A North Port resident who walks up to the admissions window at Warm Mineral Springs this week pays $15, the same as last year. One who buys a 30-visit pass pays $270. Two years ago that pass cost $150. Since Oct. 1, 2026, the city's fee changes have barely touched occasional visitors and have fallen mostly on regulars. People who come several times a week to soak in the 85-degree spring now have a different cheapest option than they did a year ago.
The Price That Moved Was the Discount
The City Commission passed Ordinance 2026-21 after readings on July 7 and July 21. It left daily admission alone and reset the multi-visit passes. The 10-visit pass now comes with a 20% discount and the 30-visit pass with a 40% discount. The city calls this one step in a "phased fee approach" first laid out during the fiscal 2026 budget process. The fee presentation behind that plan shows how the 30-visit pass has risen year by year.
| North Port resident, adult | 10-visit pass | Cost per visit | 30-visit pass | Cost per visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $112.50 | $11.25 | $150 | $5.00 |
| FY2026 | $112.50 | $11.25 | $225 | $7.50 |
| FY2027, effective Oct. 1, 2026 | $120 | $12.00 | $270 | $9.00 |
| FY2028, proposed | $127.50 | $12.75 | $315 | $10.50 |
The 10-visit pass has gone up by 75 cents a visit. The 30-visit pass has gone from $5 to $9 a visit over two fiscal years. In FY2025 the 30-visit pass carried a 66.67% discount off the daily rate. The FY2028 row comes from the fee proposal the city presented, which would cut that discount to 30%. Treat that row as the city's stated plan, not a price anyone can buy yet.
The same pattern applies to the other two rate tiers. A Sarasota County resident now pays $144 for 10 visits and $324 for 30. A non-resident pays $160 and $360. Daily adult tickets stay at $18 for county residents and $20 for everyone else.
The Pass the City Almost Gave Up On
The city's Sept. 8 announcement says the annual pass is now the best deal for frequent visitors. "Annual passes continue to provide the most cost-effective admission option," it reads. A year ago the city had dropped that pass altogether.
The fee changes that took effect Oct. 1, 2025, cut both the $1,125 resident and $2,000 non-resident annual passes. According to coverage in the North Port Sun, the reason was simple: none had sold. Then, just before the cutoff in September 2025, eight people bought one. Parks & Recreation Director Sandy Pfundheller told commissioners that buyers said they hadn't known an annual pass was available.
At a workshop on Feb. 2, 2026, the commission voted unanimously to bring the annual pass back at FY2025 rates. The posted schedule now lists the annual pass at $1,125 for North Port residents, $1,600 for Sarasota County residents and $2,000 for non-residents. At that same workshop, Commissioner Demetrius Petrow asked about senior discounts. Pfundheller said any senior discount should apply only to annual passes.
Put those decisions next to the multi-visit table and the direction is clear. Prices for occasional visitors are flat. The 30-visit pass keeps getting more expensive. The annual price is back to where it was two years ago. Each year, the number of visits it takes for the annual pass to pay off goes down.
Running Your Own Numbers
Passes come in whole bundles, so the math has to count whole bundles. For a North Port resident, the annual pass is the cheaper option starting at this many visits a year:
- Compared with daily tickets at $15: 76 visits, since 75 daily tickets cost exactly $1,125
- Compared with 10-visit passes at $120 each: 91 visits, because nine passes cover 90 visits for $1,080 and a tenth brings the total to $1,200
- Compared with 30-visit passes at $270 each: 121 visits, because four passes cover 120 visits for $1,080 and a fifth brings the total to $1,350
There's a catch that changes the math more than the sticker price does. Every 10-visit and 30-visit pass expires 180 days after you buy it, and the city doesn't refund unused visits. To use up a 30-visit pass, you need a little more than one visit a week for six months. A twice-a-week regular makes about 104 visits a year. That person would need four 30-visit passes, $1,080 in all, to cover the year. They would leave some visits unused, and the total is close to the $1,125 annual price. At three visits a week, about 156 a year, it takes six 30-visit passes, $1,620 in all, and the annual pass clearly wins.
The same bundle math applies in the other tiers. A Sarasota County resident's $1,600 annual pass beats daily tickets starting at 89 visits. It beats 30-visit passes starting at 121 visits, since four passes cost $1,296 and a fifth brings the total to $1,620. A non-resident's $2,000 annual pass beats daily tickets after 100 visits. It beats 30-visit passes starting at 151 visits, since five passes cost $1,800 and a sixth brings the total to $2,160.
Two more rules matter for households. Multi-visit passes can be shared by people who live in the same household but can't be used by anyone outside it. Resident rates require proof of residency, so bring a valid ID and proof of address when you buy.
Where the Higher Pass Prices End Up
The city says money from the pass changes stays in Warm Mineral Springs Fund 125 for infrastructure and long-term capital needs. That fund is one of the sources paying for the work now underway behind the construction fencing.
On July 27, the city held its "Hats on for Progress" ceremony to start the Warm Mineral Springs Park Building Rehabilitation Project. At the ceremony the city put the cost at about $16.7 million. In July the commission added $4.08 million to the $12.6 million already set aside, with money drawn from the Warm Mineral Springs Fund, Environmental Protection Fund, Utilities Revenue Fund, Park Impact Fees and Surtax. Wharton-Smith is the construction manager. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors and the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation are partners.
Each of the three historic buildings gets different work:
- The Admission Building will be restored and floodproofed, with room for admissions, staff, public restrooms and meetings.
- The Spa Building gets a partial rehab into an open-air pavilion that keeps its Jack West exterior. The city's project page says it will hold 11 family-style restrooms and a shaded gathering area, with open-air shower towers on the grounds.
- The Cyclorama gets roof repairs, floodproofing and stabilization. Then it will be mothballed under historic-preservation guidelines until there's money for a full restoration.
The least visible piece may matter most for the spring itself. The park runs on a private well and a septic system today. The project will bring city water and sewer in from near U.S. 41 by way of Ortiz Boulevard. According to the city, that will supply the fire sprinklers the code requires, reduce pumping from the aquifers that feed the spring, and let the park shut down the septic system that could otherwise pollute Warm Mineral Springs, Salt Creek and the Myakka River.
The latest dated progress entry, from August 2026, lists clearing and grubbing, silt fence, a construction trailer, selective demolition and structural evaluation. It also says the city hired a historic-conservation consultant to oversee the demolition and restoration work. The city expects about 16 months of construction and a possible grand opening in late 2027.
What a Visit Looks Like Until Late 2027
A pass bought this fall will be used entirely during construction. After damage from Hurricanes Elsa and Ian, the historic complex with the gift shop, permanent showers, restrooms, changing rooms and lockers is closed to the public. Visitors use a temporary admissions building and a portable restroom trailer. For now, a visit works like this:
- Address and hours: 12200 San Servando Ave., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- Food: The park has no concessions. Small coolers are allowed, and food and drinks have to stay four feet from the water. Food trucks often park outside the park.
- Not allowed: glass, alcohol, tobacco, umbrellas, tents, balls and frisbees. The city also recommends leaving jewelry at home because the minerals can tarnish it.
- Lightning: If lightning is detected within eight miles, everyone goes to their cars until 30 minutes pass with no strikes. If the closure lasts more than an hour and you've been there less than two hours, you get a rain check good for 30 days.
- Pass extensions: If the city closes the park for a named storm or hurricane, multi-visit pass expiration dates are extended automatically. Lightning closures don't extend them.
The city's project list also includes a planned Legacy Trail connection from the North Port Connector at Price Boulevard and Calera Street to a new trailhead at the park. No opening date has been posted yet.
Resident rates at the springs depend on proving you live in North Port, and the gap between the $1,125 resident annual pass and the $2,000 non-resident pass is one small, real cost of where you live. If you're weighing a move within North Port or curious what your current home is worth, Nick Wikoff can walk you through it. Get Your Home Value, or schedule a call to talk through the neighborhoods closest to the springs.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
