When Homosassa Springs was a popular train stop in the early 1900s, passengers could picnic and take a dip in the spring while train cars were being loaded up with cedar, crabs, fish and spring water. A unique underwater structure, the Underwater Observatory, allows visitors to “walk underwater” beneath the spring’s surface and watch the various fish and manatees swim about. The park also features a variety of captive animals such as alligators, black bears, red wolf, key deer, flamingoes, whooping cranes and the oldest hippopotamus in captivity.