Gatorland, on Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida,  is now celebrating its 60th birthday. Starting from a little roadside stand with one little gator on display in 1949, it now calls itself the Alligator Capital of the World.

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but Gatorland is a wonderful place to visit when you, your kids, grandkids and others in your gang are cruising around Central Florida on your way to or away from Walt Disney World. The 110-acre enterainment attraction and nature conservatory give visitors great views of life in the Florida Everglades all within its great theme park.

There are all kinds of natural pools and beaches for alligator families, as well as a water park for human families. Of course, they don’t meet in any way. For thrills, you can watch trained keepers demonstrate how to feed and, at times, wrestle with alligators. There are also tours, lectures, entertainment and demonstrations with many varieties of live critter inhabitants of the area.

Gatorland’s phone number is 1-800-393-JAWS, and email address is gaterland.com. Tickets are $23 for adults and $15 for kids.  A springtime special for Florida residents offers adult tickets for $15 and kid tickets for $10.