Paradise Park was a segregated attraction built in 1949 near Silver Springs specifically for Black visitors during the Jim Crow era, offering swimming, glass-bottom boat rides, and access to the same spring-fed beauty tourists flocked to next door. It became a cherished community space and a rare spot where Black families could enjoy Florida’s natural wonders safely and freely. When integration arrived in the late 1960s, the park’s attendance collapsed, and it ultimately closed in 1969—its story

LATER GATOR: A 14-foot, 600-pound alligator brought traffic to a halt in Florida

The Condo Collapse Is Hitting Florida Like Nowhere Else