Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: A Beautiful Paradise and Home of the Famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids

I first heard of Weeki Wachee Spring State Park from my dad, who had heard about the famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids. This State Park is located on the Weeki Wachee River and boasts numerous activities and beautiful areas to explore.

Weeki Wachee Spring State Park is located in Spring Hill, FL. It is about a 2-hour drive from the Orlando area. I would recommend planning your trip as a day trip from Orlando. There is a lot of different activities within the park and almost everything is included in admission. Minus the lazy river tube rentals which cost an additional $9 per person. Admission into the park is $13 per adult and $8 for children aged 6-12. Children under 5 years of age get into the park for free.

What is There to Do?

• Wilderness River Cruise

This a short but beautiful boat cruise down the Weeki Wachee River. There is also a ranger on board that talks about the history of the area and points out the various wildlife you can see along the river. Our guide was amazing, and I was laughing the whole way down the river, and I learned a lot as well! There is only one boat running, but they post the various times the cruise will be leaving throughout the day. The wait can get pretty long for the cruise though. It is a fairly small boat, and it can fill up quickly! We went first thing, and we got right on.

• Tranquility Trail

A short trail through the trees. It leads to a small animal habitat that sometimes has a ranger out talking about the animals. The ranger also brings out animals that you can see up close. While we were there, the ranger brought out an alligator and a turtle. The trail is short but sweet!

• Ranger Experience

This is the one thing that we did not get to check off of our list. The Ranger Experience lets you learn all about the park and wildlife from one of the rangers. There are certain showtimes throughout the day, so be sure to check the times if you are interested in experiencing this! We were planning on going but a Florida thunderstorm caused us to leave the park a bit earlier than anticipated.

• Buccaneer Bay

Buccaneer Bay features a white sand beach, swimming area, jumping dock and waterslide. The lazy river tubes are also located here. Additionally, there is a concession stand and gift shop located in this area. The swimming area is cool and refreshing! You can swim out a bit and take a dive off the dock. Be warned, the water is chilly so prepare your strategy ahead of time. I like the gradual immersion, but many people were taking the all-in approach. It is wonderful after you have been baking in the sun though, and you get nice and cool really fast!

• Lazy River Tubing

I really enjoyed the tubing at Buccaneer Bay, so I decided to make it its own category! For $9, you get unlimited tubing down the Weeki Wachee River. It is a very short ride down and then you have to walk to get back to the beginning, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

• Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show

My original draw to come to Weeki Wachee State Park. This was such a unique experience. The theater itself is located slightly underground so you are looking directly into water. The mermaids perform for the theater and utilize breathing tubes. The current show is a performance of the Little Mermaid. This show was very enjoyable, although it did seem a bit long towards the end. I think this show would be fantastic for kids. I was so impressed with the mermaids’ swimming abilities, and you can tell how much passion they each have for what they are doing. While visiting Weeki Wachee, I personally think the show should be a must-do as it is so unique!

• Concession Stands and Gift Shops

There are various concession stands located throughout the park and even small gift shops to purchase souvenirs from your trip. Towards the front of the park, you can also meet a mermaid inside of the gift shop! The food stands sell many of the favorites: corndogs, hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken tenders. Overall, everything was very reasonably priced!

Our Weeki Wachee Experience

We had such a great time at Weeki Wachee! I especially loved the lazy river tubing and I think the $9 price was well worth it. You get unlimited trips down the river. The river is fairly short, and you will have to get out and walk to get back in. However, I thoroughly enjoy lazy rivers and there was something special about tubing through such a beautiful area. I saw lots of fish on our journey down the river and you can also get some good people-watching in.

It was a lot of fun to explore the area and check out all that the park has to offer! The River Cruise was an absolute blast and we would have gone on again had inclement weather not rolled into the area. The next time we go, I think I will plan more in advance and bring more gear for relaxing and snacks & drinks. Having a few chairs would have been great to take a quick break in between activities.

Weeki Wachee Tips & Tricks

• Arrive Early!

The parking lot can fill up very quickly. I highly recommend arriving before the park opens to ensure that you can make it in! The park opened at 9am the day we went, and we arrived around 8:15am. There was already a healthy line when we got there, but we made it in easily. We also had first choice of what we wanted to do.

• Check out the Wilderness River Cruise First Thing

If you arrive when the park first opens, I recommend heading to the river cruise first. The cruise can get very popular and have a long wait time. The cruise also does not run during inclement weather, which usually happens in the afternoon in Florida.

• Get All Day Tube Rentals

After you have done your river cruise, I suggest claiming a spot at Buccaneer Bay and investing in the all-day tube rentals. You can take a few rides down the river, then hang out in the swimming area and go on the water slide. Then, you can keep returning to the lazy river throughout the day and take full advantage of your $9!

• Bring Some Snack & Drinks

We definitely missed the memo on this, but most people were way more prepared. Most groups had lots of snacks & drinks with them. They also had chairs, umbrellas and rain protection. There is not a lot of covered areas so I think it is important to bring something to protect any of your items that might get damaged by water.

There are a few concessions stands located throughout the park. The prices were actually very reasonable. I paid $4.25 for a corndog, and I was very happy with my purchase! The food options were what you would expect, hamburgers, chicken tenders, chips, sodas, etc. However, bringing your own snacks and drinks is very convenient and then you can make sure you have something you will enjoy.

• Mermaid Show Can Fill Up, So Plan Ahead

The mermaid theater was way smaller than I expected. It can definitely fill up very fast, so I would recommend arriving early to ensure you get a spot. There were 3 shows the day we went, however the show will also be delayed or cancelled if there is lightning in the area.

• Be Prepared for it to Rain!

It is Florida after all, and there is a very high chance it will rain at some point during your trip. Wear a bathing suit and bring things to protect any items that cannot get wet. Also, be prepared for the swimming areas and attractions to shut down if there is lightning in the area. Weeki Wachee does not offer any sort of refunds due to weather, so also be careful on your choice of day.

• Check out the State Park’s Website for Updates!

Super important! Check out their website before you make your trek out! Currently the water slides, lazy river and kiddie area are only open on the weekend. As well, beginning September 26, 2022, the water slides, lazy river and kiddie area will be closed for the season. The swimming areas will remain open, however.

We had a wonderful time at Weeki Wachee, and I highly recommend it as a fantastic day trip from the Orlando area!

Thanks so much for stopping by and giving my blog a read! Have you ever been to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park? I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Let me know any questions, comments or concerns you have! Happy Travels!