OCALA, FL (352today.com) – In the heart of Silver Springs Shores, just off Spring Lake Road, once stood a lakeside resort known by two names – Panorama Inn and, later, Silver Lake Lodge. Though the building is long gone, its story lingers in fragments, half-remembered vacations and ghostly rumors.
What is known about the lodge comes mostly through community memory, a handful of surviving postcards and online ghost-hunting logs. The Panorama Inn was built sometime in the early 1970s at 501 Spring Lake Road, designed as a tranquil resort overlooking Silver Lake. Its amenities were said to include between 100 to 200 guest rooms, a swimming pool, a dining hall and a lakeside lounge. It catered to travelers visiting the nearby Silver Springs attraction and became a favored retreat for families and weekenders.
At some point in the late 1970s or early 1980s, the inn changed hands and was rebranded as Silver Lake Lodge. Details about its operation during this era are limited. By the end of the decade, the property was abandoned…