An Afternoon with Florida History

Event Description

Join us in the Root Family Auditorium for a presentation on Florida history.

Free for members, $7.00 for non-members, or included with paid museum admission.

The Long-Lost Roadside Attractions of Florida
Join Senior Curator of Education and History, Zach Zacharias for a look at the unique history of the state’s long-lost attractions. The State of Florida is the original tourist destination. This topic covers popular tourist roadside attractions before Disney World. Some examples include Six Gun Territory, Miami Serpentarium, Pirates World, Bongo Land, and many more. Learn how Disney impacted the 100s of attractions that once dotted every highway in the state.

Finding the Fountain of Youth: Florida’s Eternal Attraction
Join Florida Historian and Award-Winning Author, Rick Kilby and discover Ponce de Leon’s fabled quest for the mythic Fountain of Youth which helped shape the popular image of Florida and the legendary explorer’s likeness that once populated the roadside of the Sunshine State. The evidence is shown in a plethora of interesting and amusing pop-culture images, documenting 500 years of our state’s fascinating history. From beloved aquatic attractions and kitschy relics that celebrate Florida’s “discoverer," see how the concept of the state as a place of restorative health and perpetual fantasy continues to affect life in Florida today.