Guides · Spring Hill, Florida
Spring Hill Florida Christmas & Holiday Guide
Spring Hill does not do subtle. It does a pink dinosaur on US 19, a waterfall that was built to sell lots, and a name that was a compromise because the developers' first choice was already taken. The holidays here are the same: big, bright, and unapologetically commercial, which is exactly the point.
The Name That Wasn't
The area showed up on county maps in 1856, but the Spring Hill you drive through today was laid out in 1967 by the Deltona Corporation and the Mackle Brothers. They had a plan and a name: Spring Lake. It was on all the brochures, all the plats, all the sales pitches. Then someone checked and found the name was already in use locally. So they went with Spring Hill instead. The town is a product that got built anyway, and it still reads that way — a mid-century land sale that became 118,814 people and 48,593 housing units. The median age is 43.3 years, which means a lot of those people have been here for a while, and they know where they're going for the holidays.
The Commercial Way Circuit
The main drag is Commercial Way, and it does what the name promises. For holiday meals, you have options, and they are all on the list. IHOP sits at 3660 Commercial Way with a 4.7 rating from 7,884 reviews. Cody's Original Roadhouse is at 3101 Commercial Way, 4.5 from 6,186. Golden Corral Buffet & Grill at 5300 Commercial Way, 4.0 from 5,553. Outback Steakhouse at 4905 Commercial Way, 4.3 from 4,778. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store at 1371 Commercial Way, 4.3 from 4,647. Steak 'n Shake at 4305 Commercial Way, 4.1 from 3,941. Sonny's BBQ at 4731 Commercial Way, 4.3 from 3,941. Applebee's Grill + Bar at 4651 Commercial Way, 4.1 from 2,837. Denny's is at 1445 Wendy Ct, 4.0 from 3,007. Ruby Tuesday at 13095 Cortez Blvd, 4.2 from 2,666.
That is a lot of chain restaurants on one road, and during the holidays, they are busy. You are not coming here for a secret local spot. You are coming here because you know exactly what you are getting, and that is the comfort.
Beyond the Chains
There are other places, and they have their own followings. Richie Cheesesteak at 6191 Deltona Blvd, 4.6 from 2,741 reviews. Breakfast Station at 8405 Northcliffe Blvd, 4.6 from 2,632. Bowl 360 Strike City at 3544 Mariner Blvd, 4.3 from 2,487 — bowling on a holiday is a move. Lei-Lo Tiki Hut at 4417 Calienta St, 4.4 from 2,178, is "On the Water," which is a promise. Chulas Mexican Grill at 11061 Spring Hill Dr, 4.2 from 2,133. Brian's Place at 3430 Shoal Line Blvd, 4.4 from 2,108.
You can have a holiday meal at any of these, and you will not be the only one. The ratings are what they are because people keep coming back.
The Landmarks That Stay Open
The holidays in Spring Hill are not just about food. The Spring Hill waterfall at US 19 and Spring Hill Drive is still there, the original gateway feature from the development days. It is not natural. It was built to sell the idea of the town, and it is still running. At night during the holidays, it gets lit up, and it is the closest thing the town has to a town square.
Then there is Harold's Garage, the dinosaur-shaped filling station, and the pink apatosaurus standing on US 19. It is not going anywhere. It has been there long enough that it is just part of the landscape. If you are driving through with family, you will point at it. Everyone does.
The Doorstep
Just up the road is Weeki Wachee Springs, the live mermaid show that has been running since the 1940s. It is not in Spring Hill, but it is on the doorstep, and it does not close for the holidays. The mermaids do not take Christmas off. Buccaneer Bay, Florida's only spring-fed water park, is right there too — not that you are swimming in December, but the springs stay 72 degrees year-round, so some people do.
The Numbers
The census numbers tell you what kind of place this is. 1,264 housing units are held for seasonal or recreational use, out of 48,593. 3,608 are vacant. That is not a lot of empty houses. The median home value is $248,400, and the median gross rent is $1,301. The median household income is $66,557, and the unemployment rate is 6.1 percent. Only 19.7 percent of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. This is a working town, and the holidays are for the people who live here, not for tourists.
What to Do
If you are here for Christmas, you are probably visiting someone. That is the honest truth. You are not flying to Spring Hill for a holiday vacation. You are coming to see family, and you will all pile into a car and go eat at one of the places on Commercial Way. If you want to do something, the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens is a quiet walk, and it is free. The dinosaur is free to look at. The waterfall is free to look at. The mermaids cost money, but they are worth it.
The closest thing to a holiday event on the calendar is not in Spring Hill. Dade City is 25 miles away and has the Kumquat Festival, but that is in January. Clermont is 56 miles and has Pig on the Pond. Cedar Key is 58 miles and has the Cedar Key Seafood Festival. Mount Dora is 66 miles and has the Mount Dora Arts Festival and the Mount Dora Craft Fair. Altamonte Springs is 79 miles and has Red Hot & Boom, which is July. None of that is Christmas.
So you make your own holiday here. You eat. You drive by the dinosaur. You look at the waterfall. You go see the mermaids if you can. And you remember that this town was supposed to be called Spring Lake, and it only became Spring Hill because someone else had the name first. That is the whole story, and it is enough.
Common questions
- Why is it called Spring Hill and not Spring Lake?
- The developers wanted Spring Lake, but that name was already taken nearby. They settled on Spring Hill instead. So the town is named after a body of water it doesn't have.
- Is there anything fun to do near Spring Hill?
- Yes, Weeki Wachee Springs is right on the doorstep, with live mermaid shows since the 1940s and Buccaneer Bay, Florida's only spring-fed water park. There's also the dinosaur-shaped Harold's Garage and the pink apatosaurus on US 19.
- What's the deal with the dinosaur on US 19?
- That's Harold's Garage, a dinosaur-shaped filling station. The pink apatosaurus is a roadside landmark you can't miss. It's been there for years, part of the quirky charm of the area.
- Where can I get a good meal in Spring Hill?
- You've got plenty of chain options on Commercial Way, like IHOP (4.7 stars), Cody's Original Roadhouse (4.5), and Cracker Barrel (4.3). For something local, try Richie Cheesesteak (4.6) or Breakfast Station (4.6).
- Is Spring Hill a good place to live or just a tourist stop?
- It's a real town, with about 119,000 people. Median home value is $248,400, and the median age is 43.3. It was built as a planned development in 1967, so it's more residential than touristy, but it's close to nature spots.
- What's the story behind the waterfall at US 19?
- That waterfall at US 19 and Spring Hill Drive was the original gateway feature of the development. It's a little piece of the planned community's history, still standing as a landmark.
Every business named above is one we hold a listing for, and every date traces to a source on our sources page. We do not describe menus, interiors or service we have not verified. Details change — confirm before you travel.