Marineland Dolphin Adventure

Opened June 23, 1938 as "Marine Studios" — the world's first oceanarium, built not as a tourist park but as an underwater film studio for Hollywood. Thirty thousand people showed up on opening day. Over the decades the tanks doubled as sets for Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), its sequel Revenge of the Creature, and the Sea Hunt TV series. The film business faded, the park kept the dolphins, and today it runs as Marineland Dolphin Adventure — a small, focused operation on the A1A stretch between Washington Oaks and St. Augustine. General admission gets you the daily dolphin presentations and lagoon-side viewing; paid encounters (touch, swim, trainer-for-a-day) run on scheduled slots and book up. The original 1938 buildings and Art Deco bones are still standing across A1A.

What to order

General admission is enough if you just want to see the dolphins and the historic grounds; book any in-water encounter ahead — they sell out and walk-up availability is thin. Ride across A1A to see the original 1938 studio buildings.

Hours

Daily 8:30a–5p