At the intersection of U.S. 19 and State Road 50 lies Weeki Wachee Springs, one of the oldest roadside attractions in Florida, where the Mermaid Theater has drawn visitors for decades.

An underwater theater first opened at the springs in 1947, the brainchild of Navy veteran Newton Perry. It had its heyday in 1959, when ABC purchased it and built a new theater 16 feet below the surface. Thirty-five mermaids were employed then, and they performed eight shows a day.

The mermaids perform two shows – “The Little Mermaid” and “Fish Tails” – a few times a day, using hidden underwater breathing hoses to maintain the fantastical illusion.

Photos by Annie Collinge.
Quoted text by Jordan Teicher via Slate.