Silver Springs Paradise Park

Paradise Park was a segregated African-American resort about a mile down the Silver River from Silver Springs near Ocala, Florida. Developed by Silver Springs co-owners Carl Ray and W.M. "Shorty" Davidson, it opened on May 20, 1949, and remained open until 1969. African-American families, tour buses, and church groups came from across Florida and the United States to visit. Its amenities included a pavilion with a dance floor and jukebox, a swimming area with a sandy beach, tropical landscaping, and space for softball and other games. Like Silver Springs, it offered glass bottom boat tours on the Silver River and also had a reptile exhibit. Beauty contests sponsored on Labor Day by the American Legion were held there, and Easter egg hunts, baptisms, and picnics were common. At Christmas, Santa Claus cruised down the river on a glass bottom boat to give children candy, nuts, and fruit.

Silver Springs, Florida · United States