Tarpon Springs Things to Do

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The lush tropical picnic grounds of this part are developed so that large groups can reserve their own space. But, this part of the park is also popular for joggers and cyclists pushing through to the causeway and beach areas of the park.

The Tarpon Springs Cultural Center has a variety of actives, but for starters there's the building that houses them. This neoclassical style brick building was once the Tarpon Springs City Hall, designed by Ernest Ivey Cook and dedicated in 1915. The city government has since moved into the old high school and restored this structure. This building is on the national list of historic places. See the link for more information about visiting this place.

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Dedicated in 1942, after the sponge boom had largely ended, the Orthodox Church has presented a lasting edifice of Greek influence in this town for past 70 years. The copper domed structure, which was intended to resemble the Byzantine Haga Sophia in Constantinople, was designed by the Eugene Brothers of Chicago, and so mixes some modern and traditional elements in a fairly well unified design. Although I didn't have time to visit the interior, apparently the provenance of the stained glass windows and Greek marble alter are of considerable interest.

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Many of the older shops and restaurants were buildings used in the sponge industry at one time. Others were originally restaurants and fish markets that catered to the sponge divers. The buildings are painted pleasant pastel colors, and wandering in and out of these along the sponge docks is cheap nostalgic entertainment.

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Probably the best thing to do is simply to wander along the docks, enjoying the fresh sea air and breezes that frequent Tarpon Springs along the waterfront. Before or after lunch, the embarcadero is pleasant enough, and hopefully, one of the two sponge divers will return and be willing to chat. We were lucky enough to engage a veteran in a conversation about his trade. There are plenty of old restored vessels to admire here too.

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For those willing to shell out considerable dough, there's a two hour tourist cruise into the Gulf of Mexico and a chance to watch a sponge diver harvest a sponge. Tour vendors are plentiful enough, so there's no need to reserve a spot aboard the vessel. Prices are posted. This is a good outing for families and seniors.

As the stock in shallower waters diminished, sponge divers were forced to adapt and dive deeper. But, there are risks with diving, and frankly the heavy bronze diving helmet and fragile air hose frighten me. There is a bronze statue on the sponge dock at Tarpon Springs which is a tribute to those who lost there lives in an industry now all but gone.

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In 1985, when I was about 10 years old, we did a nine-day family vacation from our home in Pennsylvania to Florida. We drove down to Florida, and stayed at a hotel in Kissimmee near Orlando. During our trip, we visited Disney and Gatorland Zoo in Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center on the Atlantic Coast, and then drove over to the Tampa are to see Busch Gardens and Weeki Wachee. Without a doubt, Weeki Wachee was the biggest disappointment of the trip. In fact, my most vivid memory from this part of our journey was stopping by the rocky beach near Weeki Wachee. From Weeki Wachee itself, all I can recall is the mermaid ladies swimming underwater with hoses they occasionally sucked on for fresh air.

Judging from our photos, they also had a birds of prey area, and I hear they have manatees.