Soaking up the local lore
Greek immigrants began coming to Tarpon Springs in the early 1900s to work in the sponge diving business. However, the Timucuan Indians got here first, by about 5000 years. The Indians were followed by the Spanish and, in the 1880s, wealthy Northerners, who built a New York-Tarpon Springs railway connection. The railroad tracks are gone now, and the line has been converted into part of the Pinellas Trail, a 46-mile paved recreational path running to St. Petersburg.
Tarpon Springs' main street district is on the National Register of Historic Places, and includes the old City Hall (now a cultural center), antique shops and a museum run by the Tarpon Springs Historical Society.
The city's sponge diving industry started to decline in the 1940s, but sponges still soak up a lot of attention. A tourist ship stages traditional dives, and near the docks, you'll find baskets of sponges to squeeze and take home. The Spongeorama, a small museum, recounts the story of sponging in Tarpon Springs.
A short walk from the docks is Spring Bayou, an inlet of the Anclote River edged with sidewalks and park benches. The Bayou is the site of Tarpon Springs' celebration of the Epiphany, a Greek Orthodox holiday celebrated every January. Young boys dive into the Bayou for a cross said to bring a year of good luck, and a festival is held, attracting some 20,000 people each year.
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