Silver Springs State Park
state park in Florida, United States
Silver Springs State Park, formerly known as Silver River State Park, is a Florida state park located on the Silver River in Marion County. The park contains Silver Springs, one of the largest artesian spring systems in the world and Florida's first major tourist attraction.
History
Silver Springs
The Silver Springs attraction dates to the 1870s, when glass-bottom boats first began operating on the crystal-clear waters. In the early 20th century, the site became a major tourist destination featuring jungle cruises, wildlife exhibits, and film locations for Hollywood movies, including several Tarzan films.
In 1985, the State of Florida purchased approximately 5,000 acres of surrounding land to protect it from development, establishing Silver River State Park. In 1993, the state acquired the main Silver Springs attraction, though it continued to operate under private management. On October 1, 2013, the state took full control of the headsprings area, merged it with the adjacent Silver River State Park, and officially created Silver Springs State Park.
State park
In 1985, the State of Florida purchased about 5,000 acres of undeveloped land around Silver Springs to keep it from being developed. The land was turned over to the Department of Recreation and Parks in 1987, creating the Silver River State Park. The same year, Marion County Schools constructed the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center on the property.
“Silver Springs State Park” enters the record as state park in Florida, United States. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Silver, Springs and State can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Silver Springs State Park” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Silver, Springs and State provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3364095. Authority coordinates are 29.201, -82.054. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1985, 1993, 2013 and 1987.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Silver Springs State Park”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Silver Springs State Park primary sources, Silver Springs State Park archive and Silver research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Silver Springs State Park”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Silver Springs State Park” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.