Florida's Cypress Gardens closes

WINTER HAVEN - A slice of Florida attraction lore has shut down, maybe for good.

Cypress Gardens closed Wednesday after 73 years of entertaining millions of visitors.

Owners Brian Philpot and Rob Harper of Mulberry-based Land South Holdings said they shut down the park because it isn't economically viable. They said, though, that they still are negotiating with potential buyers.

"Land South Adventures, LLC, has explored numerous management frameworks and exhausted every possible approach to keep the park running in its traditional form," the owners said in a statement.

"We are in the process of negotiating with several potential purchasers and lessees for all or part of the property, and do not feel it is fair to our employees, the guests, or the public to continue operations heading into the fall with the future of the property in flux," the statement said.

Joy Townsend, a Winter Haven native who is the city's spokeswoman, has fond memories of going to Cypress Gardens in her youth and has family films of their visits, watching the water-skiing shows and admiring the flowers.

"Winter Haven was known as being the home of Cypress Gardens," Townsend said. "... This is just a change, and the city of Winter Haven will weather it."

Decades before Walt Disney World, Epcot and Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens became the state's first big theme park.

Entrepreneur Dick Pope Sr. and his wife, Julie, opened the park during the Great Depression on Jan. 2, 1936.

It became a place known for its water-skiing and swim shows, iconic "Southern Belles," gardens, and had amusement rides, a zoo and a water park.

Kristi Joyner worked there as a Southern Belle and represented the park at tourism trade shows. She was involved in the Christmas musical, Easter programs, and she road in boats during the ski shows.

"Getting to work there allowed the chance to experience everything the Gardens offered," Joyner said. "And it was a beautiful place to get to be."

Bob Gernert, executive director of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, said Wednesday was a sad day.

"Anytime the Gardens suffers we all suffer," Gernert said. "It's a friend. And no one wants to see a friend not doing well."

Gernert said the property had been riding a "roller coaster" for the past six years.

The park closed in April 2003 and needed assistance from the state and county to survive.

In 2004, it was hit by three hurricanes, but an insurance company contested the claims and wouldn't pay for damages, Gernert said. Still, the park attracted an estimated 1.2 million visitors in 2005, he said.

Current owners Philpot and Harper bought it in October 2007 for $16.8 million.

They closed the park in November 2008 for renovations and opened it in March, featuring its botanical gardens, Splash Island Water Park, water-skiing shows, electric boat tours, flower festivals and concerts, but without the attraction's animal and amusement ride areas.

Cypress Gardens was down to about 100 employees. In its heyday, the park had 700 to 800 employees, Gernert said.

But Gernert sees promise and potential. The location is gorgeous, with two lakes and numerous gardens. It's zoned for entertainment, he said.

"I believe there is someone out there that sees the potential for that site and can make it successful," Gernert said.