Question: What is considered Florida’s original tourist attraction?
Answer: The White Sulfur Springs Ruins
The White Sulfur Springs Ruins was a former bathhouse in the town of White Springs, located in Hamilton County on the Suwannee River. The Suwannee River once marked the boundary between the Timucuan people to the east and the Apalachee to the west.
When Spanish explorers arrived in the 1530s, Native tribes from both sides of the river would visit the spring, believing its waters held healing properties. The spring was regarded as a sacred healing site by the Native Americans and was respected even during times of conflict. Any tribe member could safely drink from or bathe in the mineral-rich waters without fear of attack.
