually every other tourist hot spot in the state. Cypress Gardens' alluring blend of history and the Florida outdoors at its best was, in fact, a large part of Cypress Gardens' special appeal to many tourists during the growth of the Florida theme park industry throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Cypress Gardens Today

As did much of the tourism economy, Cypress Gardens suffered terrible financial woes following the 9/11 terror attacks. In 2003, financial struggles led the park to close. The owner of Wild Adventures Theme Park in Georgia, Kent Buescher, decided to purchase Cypress Gardens but needed help funding the venture to reopen the historic landmark. The state government, local government, and Trust for Public Land worked together with Buescher to secure the support needed to reopen the park.

Extensive renovations were done, a water park (Splash Island) was added, and several rides were constructed. One of the crowning jewels of the new attractions was a wooden roller coaster called the Triple Hurricane - named in memory of the three hurricanes which crossed over the area during the 2004 hurricane season. Over a million people visited Cypress Gardens during its first season after reopening in 2005. Land South Adventures, LLC bought Cypress Gardens in 2007.

Despite the early successes after the park's reopening, Cypress Gardens' financial picture still was not bright, and the future was unclear. On September 23, 2009, with Land South Adventure, LLC, in talks with other companies and individuals interested in buying or leasing some or all of the park, Cypress Gardens suddenly closed its doors.

Cypress Gardens' Future

Cypress Gardens' future is again in question. Unlike in the mid-2000s, when hopes were bright that Cypress Gardens could successfully reopen and possibly operate without substantial troubles, the official closure of the park in late 2009 has many believing the end of the 73-year-old landmark has come. While the property's history and proximity to the tourist attractions of the Orlando and Tampa Bay regions makes the site a great candidate for the revival of Cypress Gardens, the financial roller coaster now associated with the park may make reopening the Florida landmark a challenge.

Resources

Cypress Gardens. "Park History." September 23, 2009. http://www.cypressgardens.com/parkHistory.php

First-hand knowledge

Tampa Bay Online. "Cypress Gardens Shutting Down While Owners Explore Sale." September 23, 2009. September 23 2009. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/23/232134/cypress-gardens-shutting-down-while-owners-explore/news-breaking/