This park is right by my daughter in law and son's apartment and in the downtown district…read more There is a small lake that you can take a nice walk , admire some of the wildlife or fish ( catch and release )It's very beautiful and nice anytime of year. There is a playground for the kids the Discovery Center which is a science museum for kids. There is lighted tennis and basketball courts to enjoy. There's even a baseball field and a racquetball court! Quite a lot for this park which is really a nice treat. It is also known as having rotating sculptures or art installations at Tuscawilla's Art Park as it is located in the park. Many people come here daily it's downtown and really a lovely place to enjoy. The main address: 800 NE Sanchez Avenue Ocala, Florida 34470 Tuscawilla Art Park address : 213 NE 5th st. Ocala, Florida 34470 Tuscawilla Playground Address: 836 NE Sanchez Avenue Ocala, Florida 34470 The Discovery Center Address: 701 NE Sanchez Avenue Ocala, Florida 34470 Ocala Parks and recreation phone number: 352) 368-5517. Discovery Center phone number: (352) 401-3900 Pavillion Rental phone number: { Booking space for events } (352)368-5509 Park Ranger phone Number: (352)789-1133 Enjoy your visit !

A nice smaller park, with a walking area around the pond. Ducks, egrets, turtles, lots of anhinga,…read moreand a few other waterfowl. Fishing is allowed but catch and release only. There are some interesting sculptures and beautiful trees. There is a playground, some benches, and a few picnic tables.

Walking the trails was peaceful and scenic, with lots of shade and chances to spot wildlife (we saw…read morea few monkeys in the distance, which was wild!). The whole park is well-maintained, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Whether you're kayaking, hiking, or just relaxing by the springs, it's a great day trip that feels like a little escape into old Florida.

I liked this state park enough to buy a handsome t-shirt in the gift shop. The shirt doesn't say…read moreFlorida on it anywhere which is pretty funny to me and actually makes me like it more. The waters here are absolutely lovely but even on a weekday in late December they were pretty heavily traveled. It might not be fair but the place being clogged with so many of my fellow pesky humans is the only thing that keeps me from putting SSSP in the vaunted five star category. I kayaked the river and saw birds and a gator. Bout time I saw a Florida gator in the wild! Only took five visits. I also got right over a manatee. I thought they were a big rock til they started moving. I could have clubbed em with my oar if I wanted to though it seems like that would be not just cruel but stupid, too. At any rate, no wonder they're endangered. Poor sluggish, dumb creatures. There were quite a lot of other kayakers and canoeers on the water. The guy dressed like Santa was pretty hilarious but for most of the trip I was denied the splendid isolation I longed for. Needless to say, the glass bottom boat tour didn't appeal to me, even with the clear view down. Beautiful scenery, though. Checking in and out was quick and painless even if the separate entrance briefly threw me for a loop. Afterwards I hiked a shorter trail and it was pretty mid, nothing special. For a while it ran too close to a road which kind of ruins the whole thing for me. And there was the aforementioned gift shop, chock full of wares. There was another t-shirt I liked a lot and had trouble choosing between the two, always a good problem to have. It's the end of the review here and I probably should have said this at the beginning but the entrance sign is just lovely, very classy and retro. I can see why this is a local icon but as an out of state visitor I don't know if this place has the staying power for many repeat visits for the locals. I was glad I came here once though. Funny to think this park is what Stevie Nicks wanted Lindsey Buckingham to be. Jk.

Me and my step daughter took the horseback tour and it was awesome. Meagan was excellent and the…read morehorse i had was so easy to ride. His name was Jimmety crickets. I called him big Jim. my step dayghter had Cholua , she was awesome as well. Highly recommend!!!!

My daughter and I came up from Sarasota-2.5 hrs south- to do the trail ride. The place is very…read moreclean, well run, and so scenic. The horses were beautiful and well behaved. The trail was definitely different and very scenic, with some steep and narrow paths; not your typical flat and boring. The guests loaded up on a golf cart type vehicle to get from check in to the barn. Then we all waited while Sadie (?) actually grilled and ate a hot dog in front of us!! Same girl upon giving her instructions told everyone "to make your horse go, kick it, and if it doesn't go keep kicking it.. harder". I was appalled!!! One the trail ride, the other girl would take a few photos. I did want pictures of my daughter and I together,so I bought the package. Which is everyone in your group, and that day I think there were 12 or so. The photos she took were not good,but what can ya do? I should have let a gentleman in the group who offered to take my phone and take pictures. Also, between waiting to get on a horse and then waiting for everyone to dismount and get back to the main building, the total ride time was just under an hour. It really is pretty though. I think there were just too many people who booked the same day and time leading to a slightly shorter ride.

Our favorite crystal & gift store. The vibes are amazing & hanging out front on the porch is…read morerelaxing! We always find what we need because the peeps are very knowledgeable! Highly recommend SOUL ESSENTIALS!

nice place nice selection some large pieces…read more but very very expensive really wanted to buy something and help them out but it was so over priced I just couldnt justify it really really nice people

My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

What a breathtaking location! From the parking lot, it doesn't look like much. They are redoing the…read moreentrance sign, and from the outside, it seems like the place might be pretty rundown. However, once you walk through, you are quickly transported. The entrance to the park is only two dollars per person, and honestly, in my opinion, they could charge just a little bit more. The glass-bottom boat tours run faster than you might expect, so if you have the time (which we didn't during our visit), opt for the longer boat ride; it doesn't cost much more. They also have little shops to explore and plenty of outdoor seating so you can take in the beautiful surroundings. If you're a water lover, make sure to plan ahead and reserve a crystal-clear kayak or paddleboard to enjoy the water--it'll be worth every penny. The only hiccup in our plan was that we booked everything on the day of our visit, so we ended up with a shorter tour on the glass-bottom boats and got locked into the last kayaking time slot. The woman at the reservation desk for the kayaks was not very pleasant. She told us that despite showing a 5 o'clock slot, they were no longer taking reservations. I showed her the option on my phone, but she still refused to let us sign waivers. Luckily, we found the manager in charge of the rental hut, who advised that we could still make our reservation online. I showed him on my phone, and although we'd have to pay full price and probably have less than an hour, that was perfectly fine with us since we were in the last slot. The lake was practically empty, so we had the entire waterway to ourselves--so beautiful and peaceful. Honestly, it felt like we were in another country, surrounded by nature. If you don't have the chance to kayak, there's also a walking path where you can see monkeys left behind from one of the movies that was filmed on location. We walked part of the path, and it was just as beautiful. Any chance my kids and I get to be outside in nature, we gravitate towards it, putting away our phones to enjoy everything around us. What a great way to spend your day and your vacation!

I often come to this park since it's close by. It's a 21 acre park with a natural spring Grotto…read morewhich is very beautiful and relaxing. It has a playground and children's exercise equipment that adults can use as well. Just a few things but they are fun. There are picnic areas, pavilions, lot's of trails for walking, hiking and even a health trail and a small cave! There is a bike section that include a skills area/jump lines a berm and a skinny ! There are areas where you can fly kites and go for a run. This is a park for the nature lover and for everyone to see. Many families come here but it's never appeared crowded due to how spacious and the variety of activities. There is even a little free outdoor library box at the entrance. Restrooms for everyone and lot's of parking! I need to get more pictures my phone was on 1 percent. I will definitely go and get pictures soon! The park is opened from sunrise to sunset ! Address: 2825 SW 24th Avenue Ocala, Florida 34471 Phone: (352) 368-5517 I hope that you will visit and enjoy the park as much as I do!

Two things set what would be a pretty average park in bland surroundings apart - the scenic grotto…read morewhich it's named after (go ahead and call it a sinkhole and not a springs if you want; it's still cool and unique in my book) and the Jordan Shapot painted panels lending the place a bit of culture and history. The bike trail is smooth but boring. It just circles the big field with picnic tables and playground equipment without even a small diversion into some woods. I had my dad's janky garage sale bought bike so I wasn't about to attempt the ramps and obstacles they have set up for mountain bikes. The deck next to the grotto could be bigger but there was no one down there when I went so that wasn't an issue. I could see how it could be though. It's a nice little spot of serenity. So if you get sick of the rat race come hang here with the turtles. (I didn't see any but I hear they got em.)

What a cool place right next to the flea market. We didn't race but watched my ten year old nephew…read moreride his mini. He loved the track and his parents found the pricing more reasonable than Orlando. We sat on bleachers and really licked our with the weather. I didn't see any bathrooms and there were no food options.

Sadly, they closed due to a management problems. Used to bring a lot of professional Karting to…read moreOcala, providing a lot of business here (hotels, restaurants and shopping) Also keep our youngsters entertained. Sad to see OGP done. We need a new track in Ocala.

What a great event for our family. The kayak tour was the highlight of our 2 week trip. The water…read moreis crystal clear and FULL of fish and fauna and a few gators! Definitely will be back again when visiting the central Florida area. The staff is super helpful and they take care of everything except the paddling when you book a tour with them. Truly an unforgettable experience for our entire family.

Pretty place but dont use a credit card here for the use fees. Someone stole the number and used it…read moreto buy sporting goods.

Marylee Hershberger Park is a nice little park in an industrial area of Ocala, Florida. While it is…read morelittle more than a few benches and trees and grass, it is a nice piece of green in the industrial sprawl. Marylee Hershberger and her husband, Floyd, moved to Ocala and established B-J Trophies. She was a also a founder of the North Magnolia Business District. This park is a nice memory to her legacy.