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Territory
Wonders of Florida
  Highlights
Florida is the tropical paradise of mainland United States. Over the last century, it has experienced fabulous changes, turning from forgotten, swampy badlands into densely populated and rich land.
The most amazing wonders of Florida are:
- Architecture of the late 19th and 20th century. Rich people want to live in warm places and they want to live in beautiful places. Thus Florida has been a showcase of Moorish and Spanish Revival, Art Deco, and more recent architecture styles.
- Natural springs and underwater caves. Florida has located some of the most powerful springs in the world. It is not that rare to see rivers disappearing underground and after some kilometers turning up again.
Map with the described wonders
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Top 25 wonders of Florida
Geological wonders
Silver Springs
A picturesque, very powerful spring, with a 91 x 59 meters large pool with a depth of up to 10.1 meters. Its maximum discharge has reached 36,000 liters per second.
Wakulla Spring
One of the most impressive cold water springs in the world, the diameter of this spring pool is 96 meters, and its depth is 56.4 meters. One of the most powerful springs in the world, its discharge has reached up to 54,226 liters per second. The water coming out of it has formed a very extensive freshwater cave system.
Devil’s Den
A karst window: through a narrow opening opens a view of a large subterranean river. Here were found remains of animals and traces of prehistoric human activities.
Homosassa Springs Group
Homosassa Springs Group has some 20 springs. The most impressive is a headspring with an output of 3000 liters of water per second. Habitat of manatees.
Troy Spring
One of the most beautiful great springs in Florida. Troy Spring contains remnants of a steamship that was sunken in 1863, during the Civil War.
Wakulla Cave System
The longest mapped underwater cave system in the United States where one entrance is at Wakulla Springs. The total length of the explored passages is 72,171 m.
Tarpon Hole (King’s Spring)
One of the best places to see manatees in nature is King’s Spring or Tarpon Hole – a subaquatic spring in King’s Bay. The spring has an output of 1,213 l/s.
Warm Mineral Springs
Enormous spring of warm mineral water with healing properties. This is one of the candidates for the legendary "Fountain of Youth" in Florida. The diameter of this spring is approximately 75 m, depth – is 70 m. Discharging 390 l/s. It is considered to be the largest warm mineral spring in the whole world. In the spring have been found well preserved skeletal remains of humans, mastodons, and sabertooth tigers.
Chassahowitzka Springs
Chassahowitzka Springs are powerful springs that have created underwater natural bridges and caves. The discharge of these springs is 4 360 l/s.
Gainer Springs
Some of the most pristine of the large springs of Florida are Gainer Springs. If one wants to admire this wonder of nature: take a canoe and…
Volusia Blue Spring
Volusia Blue Spring is a 1st magnitude spring that beats from a large fissure – a cave that has been dived up to 38 m deep. Habitat of manatees.
KimonBerlin, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
Indian Spring, Wakulla
A comparatively weak spring that is discharging 17 l of water per second. Dive in this spring leads into a 3,626 m long cave with a strong current.
De Leon Springs
Large sulfur spring, discharging 880 l/s of water. Surroundings inhabited since 8000 BC.
Architecture wonders
St Augustine
The oldest European-founded and continuously inhabited city in the continental United States. Established by Spaniards in 1565 at the site of an earlier local settlement. One of the most interesting historical cities in Florida. Spanish colonial architecture and luxurious architecture from the late 19th century.
Fort Jefferson
Large, unfinished sea fortress on a remote island. Construction was started in 1846 and was not finished. The garrison here had more than 1,700 soldiers.
Castillo de San Marco
The oldest masonry fort in the United States. It was constructed in 1672 – 1695 by Spaniards and Brits. A star fort was built to protect St. Augustine city from attacks by pirates.
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
An enormous art museum. It was established in 1927 with very rich collections of European and American art. Museum has an extensive collection of Peter Paul Rubens paintings as well as paintings of Lucas Cranach the Elder, Thomas Gainsborough, and many other famous artists. Fine gardens and numerous beautiful buildings.
Villa Zorayda (Zorayda Castle)
Private home of Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith. It was built in 1883 in resemblance to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. This is one of the first buildings in the world that was built of poured concrete and also one of the first Spanish Neo-Renaissance buildings. Beautiful interiors. Also the first example of fantasy architecture, characteristic of Florida.
Bok Tower and its gardens
This 62 m tall tower was constructed in 1929 in Art Deco and Neo-Gothic styles, with lush ornamentation. Around the tower in the 1920ies has been set a beautiful garden.
Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center
The seventh largest building in the world by volume. It was constructed in 1966 for assembling American manned space vehicles. The building is 160.3 m tall and covers 3 ha.
Fort Zachary Taylor
This massive fort was built at the very south of Florida Keys in 1845 – 1866. Here was discovered the largest collection of cannons from the American Civil War period.
Ponce de Leon Hotel
One of two neighboring hotel buildings, constructed in the Spanish Neo-Renaissance style in 1887. Both buildings represent some of the earliest examples of poured concrete buildings in the world.
Tampa Bay Hotel (Henry B. Plant Museum)
Historical, pompous hotel building. Constructed in Moorish Revival style in 1888 – 1891. This structure marks the beginnings of the tourism industry in this part of Florida.
Tree of Life in Walt Disney World Resort
The centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom – animal theme park. A sculpted, 44 m high and 15 m wide tree (artificial structure) with 14 stories. In the bark are carved 325 animals.
Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine
A beautiful bridge in Venetian Neo-Renaissance style, constructed in 1925 – 1927. Rebuilt in an extended version in 2010.
Recommended books
Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland
We never know what will happen next in Florida. We know only that, any minute now, something will.
Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, “What the hell is wrong with Florida?” Somehow, the state’s acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why.
Florida Authentica: Your field guide to the unique, eccentric, and natural marvels of the real Sunshine State
52 Adventures into the Sunshine State by humor columnist Ron Wiggins. With pluck, derring do, and an infectious sense of humor, Wiggins takes Floridians and visitors alike on a rollicking romp into the state’s parks, wetlands and historical sites that will have readers eager to plan their own day trips.