Humans have been coming to Manatee Springs for thousands of years, drawn by its natural resources. Stone tools and pottery pieces found there come from many different time periods, from ca. 500 B.C. to the time of the Seminoles. With abundant food and pleasant surroundings, Indians at Manatee Springs probably lived a fairly comfortable life, using the village as a home to which they returned for rest and relaxation after the exertions of the eternal quest for food. Europeans and Americans were the newest visitors to Manatee Springs, and in 1949 the State of Florida began buying the springs and adjacent land to preserve it forever. Manatee Springs opened as a state park in 1950 for the enjoyment of Florida residents and visitors.