Warm Mineral Springs is a sinkhole formed in carbonate rock by the collapse of the roof of a cavern 30,000 years ago.

Due to the enormous amount of water frozen in ice sheets during the last glacial period, the sea level was at least 100 metres (330 ft) lower than it is today.

In 1959, a Park Spa Building and Cyclorama (depicting Ponce de Leon's alleged discovery of the Fountain of Youth) were built at the spring to house a Florida Quadricentenial celebration, which ran from December 14, 1959, to March 15, 1960.

[9][10][11] In the late 1950s, William Royal and other scuba divers found artifacts and human bones from at least seven individuals in Warm Mineral Springs.

[12] One skull recovered from under sediment about 40 feet (12 m) under the present water level in the sinkhole contained organic matter.

[12] Unrestricted access to the spring resulted in scuba divers removing human bones and artifacts and stalactites and stalagmites as souvenirs and for sale.

[13][14] Agencies that care for public property are required to inventory archaeological resources and to ensure their protection and preservation in the long term.

[13] In a 1988 interview, Cockrell stated that the remains of more than 20 Paleoindians have been found in the sinkhole, including some radiocarbon dated to 12,000 years ago.

The archaeologists also found bones of several Pleistocene animals, including a giant ground sloth, a saber-toothed cat, a horse, and a camelid.

[19] Warm Mineral Springs was purchased on December 20, 2010, by Sarasota County and the city of North Port for $5.5 million.

[20] The buildings serving the springs have been attributed to Sarasota School of Architecture architect Jack West and were constructed sometime in the late 1950s.

The Cyclorama was created as part of the 1959 commemorations for the 400th anniversary of Tristan de Luna's settlement of Pensacola, the first in "La Florida."

The large mural was painted by local Sarasota artist Don Putman and originally, was accompanied by a 22-minute narration by Lowell Thomas.

The Cyclorama has been closed since the 1970s and its fate is unknown although restoration efforts of the park facilities are underway following the devastation of Hurricane Ian.