“Miska Muska, Mickey Mouse!”
This is the sound that welcomes you into Boyett’s Grove in Brooksville, Florida. Boyett’s Grove is a multi-generation family farm turned roadside attraction. The grove is nestled on top of a hill from which, in the distance, you can see the blue ridges of the surrounding elevation.
Kathy Oleson is the owner of Boyett’s Grove. Her father was a citrus harvester who began packing and selling oranges. This later evolved into Boyett’s Grove, which had a packing plant on the property. Since the property no longer has many orange trees, Boyett’s Grove sources their citrus from the middle of the state.
The attraction began in the 1960s as a fruit stand where locals and tourists could stop by to pick up fresh citrus from the grove. Boyett’s Grove has evolved from just a walkway through their orange groves to exhibits of exotic animals and uniquely themed rooms.
Since the construction of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950s, many roadside attractions have closed or become state parks. According to Florida Memory, another factor in their decline was the opening of Disney World. Tourists came to Florida to visit Disney instead of going to the roadside attractions. Several former roadside attractions are Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Silver Springs State Park, Jungleland Zoo, Atomic Tunnel and Tarpon Springs Alligator Farm.
Despite the trend, Boyett’s Grove has stayed open by continually adding new attractions and catering to their customers.
Many of the attractions were inspired by customer requests, Kathy Oleson said. In the beginning, when they only sold oranges, Kathy Oleson got the idea to add orange blossom honey to their inventory after one of her customers asked if they sold it.
“I didn’t have orange blossom honey, but we went to try to seek that out.”
Kathy Oleson’s sons also inspired some of the attractions at Boyett’s Grove. She created the dinosaur cave because her boys loved dinosaurs, and she built the aquarium because they were interested in fishing and sea life.
“We began to try to find things that were more interesting and entertaining for people to see,” Kathy Oleson said. “Basically, we just entertain. We were just here to entertain the tourists.”
As you walk into Boyett’s Grove and turn down a hallway to your left, you can see the new “Dream on” section. Visitors can admire a vintage Alfa Romeo and Bugatti or take a picture with Elvis. If you are more of a Disney fan, Mickey Mouse and Yoda have your back. Statues and posters line the walls with all of your favorite characters.
While Boyett’s Grove highlights many Disney classics, visitors can also explore the area’s history by visiting a saloon and viewing an exhibit that showcases the harsh conditions of the 1895 freeze. The temperature dropped from 75 to 18 degrees F in a matter of hours, causing $75 million in damages, said Rae Morris, Kathy Oleson’s best friend.
The site also features machinery from the grove’s original packing plant, which was built in the 1940s and is still used today.
“Still runs, still works, and when the winter comes, we crank it up, and away we go,” Kathy Oleson said.
Much of the artwork at Boyett’s Grove was created by Kathy Oleson’s son, James Oleson. Other attractions on the property are the zoo, aquarium, original packing plant, museum of animals from Africa, gift shop, ice cream shop, mini golf, and dinosaur cave.
Mary Lazarofo, a Brooksville resident, visited Boyett’s Grove for the first time on Saturday with her family. She said she had been trying to get her homeschool co-op to come to Boyett’s Grove for a while, but they all live far away. She first learned about Boyett’s Grove after seeing the sign for it on Route 50 across from the speedway, and it piqued her interest.
Lazarofo said her favorite part of visiting Boyett’s Grove was seeing all of the birds, and she described the atmosphere as being very quaint.
Due to citrus greening, Boyett’s Grove does not have the orange trees it used to. However, if you look to your right while walking through the zoo, you may be able to catch a glimpse of lady finger banana leaves poking over the side of the hill or see a patch of plantain trees.
In the early 1960s, Boyett’s Grove had to replant its orange orchard due to a freeze that killed many trees. The original groves had already been replanted following the freeze of 1895. Many of the new trees replanted after the freeze in the 1960s became a part of the new commercial side of Boyett’s Grove.
Boyett’s Grove sits on five acres of land and is home to over 50 animals. Walking down the winding path through the zoo, you can see zebras, zeedonks, parrots, Wally the camel, a mini pony, Patagonian cavies, jackrabbits, goats, ducks, an emu, an ostrich and spider monkeys.
Boyett’s Grove acquired the zeedonks because their previous owners did not want them anymore. They said the zeedonks were too much of a handful and could be aggressive, so they donated them to Boyett’s Grove.
Just like the odd amusements you find at Boyett’s Grove, Kathy Oleson has plenty of unusual stories.
A long, long time ago, Boyett’s Grove had a fellow who worked in the orange grove, said Kathy Oleson. One day, while trying to start his car, he forgot to put his truck in park. It went on a mini road trip and lodged itself between two trees. Along the way, it managed to make a U-turn, cross the road, go through a fence, and narrowly miss the neighbor’s swimming pool, all while everyone in the store chased after it.
“It was funny to see them all running. It was like Keystone Cops,” she said.
She has some heartwarming stories as well.
When Kathy Oleson was a little girl, her Gran would wake her early in the morning and tell her, “Let’s go on an adventure. Let’s go on a walk.” So, they would go out and walk around the property before anyone else was awake. They would walk down to the creek at the bottom of the hill, take off their shoes, and wade through the water.
“I’d say that’s my fondest memories of Gran.”
While the property is full of memories for Kathy Oleson, she said she has big plans for the future.
“We got a lot of new stuff coming. We got some surprises and some secrets. Come back, and you’ll be surprised.”
