# Blue Spring State Park: Winter Wild Manatee Sanctuary & Spring Boardwalk > Place to go for families in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford area (FL). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Open daily 8:00 AM to sundown, 365 days a year; Thursby House open daily 10:00 AM–4:00… - Dates: Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Feb 28 - Where: Blue Spring State Park, 2100 W French Ave, Orange City, FL 32763 - Ages: All ages welcome; ADA-accessible and stroller-friendly elevated wooden boardwalks; shaded picnic groves and modern restrooms with baby changing - Price: $6.00 per vehicle (up to 8 people); $4.00 single-occupant vehicle; $2.00 pedestrians and bicyclists - Schedule: Open daily 8:00 AM to sundown, 365 days a year; Thursby House open daily 10:00 AM–4:00 PM; Peak manatee viewing typically runs 8:30 AM–1:00 PM on cool mornings - Organizer: Florida Department of Environmental Protection & Florida State Parks - Official page: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/blue-spring-state-park - Last checked: Thu, Nov 5 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/orlando/activities/blue-spring-state-park-winter-wild-manatee-sanctuary-and-spring-boardw--listing-c5b032d7207d774cafc6c4b0 ## About Every winter from mid-November through March, when the St. Johns River cools below 68°F (20°C), hundreds of Florida manatees seek the consistent 72°F natural spring waters of Blue Spring State Park. Designated as a state wildlife refuge, this sanctuary provides a critical winter haven for manatees and their nursing calves. Elevated wooden boardwalks wind along the translucent turquoise spring run for a third of a mile, leading directly from the river to the boiling spring head where families can observe mother manatees nursing and playing just feet below the railing. The park is fully stroller accessible along the main boardwalk, featuring accessible viewing platforms, the historic 1872 Thursby House museum, shaded oak picnic pavilions, a children's playground, and narrated St. Johns River boat tours. To protect the resting manatees, water activities in the spring run are paused during winter sanctuary season. Arrive early on cold winter mornings for the highest manatee counts. ## Similar picks in Orlando - [Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild at Central Florida Zoo](https://grassyknees.com/orlando/activities/asian-lantern-festival-into-the-wild-at-central-florida-zoo--listing-4876f624d324af59ac8a8d41) — Nov 13 – Jan 17 · 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM · Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford · All ages · From $22 · checked Nov 4. 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