I was staying in Homosassa, and this was perfect to keep the little one busy. The grounds are beautiful, you get great views of the spring, and of course the underwater observatory where you can literally see thousands of fish. All of the animals (except Lou the Hippo) are native to FL. You can see the whole place in about 2 hours, but they also have demonstrations and encounters to extend the visit. If you are staying anywhere around the "nature coast" you really have no reason not to come here, especially if you have children, they will absolutely love it.
Arrived here at 9:15 on a Thursday morning, and had the place to ourselves (until a school group came in). Had hoped to see manatees, but they were already gone. We were here in early March , and they had already swam back. The fishbowl was still great -- saw tons of amazing fish. The other animals were also great to see. This park is well done -- you walk around a loop to see all the animals. Very peaceful. Natural environment. We really enjoyed it. Tip: Apply bug repellent before you go in the park.
Enjoyed our visit. Free parking and boat ride into the park. Saw many animals, but enjoyed the hippo, manatees, and river otters the most. Nice shady paved path around the exhibits. (Smell in the bird area was terrible!) Did not eat in the park, but a café and snack areas are available. Admission was only $10.40 with a coupon from the web. Would visit again.
We went to Homosassa Springs hoping to see a manatee but came away after seeing much more. Besides dozens of manatees, both adults and calves, we saw birds that are usually only seen in field guides. Endangered wood storks and whooping cranes keep company with pink spoonbills and other native species. A reptile house provides closeup views of venomous snakes. Both fresh and saltwater fish swim by windows in an underwater observatory. Endangered mammals complete the tour. Staff is extremely pleasant and informative. We recommend that you enter the park from US 19 and take the pontoon boat to the park entrance.
We were really disappointed The manatees were interesting but overall not much to see. Area was small so shrt walk through it. What there was was nice. We arrived at 12:30 on a Sunday. The wait for the boat ride was 40 minutes so we took the tram into the park. No big deal on that ride. The manatee 'talk was interesting but short. The info they shared was no more than what was written on the posted signs around the grounds. Seem like they could have told way more interesting facts. We rode the boat back to the Welcome Center. That was better than the tram and the guide pointed out some interesting animal life. If we would have had grandchildren with us maybe it would have been more interesting. But still $13 entry fee not worth it.
Good value for $13 admission fee. Saw manatees, lots of birds and other wildlife. Was nice area to walk around and not too crowded. Underwater observation area disappointing as we were expecting to see some tropical fish from the Gulf.
We loved this place. Spent about 3 hours there and could have stayed longer. The 20 minute boat ride was wonderfully peaceful and we saw alligators and turtles in the wild. The manatee feeding was interesting. The young panther, Yuma, was wonderful to see and hear the story of how it was rescued at about 3-5 weeks old. If you are in this area, this is a MUST SEE park.
I had been here 30 years ago and remembered seeing what seemed like a hundred manatees. If we saw 20 this time that would be a lot. Not sure what has happened. I know they are threatened, but I hadn't realized their numbers were that low. I hope they just aren't coming here as much as in the past. Not really sure. The manatee program was not very interesting. The other animals were nice to see, but it is an old-fashioned type zoo with relatively small enclosures. Seems very outdated.
We came here with four adults and grandparents. The weather was just beautiful. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Lots to see such as the manatees alligators bears and various reptiles. The boat ride is nice and you're likely to see an alligator or two. A great place to spend half to a full day.
We visited with Grandma and two children, ages 8 & 12. Even though it was a little warm in the afternoon, most of the park was shaded. The volunteers and staff were super nice and knowledgeable. Lots to see and easy to cover in a couple of hours.