Anybody Remember Gatorland?

[Swamp Hunter]

Its not looking too good lately sitting off US 27.  I drove by today and took this pic. Will anybody try and save it? Or will it disappear like Jounny's Bass Hole and Deems City? The tilted house nearby is already demolished.

[Swamp Hunter]

 That decorative wall is so 60's.  I found this post card and site online. http://www.abandonedfl.com/?p=52

[Juan Estevez]

Yes I remember Gatorland, when I first moved to Florida it was one of the first attractions I visited, I always wanted to see the old and real Florida and I still do. I wonder what happened with the 2 panthers they had, it was sad, they were caged with no room.

[Juan Estevez]

I'm wrong, not Gator Land, the one I visited was  J & M Alligator Farm which was a much larger place with the caged panthers.

[Swamp Hunter]

I remember caged panthers up near Palmdale. My guess they were Cougars. The Seminoles also caged cats. Some escaped and their descendants are breeding to this day in the wild. There are 4 distinct Florida panther varieties, for lack of the proper word.

  

1-Florida panther (kinked tail, cowlick)

 

2-Seminole panther (escaped)

 

3-Everglades panther (from South America released near Homestead by the Piper brothers between 1957-67. Often called Piper cats). http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/oct/20/edge_florida_panther_sta...

 http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/13422

 

4-Texas cougars released in 1995.

 

I think I know more than I need to know about panthers.

 

Heres a story about old 27. I remember it was called "Bloody 27" because of the terrible head-on accidents on the old 2 lane highway. I think Interstate 95, 75 and Disneyworld put the small roadside attractions out of business.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-03-24/features/9101150473_1_h...

 

I also wanted to see old Florida so on my trip back from Ocala, I decided to take US27 instead of the Fla Turnpike.  I was seriously disappointed with identical sub-division after sub-division of homes.  It was not til I hit Glades County that I saw "old Florida."