Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

The New Cypress Gardens

The state's first theme park is set to reopen under new ownership this month after a $45-million overhaul. Renamed Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, the attraction that opened in 1936 still features historic botanical gardens, water-ski shows, Southern belles and outdoor concerts. But it now has 38 rides, including roller coasters aptly named The Hurricane, Swamp Thing, Okeechobee Rampage and Thunderbolt, and a water-raft thriller called Storm Surge.