The Seattle Cinerama held its Cinerama Film Festival last week and we went to take in the glories of This Is Cinerama, which was created as an introduction to the three-projector technology that captivated movie-goers for a time in the 1950s. The film is a showcase of scenery from around the world, and a large portion of the second half is devoted to Cypress Gardens in Florida. I hadn’t heard much about Cypress Gardens before, and when I looked it up, oddly enough it was just making news again on Monday as a new owner is attempting to rejuvenate the property. The Gardens had closed in April 2003 after succumbing finally to a slow economy and drop in tourism.
Originally opened in 1936, Cypress Gardens gained two of its famous attractions by twists of fate. Its “Southern Belles,” girls in old-fashioned hoop skirts who are part of the scenery, originally were recruited to stand in front of a damaged vine at the entrance gate that was giving a misleading impression of the beautiful gardens inside. The park’s water ski shows were established after visitors who had seen a photo of a water skier at the park arrived asking when the show was. Eventually the park changed hands a couple times, faced pressure from Floriday’s Disney attractions, and became a destination for the older generation, before closing completely. The new owner is hoping to create a park for all ages with the inclusion of a water park with roller coasters. One of the Southern Belles is hard at work making new hoop dresses as the originals had been sold.
Other former Florida attractions of various (and some dubious) interest are chronicled in Florida’s Lost Tourist Attractions. A relatively recent oddity is Florida Splendid China which opened in 1993 with scale models of China’s architectural treasures. It closed in 2003 after an unsuccessful run. I can only imagine a small Great Wall and mini Terra Cotta Warriors keeping each other company as they crumble in the hot Florida weather, wondering if Shamu or Mickey are ever going to drop by to pay their respects.