Update - Cypress Gardens Photos with Tikis 1968

An article in today’s Kansas City Star’s Travel section includes this information about Cypress Gardens:

“Cypress Gardens…is scheduled to reopen November 18 after being closed since April, 2003…the park has a new owner that has added 37 rides…The Winter Haven” (FL) “park will retain its traditional attractions, its botanical gardens and water ski performances.”

I hope the “traditional attractions” retained include some of the tiki touches I remember from the 60’s (see photos below).

I found these old family vacation photos of Cypress Gardens while cleaning out my closets today. I'm the tallest kid with knobby knees.

[ Edited by: kctiki on 2004-10-17 09:48 ]

[ Edited by: kctiki 2006-07-19 11:17 ]

Groovy Pics!
Where is/was Cypress Gardens?
Aloha,
:tiki:

Cypress Gardens was in Central Florida. It closed recently (early this year I think). I was there again several years ago and it was getting pretty worn out. But it did make me feel young again. I'm in my mid-forties, my boyfriend's in his mid-fifties, and we were by far the youngest tourists there.

bigbro's gonna LOVE those as he's always looking for old pictures of real people with tikis. Apparently they're hard to find, especially interior shots in tiki bars.

Those are great!...Seems like there's another photo of that first tiki somewhere on TC.

wow- great old shot of that CG tiki!- i took a shot of it about 3 months before the place closed- hopefully it will be open again soon- they are having a meeting on it up in tallahassee in a week or so

That bottom pic, with the masks- I dont think that is there anymore..

recent Cypress Gardens tiki pics:

http://www.tiki-shirts.com/gallery/floridagardens

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2003-08-14 20:21 ]

Here's a few more from '68 without tikis. I think the waterfall is still there but the citrus throne is gone. I'm sure the Southern Belles will return if it re-opens.

Cypress Gardens due to reopen Nov. 18, see updated info in 1'st post to this thread.

Cypress Gardens trivia:

The property that CG resides on used to be all orange groves owned by Gram Parsons' family.

Hey KCtiki -

Is that your Dad with the Southern Belle? He's lookin' pretty damn suave!

KCTiki's dad?

I think it's The Jab, transported back in time!

On 2004-10-18 11:32, tiki_kiliki wrote:
Hey KCtiki -

Is that your Dad with the Southern Belle? He's lookin' pretty damn suave!

Yes, that's Pops after his rockabilly phase and before his fat Elvis phase.

The original faded snapshots I posted in this thread are no longer showing. So, since I'm enhancing some photos to suprise my mom on her 70th birthday, I thought I'd repost this Cypress Gardens tiki to the top of this thread.