You’ve probably heard that the Fountain of Youth is somewhere right here in Florida. After all, this rumor has been circulating for hundreds of years, and Florida does have some of the most beautiful springs in the world. Many places in Florida claim to contain the mythical fountain, but this one is unique.

If you grew up in Florida, you've probably heard the story of Ponce De Leon landing in the New World in 1513, in what he called the Land of Flowers, in search of the Fountain of Youth.
Flickr/Ruslan
Accounts differ as to whether or not he ever actually found (or believed he found) the mythical fountain, but several places in Florida claim to be the healing waters he discovered.
Google Maps
Probably the most famous one is in St. Augustine, but a fascinating example of one of these sites is in the small town of Punta Gorda.
On a very average seeming street in Punta Gorda, in front of a parking lot and next to a trash can, there sits an unassuming rectangular block that somewhat resembles a public drinking fountain.
Google Maps
It's probably not how you imagined the Fountain of Youth, but some locals swear by its anti-aging properties.

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Seeing it now, you would never guess what a popular attraction this fountain once was.
Google Maps
From the 1920s through the '50s, locals would drink so much from the fountain that the tap would constantly wear out.
Residents have had to fight many times over the years to keep their fountain flowing despite proposals to shut it down or reroute it to another water source.
TripAdvisor/ShifraToronto
The water from the fountain is high in sulfur, giving it a distinctive rotten-egg smell, but that's not why. In the '70s it was determined that the water from the fountain has almost twice the allowed level of radium. That's right, this Fountain of Youth might be radioactive.
Yet the healing properties may not have just been in everyone's imagination. It turned out the water is rich in magnesium, an important mineral which most people are deficient in.
Google Maps
Although the fountain now carries a large caution sign, many people still bring bottles to collect its water. I guess nothing will stop some Floridians in their pursuit of staying young.

Punta Gorda’s Fountain of Youth is located at Taylor St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, on the corner of Taylor Street and E Marion Avenue.

Do you think Florida might be the home of the real Fountain of Youth? Where do you think it would be?

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