FDOT Adds Hernando County's Weeki Wachee Springs to America 250 Road Trip

FDOT added Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Hernando County to its Road Trip Florida program on March 4, 2026 and placed a new America 250 historical marker at the park, giving the site fresh statewide exposure as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of the United States. The marker highlights Weeki Wachee’s signature attraction of live underwater mermaid shows, which began in 1947, and joins a fleet of markers placed across Florida.

The Road Trip Florida project has produced more than 100 new signs at iconic locations statewide, with at least one sign in every county, FDOT says. Kris Carson, FDOT spokesperson, described the effort as a way “to kind of explore Florida,” and said the agency “worked with all of our local counties and our partners to pick different areas in all of our districts.” Carson added, “Florida has an amazing history. We have one sign in every county, so you can travel the entire state.” The signs are designed with the site name on the front and a brief history of the area’s impact on Florida and the country on the back.

Local tourism leaders welcomed Weeki Wachee’s inclusion. John Athanason with Florida’s Adventure Coast said, “I think it’s a logical choice to include Weeki Wachee,” and noted the attraction’s longevity: “Weeki Wachee has been here now almost 80 years. It really represents what I feel is Old Florida.” A performer identified only by the last name Balogh reflected on the legacy of the mermaids, saying, “It’s definitely an honor to be here. A lot of mermaids come here because they are drawn to the history of Weeki Wachee. So it’s definitely a really big honor to be able to walk in the footsteps of all the amazing women that came before me and be able to be a part of the Weeki Wachee mermaids.”

FDOT officials highlighted a regional slate of 15 Tampa Bay-area spots included in the Road Trip Florida rollout; the regional list includes items published as Citrus County - Home of Florida’s Manatees; Hernando County - Home Weeki Wachee’s Mermaids; Pasco County - Home of Were-Boyce Salt Springs State Park; Pinellas County - Home of Tarpon Springs; Pinellas County - Home of Historic Clearwater Beach; Hillsborough County - Ybor City Historic District; Hillsborough County - The Nation’s Winter Strawberry Capital; Polk County - Home of Bok Tower Gardens; Polk County - Home of Cypress Gardens; Polk County - Home of Florida Citrus; Manatee County - Home of the De Soto National Memorial; Sarasota County - Home of The Ringling Museum; Hardee County - Home of Paynes Creek; Highlands County - Home of Highlands Hammock State Park; DeSoto County - Named for Spanish Explorer Hernando de Soto.

Visitors looking to follow the markers can pick up free Road Trip Florida guidebooks at Florida rest stops and welcome centers, and FDOT posts the program’s locations on the America 250 Florida website. The new Weeki Wachee marker now sits alongside the park’s long-running mermaid shows and adds Hernando County to a state-by-state route that FDOT officials say will let travelers trace more than a century and a half of Florida stories.