Everglades Holiday Park, Theme park in Florida, US
Everglades Holiday Park is a 29-acre wetlands attraction at the western end of Griffin Road, off U.S. 27 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Narrated airboat tours of about 60 minutes run through the surrounding marsh, with captains pointing out alligators and other wildlife; boats reach 35 to 45 miles per hour. The park also houses the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue.
The land was deeded by Davie Farm Lands, Inc. to Broward County in 1964 for public recreation, and the county leased it to the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission in 1965. The park opened on January 23, 1966, under a long-term lease to George J. MacLean, at Pumping Station 9 near Verne King's earlier fishing camp. The commission returned the park to Broward County in June 2012.
Guides explain the wetland ecosystem during tours, showing how alligators behave and which bird species live here. Visitors learn why these swamps matter so much for Florida's nature.
The park sits at the western end of Griffin Road, off U.S. 27, and is not part of Everglades National Park. Airboat tours last about 60 minutes and can reach 35 to 45 miles per hour, so secure hats and loose items. A renovation completed in March 2022 added restrooms, picnic areas and public boat ramps.
The park hosts the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue, whose trappers remove nuisance alligators from residential areas around the Everglades and release them here instead of letting them be killed for skin or meat. The team appeared on an Animal Planet show of the same name, filmed largely at the park.
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