The owners of Cypress Gardens announced today that the park and Splash Island Waterpark have closed. The park closed last fall for five months then reopened earlier this year without its many amusement rides. Since the end of March, it has operated with just its water park, gardens and ski show.

Here’s the owner’s statement regarding the closing and possible sale.

From the earliest moment that our firm purchased Cypress Gardens and Splash Island Waterpark, our highest priority has always been to maintain the park’s beauty and protect its proud traditions as a mainstay of the state’s history and natural treasures. It is with these ideals in mind that we must announce that the park will be closed for business as of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.

During the last two years, Land South Adventures, LLC, has explored numerous management frameworks and exhausted every possible approach to keep the park running in its traditional form. Now we are in the process of negotiating with several potential purchasers and lessees for all or part of the property, and do not feel it is fair to our employees, the guests or the public to continue operations heading into the fall with the future of the property in flux.

We are optimistic that the outcome will be in the best interests of both the park and the residents of Polk County and the State of Florida.