{"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","brand":"Arcadia Publishing Library Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50492783919378,"sku":"9781531626396","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_23bbf2ef-8429-4ee9-bf19-5474351844f3.jpg?v=1730607796","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/cypress-gardens-9781531626396","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}