OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Amid the tourist magnet of Silver Springs in the mid-20th century, a peaceful enclave celebrating Christian faith emerged just off the main attraction: the Prince of Peace Memorial, a roadside shrine that offered visitors a reflective retreat through art and spirituality.
The memorial, located near the junction of Silver Springs Boulevard and the famed glass-bottom boat docks, was the vision of sculptor Paul Cunningham. Between the 1950s and 1960s, Cunningham created a series of twelve handcrafted dioramas depicting scenes from the life of Jesus – ranging from the Nativity to the Resurrection. These intricately carved tableaux were displayed in individual chapel-style structures, each accompanied by soft lighting and music to enhance contemplate viewing.
Photos and postcards from the era depict a tall A-frame chime tower marking the entrance, flanked by serene gardens sheltering the chapel dioramas. This spiritually focused attraction stood in stark contrast to the more entertainment-heavy offerings at Silver Springs at the time – glass-bottom boats, reptile shows, and jungle cruises. It provided a quiet, meditative pause for faith-minded visitors amid the bustling tourist activity.
By the 1970s, however, the Prince of Peace Memorial gradually faded. As Florida’s tourism infrastructure shifted – the emergence of mega-parks and modern attractions – smaller religious installations like this lost prominence. Eventually, the memorial’s structures were dismantled or repurposed, and the grounds were absorbed into adjacent land holdings.
Today, no visible trace remains of the site; its existence is preserved only through archival photos and collector postcards…