Ama is a bronze sculpture of a mermaid that was added to Craig Park in 2014. She stands at the edge…read moreof Spring Bayou. Philip Jepsen and Mermaids Of Earth brought the idea for the statue to the Tarpon Springs Public Art Committee in 2013. Ama is part of the Amaryllis Art for Charity project sponsored by German company Koh-i-Noor. The projects mission is to place 100 Ama mermaid statues around the world in beautiful locations near water. Ama of Tarpon Springs was the 17th statue in the series, and the first on America's East Coast. The Japanese word Ama, refers to traditional pearl divers in Japan while in Tarpon Springs you have the history of the sponge divers. Ama is also the nickname of French artist Amaryllis Bataille who created the Ama mermaid sculpture and many other mermaid art pieces. Ama was cast in Thailand and shipped to Tarpon Springs. At the base of the state is a sponge vase as a nod the Tarpon Springs sponge diving history and there is a small manatee on the left side of the base representing the manatees in Spring Bayou. I love the myth of mermaids so it was a delight to find this beautiful sculpture in Craig Park.

Walking around historic downtown Tarpon Springs I couldn't help but be drawn to this vintage…read morepostcard style mural on the outside of the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center. This is a 25-by-4 1/2-foot digitally printed mural by Eagle Photographics in Tampa. It was unveiled in 2020 and is a reproduction of a 1994 painting, called Changing Tides by North Pinellas based artist Christopher M. Still. The mural depicts Tarpon Springs sponge diving heyday around the Anclote Key Lighthouse. The original painting was donated to the Tarpon Springs Public Library by Elizabeth Coachman, an artist and former head of the medical laboratory at AdventHealth North Pinellas. Elizabeth and her husband Michael wanted to keep Changing Tides in the City of Tarpon Springs. Artist Christopher M. Still is known for his paintings of Florida's wildlife, people and landscapes. He works out of Dunedin, Florida and has a gallery in Tarpon Springs. In 2010 he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Of the mural he has said "It's a big honor to do this, to have an entryway sign for Tarpon Springs. It's neat having it as an entryway sign out here and you can walk over and see the original indoors nearby." Today the Changing Tides mural serves as a welcome to the City of Tarpon Springs. People love to have their photos taken in front of it and it preserves the rich history of this town as a sponge diving village.

I discovered this sculpture while exploring Tarpon Springs. Storybook Time depicts a mother reading…read moreto her daughter from a book as they sit on a bench. I was immediately drawn to this charming sculpture because it brought all of the wonderful memories of reading to my daughter as a child. You can find Storybook Time in front of Tarpon Springs Old City Hall which is now the Cultural Center. Storybook Time was created by Texas born artist, Glenna Goodacre in 1988. She also created the four statues of Greek nymphs called Naiads in the roundabout near the Sponge Docks. Goodacre graduated from Colorado College and studied at the Art Students League in New York. After her marriage she lived part time in Santa Fe, New Mexico and in Dallas, Texas where her husband practiced law. Her favorite subject matter was portrait busts and figures and sculptural compositions of active children. Goodacre is most well known for creating the Vietnam Women's Memorial at the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. in 1993. Goodacre passed away in April 2020 at the age of 80. I love how this sculpture captures the feeling of joy of intimacy that reading together brings. Besides encouraging sharing reading the sculpture also commemorates the first library in Tarpon Springs that was established 1916.

I discovered this beautiful 17 feet high by 22 feet wide mosaic mural in historic downtown Tarpon…read moreSprings. The brightly colored mosaic is on the side of the Meres building adjacent to the parking lot that was once Mother Meres garden. The mural was a gift to the city from the Garden Fairies of Tampa Bay, a group of civic, artistic gardeners who have spent seven months creating the massive multimedia art piece. The Garden Fairies received no public funds for the $60,000 mural. It was created through their fundraising efforts and a benefit party by the Chamber of Commerce. It took 2,000 hours to complete the installation of 46 panels over Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 2010. Even the concrete walls surrounding the nearby dumpster also were decorated with 86 smaller panels. The mural commemorates Amelia Petzold Meres, a city pioneer and amateur horticulturist from the early 20th century. Mother Meres loved plants and people. She was born in Germany in 1845 and emigrated to the United States with her family when she was 5. In 1882, she moved to Tarpon Springs with her husband, Walter to run the Ferns Hotel on the corner of Tarpon and Pinellas avenues. Amelia Meres and her husband had a home east of the hotel and on their land she created a lush jungle garden that fed the hotel guests fresh fruits and vegetables and honey produced in the garden. Eventually she was bestowed the nickname of "Mother Meres." In addition to the garden she also planted the cycads that gave Tarpon Springs' Cycadia Cemetery its name later replacing them with oleander after the cycads dies off in a freeze. She held the town's first Christmas party, brought plants to the sick, and helped plant trees to beautify city. With a kapok seed giver to her by her friend botanist David Fairchild of Miami, she planted the famous kapok tree at the former Kapok Tree Inn on McMullen-Booth Road. Mother Meres died at the age of 78 on Oct. 20, 1923. After her death the garden became a city park with benches and a band shell. In the 1950's the park was turned into a parking lot. The parking lot is also the site of the Sunday Tarpon Springs Farmers Market. It is so nice to see Mother Meres love of gardening and generous spirit is still honored and thriving 100 years later.

Wonderful public art sculpture here in Tarpon Springs! Art is everywhere here if you look for it!…read more Life is good with art!

A brave Greek immigrant sponge diver stands along the docks of Tarpon Springs, a Greek community…read morethat became the center for the Florida sponge industry in 1890. In later years the town has evolved into a sponge industry tourist attraction and it is a great place to find Greek food. This bronze copper statue replaces an older fiberglass model from 1975. The Sponge Diver statue was dedicated in 2002, "In Memory of the Spongers of Tarpon Springs". The statue depicts a young man in his rubber diving suit and boots, holding his helmet in one arm. Many sponge divers died on the job. This statue stands a memorial to the lives lost while pursuing this dangerous profession. You can find the Sponge Diver Statue across from the Sponge Exchange, just west of Athens St. on Dodecanese Blvd. As a fan of public art I was pleased to make the Sponge Diver's acquaintance.

Down at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs to attend the Sponge Docks Arts & Crafts Show this…read moreweekend. It was a gorgeous day for it. There was something for everyone. So glad to see the docks and merchants survived Idalia's storm surfer but there were a couple of shops advertising "storm sales". Great event, plenty of bargains from local and visiting artists in addition to regular merchants. I love the Sponge Docks!

Tarpon Springs is a city on central Florida's Gulf Coast about 30 miles NW of Tampa. The highest…read moreconcentration of Greek-Americans in the US live here. Greek eateries line waterfront Dodecanese Boulevard, a legacy of the Greek sponge divers who settled here in the early 1900s. Along the water, the Historic Sponge Docks remind me of the once booming industry. In the 1940's, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church opened with stained glass and a Grecian marble altar. Tarpon Springs Aquarium & Animal Sanctuary display Gulf animal & marine life here. Tarpon Springs is home to beautiful, small beaches. Fred Howard Park is a popular spot with a sandy beach, picnic areas, and a causeway perfect for walking or biking. Sunset Beach is a local favorite, known for its stunning sunset views and relaxed atmosphere. Both beaches offer opportunities for swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast. Tarpon Springs is renowned for its authentic Greek cuisine, thanks to its rich Greek heritage. The Sponge Docks area is home to several excellent Greek restaurants, such as Hellas Restaurant and Dimitri's on the Water. They offer a variety of traditional dishes, including gyros, souvlaki, and baklava. We always enjoy a Greek meal & leave with leftovers & baked goods from at least one of these restaurants; it's our must-do experience when visiting Tarpon Springs.

We've been enjoying Tarpon Springs FL for decades! We used to mainly come to ride the rustic…read moreworking sponge-diving boats and to buy fun souvenirs and even shells, porcupine fish, starfish, and of course natural sponges. These days we mostly visit for the best Greek foods there is, especially amazing gorgeous whole fish, sometimes the best savory gyros, now and then the grilled octopus, tender like you cant get anywhere else. On this visit, (Jan 2026), we walked from National Bakery and Agora Food Market on Athens St, past Hellas Restaurant with the giant Spartan figure on the roof, all the way to the Rusty Bellies restaurant at the west end of Dodecanese, all the while shopping in cute stores and taking selfies near boats and a shark at The Sponge Exchange square and fun murals everywhere, taking in the vibe of this great town. We stopped at Hellas for a cup of luscious unfiltered coffee, which we always order "Greek-style", and we sipped it slowly, savoring the rich flavor, while letting those marvelous fine grains settle to the bottom of the cup. Please note that most of the parking lots are for specific businesses. There's several paid public parking lots east of Athens on Dodecanese. Pro tip: There are public restrooms towards the west end of the docks on Dodecanese, across from the end of Hope St.

It's been awhile since I've been to the Tarpon Springs Library. It is still the same friendly,…read moreaccessible, and beautiful place I remember. I checked out a DVD of a series recommended to me by a Yelp friend. They were only one of four libraries that had it. It was easy to find, and quickly checked out by a very friendly librarian. The library has a craft basket at the checkout desk. So help yourself to a craft while they last! They also have museum passes for Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Unfortunately, the James Museum is no longer offered. That was one of my favorite museums to visit for free. Now I will pay for the privilege. This library has plenty of parking in their parking lot, on the street, and across the way. It's all for free. It also has accessible bathrooms, a Friends of the Library book area by the front doors, community rooms, and a children's section. Do yourself a favor, and stop by to see all that is offered here.

I tried to get a library card today. Well that was absolutely ridiculous. I was asking questions…read moresince it's been 10 years since I've had a card at this location. When I asked the woman behind the counter next thing I know there was three people telling me I had to pay $25 to get a library card. As I was asking the so-called manager lady questions, she was very discriminating towards me because I had a walker and instead answered my friend who she didn't even know I was friends with that was standing next to me as if I was invisible. Way to go for discrimination. Unbelievable. It was already late in the afternoon and they wasted about 20 minutes of my very valuable time. The place needs a revamp inside. The outside is beautiful as usual. The only one that was helpful and very sweet was a young man named Ray. Thank you Ray for being a decent good human. It's a shame that your co-workers and manager are not decent at all. If you have a walker or any type of assistance with a device DON'T GO THERE. The bathroom has the heaviest door and is not accessible. They do have a stall that is larger, but you have to struggle with the door to get in at all. I can't believe this used to be a great Library. Maybe the manager should take out a book herself about discriminating against people fighting for their life

You put TOILETS on the only parking for wounded veterans. Been this way for months now.read more

The City of Tarpon Springs is a small city of about 25,000 people on Florida's west coast about 30…read moremiles northwest of Tampa. It is most well known for having the highest percentage of Greek-American citizens of any city in the United States. The area south of the river between the sponge docks and the Gulf of Mexico is a bayou as several waterways branch off the main river and which gives the city its unique look and quaint waterfront neighborhoods. While there are many new homes on the bayous, the city has established several historic districts within the city limits where you will see many well preserved old buildings. Tarpon Springs has done a great job of preserving many of its historic homes and businesses. Several of these sites in Tarpon Springs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Old Tarpon Springs High School and the Old Tarpon Springs City Hall. The main north-south thoroughfare in Tarpon Springs is the Alternate US-19, known locally as Pinellas Avenue. The historic sponge dock area is a popular tourist attraction located along the Anclote River west of Pinellas Avenue. John Cheyney founded the first sponge business in Tarpon Springs in the 1880s. His success attracted sponge divers from Greece and it provided quite a few jobs for the local economy. The sponges were harvested off the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico using surface boats and long poles to bring up the sponges. In 1905 John Cocoris came to town and introduced sponge diving to the industry. This deep sea diving technique used a special suit and a diving helmet with air pumped in from a compressor on the boat. He brought in divers from Greece and the sponge industry soon became one of the biggest businesses in Florida and required more and more divers. Many of the original divers came from the Dodecanese Islands of Kalymnos, Symi and Halki. The street that runs along the sponge docks on the river is named Dodecanese Boulevard. The area along the sponge docks is an interesting tourist destination with hundreds of shops, bakeries, restaurants and other businesses with mostly Greek themes. There are museums, statues, plaques and other reminders of the area's unique history. Today the sponge docks is a working waterfront that's home to the remaining sponge boats and the large fleet of shrimpers. I came to Tarpon Springs to attend the epiphany celebration that takes place every year on January 6th. The celebration attracts thousands to the town to celebrate the the baptism of Jesus Christ in the water of the Jordan River 2000 years ago. While attending the cross diving ceremony you can also sample Greek food and participate in Greek customs. While the epiphany is a top draw every year, Tarpon Springs also has some wonderful attractions which includes the shops and restaurants of the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, the beaches of Fred Howard Park, the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs Aquarium, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Spongeorama Cruise Lines, Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, and the Tarpon Springs Farmers Market. My time in Tarpon Springs was not long enough to experience all it has to offer. This town may be small but you will never be bored.