{"product_id":"cypress-gardens-9781531626396","title":"Cypress Gardens","description":"Florida's first theme park, Cypress Gardens, was the brainchild of Richard Downing Dick\" Pope Sr. With his wife, Julie Downing Pope, he transformed a marshy, lakeside property in Winter Haven into a magnificent garden. The park's first visitors in 1936 toured pathways surrounded by lush plants from around the world. Two years later, electric boats meandered through the park's winding, hand-dug canals. Water ski shows commenced in 1942, and the park became the \"Water Ski Capital of the World.\" The Florida-shaped Esther Williams Swimming Pool still graces the shore of Lake Eloise. The park was a set for dozens of short feature films, a stage for beauty pageants, and a site for special television broadcasts. A butterfly garden, zoo, rides, and the small-town Southern Crossroads shopping and dining area remain popular features. Kent Buescher purchased Cypress Gardens in 2004, and today's expanded Cypress Gardens Adventure Park preserves the family-friendly appeal of Dick and Julie Pope's magnificent park.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Arcadia Publishing Library Editions\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/22\/2006\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781531626396\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 130\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.91lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.38d","brand":"Mary M. Flekke, Sarah E. MacDonald, Randall M. MacDonald","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36656924721308,"sku":"9781531626396","price":27.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_7e465532-226b-43b5-88f4-1b34cf7ec190.jpg?v=1603889332","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/cypress-gardens-9781531626396","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}