Florida's forgotten theme park from 1938 welcomes tourists despite popular competition

Florida's original theme park has overcome the towering shadow of its younger peers in Orlando and remains a haven, if even by accident, for tourists seeking marine edification.

Take a drive along A1A in northeast Florida, about 18 miles south of St. Augustine, and you will happen upon Marineland Dolphin Adventure, a seemingly forgotten tourist attraction.

It's touted as "the world's first oceanarium," and is located in a small town that shares the same first name.

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Marineland the park and Marineland the town are often regarded as one and the same, but were it not for the vision of the marine park's founders, neither would exist.

What is now known as Marineland Dolphin Adventure first opened as Marine Studios on June 23, 1938. It was originally intended to be an underwater film studio, Terran McGinnis, Marineland's historian, told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.

Marineland opened as Marine Studios in 1938. Old photographs from its early days show a sign off the highway, left, and an actress, right, posing for a picture at the entrance. (Marineland Dolphin Adventure)

"Back in 1938, you know, underwater cameras hadn't been invented yet," McGinnis said. "Scuba diving hadn't been invented yet. So, it was almost impossible to get underwater footage for movies."

But the founders of Marineland – Douglas Burden, Ilya Tolstoy and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney – had the goal of revolutionizing filmmaking by building underwater tanks on ground level. Their tag line was, "Bring the sea ashore," McGinnis said.

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They chose a part of Florida that was "relatively free of hurricanes," McGinnis said, and close to Jacksonville, which had once been a hotbed for filmmaking.

The barrier island upon which Marineland sits was narrow enough to build on the oceanside and dock boats across A1A on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Although modest tourism was to be expected, it came as a surprise to all involved when about 30,000 people showed up for the grand opening, McGinnis said.

Marineland of Florida, now known as Marineland Dolphin Adventure, has been open for business since 1938. (Marineland Dolphin Adventure)

"I think it was on that very opening day when they started really listening to people's comments that they kind of flipped their business plan from being a film studio that occasionally welcomes tourists to being a tourist attraction that occasionally makes movies," McGinnis said.

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There were still plenty of movies and television shows filmed there — notably "Revenge of the Creature," which was the 1955 sequel to "Creature from the Black Lagoon" — but by then Marine Studios had fully morphed into Marineland.

Billed as the very first oceanarium, which means "mixed species together," Marineland was "one of the original roadside attractions," McGinnis said.

Marineland, which opened as Marine Studios in 1938, is the world's first oceanarium. It is now a Florida Heritage site with its own historical landmark sign. (Marineland Dolphin Adventure)

While Florida's coastline has seen a surge of development since Marineland's arrival, that's not the case at Marineland and its immediate vicinity.

Today's Marineland offers dolphin encounters for guests to swim and play with the aquatic mammals. There are summer camps and day camps for children who have the opportunity to learn about marine life. 

It also has, as McGinnis described it, that "sweet old Florida charm to it that a lot of other areas have lost."

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"And in our little town of Marineland, all the other few businesses that are there are all in some way connected to marine science and marine research and conservation," McGinnis added. "So, there's this neat kind of ocean theme to everything there."

The town was born two years after Marineland opened.

This is an old aerial view of what was then Marine Studios in the town of Marineland, Florida. (Marineland Dolphin Adventure)

"The growth of the park as a popular place for visitors to experience marine life up close led to the incorporation of the town of Marineland in 1940," the town's website says.

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Its government structure consists of one mayor and one commissioner. There are five town staff members.

Marineland the town has a population of 15, as of the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fox News Digital reached out to the town for comment.

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"I don't even know if this is true anymore, but for a long time, we always said we're the only town where there are more dolphin residents than human residents," McGinnis said.

Marineland was once the No. 1 tourist attraction in Florida, McGinnis said.

Marineland of Florida has been educating and entertaining visitors for 86 years. Here, dolphins are seen performing stunts during a show. (Marineland Dolphin Adventure)

These days, however, tourism is mostly concentrated in and around Orlando, where theme parks like Walt Disney World and SeaWorld have diverted much of Marineland's business.

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"There have certainly been ups and downs" when it comes to attracting new visitors, McGinnis said.

Still, 86 years after opening, Marineland remains in business, which McGinnis said is "because we have constantly adapted."

"And the truth is, we will never be one of those big facilities, one of those really showy facilities," McGinnis continued. "So, we're not where you should come if that's what you want."

But, McGinnis said, for people who are looking to visit a "sweet, small, affordable, beautiful facility," Marineland is exactly that.

Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital.