Visit Everglades Holiday Park
Deep within the Everglades near Fort Lauderdale in Florida, you will find a recreational and educational park that takes you across the water at high speeds. The goal here is balancing family entertainment with educating the public about the local ecosystem.
History
Georges Bridges was an American tobacco farmer with a background in mechanics who built his own airboat in his backyard. Believing in the potential of these machines to show people the Everglades, he mortgaged his home to fund the construction of a small fleet.
Tours of the Everglades officially launched in 1982, utilizing these vessels that have become synonymous with the Florida landscape.
The park covers a total of 29 acres. Initially, the grounds were managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, but in 2012, management was transferred to the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division.
Everglades Holiday Park
The park focuses heavily on educating visitors about local wildlife. Ultra-modern airboats take you on one-hour tours to encounter native animals in their habitat.
There is a sanctuary where alligators captured in urban areas are relocated. Their daily feeding sessions are a major draw. The alligator rescue team is well-known, as they have their own television show with many episodes filmed directly at the park.
Beyond the water, you can see and sometimes feed other animals. Raccoons, snakes, pigs, skunks and turtles are all featured in the park.
Finally, you can sample alligator meat and the local take on frog legs. It is a trip into the wilderness that helps clarify a landscape that often feels mysterious.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
Really fun activity that combines thrills on the airboat, discovering impressive animals you rarely see like alligators or snakes, and then an adventure in a (seemingly) wild natural environment.