If you have little kids, there's a great chance you will love Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida. This park is a great place for those with small children, or for those who have some fear of swimming in the springs that are surrounded by a more natural and secluded setting.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park offers more than just the springs to swim in. The fee to enter at this time is $13 per adult, $8 per child ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. The admission fee covers the spring access, a 20-minute boat ride down the river, wildlife shows, and the underwater mermaid shows. For an additional fee, you have the option to rent a tube to go in the river (but it's a short area where they are used). The park offers a gorgeous spring that has some shallow areas for the kids, three water slides that plunge you into the springs, a jump platform, and a separate toddler splash pad area.

The park also offers snack bars, a couple of stores, a bar, and a restaurant. There are also picnic tables and lounge chairs throughout. You are allowed to take a cooler of food/drink into the park, so you can pack lunch and drinks and take them in, grab a picnic table, and have hours of fun, stopping for snacks as needed. There are several underwater mermaid shows throughout the day. The shows were awesome! I think the mermaids work hard, but it was awesome to have the view of the main springhead. There were turtles and fish swimming around and it was beautiful. To watch the mermaid show, there is a submerged theater that seats 400 people. So you are sitting underground in the theater, getting a great view of the main spring when the curtains open.

The spring where you swim is also beautiful, as is the river. We really enjoyed the river boat ride. The river is crystal clear and was filled with mullet! I loved it. The kids enjoyed the water slides and jumping off the platform, too. In that spring we did see turtles and fish. There are lifeguards on duty at this spring as well. 

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is way more built up than I personally care for. I much prefer the more secluded springs that have a natural surrounding that is not all built up. However, as a nature lover, I find beauty everywhere and did find this spring and river to be beautiful. I also think that it's a great place for those with smaller kids to check out, since it offers so much that kids will like, and also has the lifeguards and safety features in place that some parents will feel more comfortable with. 

Here are pictures of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and a video from the mermaid show: