“In the beginning … ,” the thunderous voice boomed. A big black light-illuminated globe that looked like it was made out of Play-Doh was slowly rotating at the front of the darkened room. About 20 or so tourists seated in the small Discovery Globe theater at Ponce de León's Fountain of Youth National Archeological Park watched the aging sphere as it turned. Though some were indifferent to the discussion about early explorers—related by a voice likely recorded decades earlier—most of the visitors listened attentively to the speech as little pinpoint bulbs lit up across the simulated Earth’s seas.

When the presentation was over, the black curtain at the front of the stage squeaked shut, shielding the globe until the next show. The lights came on abruptly, and, since the room seemed oddly silent, I started to clap. The rest of the group politely chimed in, applauding the show, which, though somewhat archaic in appearance, was still very informative. Our tour guide, whose wardrobe reminded me of a boy scout (he was clad in khaki shorts and had a bandanna tied around his neck), blushed and thanked the audience for the ovation. Apparently, nowadays this sort of thing didn’t happen much at the longtime St. Augustine, Florida attraction.

This was my second visit to the 15-acre archeological park, which encompasses the site claimed to be Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León's landing place Apr. 3, 1513. Prior to my first visit, a friend told me the attraction was “cheesy,” but since I actually like kitsch, I decided to check the place out for myself. Besides, my anti-aging creams weren’t exactly cutting it; I could use a drink from the so-called Fountain of Youth.

The guided tour includes three buildings. There’s the Spring House, which safeguards the original spring and an excavated cross made of 27 coquina stones believed to be Ponce de León’s claiming  landmark; the aforementioned Discovery Globe theater; and a planetarium offering a 15-minute presentation explaining how seafarers once relied on the stars to navigate. When you enter what is said to be the last functional manual planetarium in the country, it feels as though you’ve stepped back in time, to a Disneyland attraction on opening day. There’s another booming recording to listen to in this building, but pay attention to the antiquated soundtrack and you’ll be amazed by the accomplishments of Ponce de León and his peers.

In addition to the narrated tour, you can take a self-guiding tour of the verdant grounds, which feature various archeological exhibits, including the remains of a Christian Indian burial site. Even if the interpretive signs detailing the cannons, statues and native plants lining the park’s walkways don’t catch your interest, the flamboyant peacocks strutting about surely will.  The site also is home to other wildlife; on my last trip there, I saw my very first in-the-flesh ostrich as well as a pair of finicky geese.

I wound up loving the old-school Florida attraction on my initial visit, even though my sip from the Timucuan Indian spring Ponce de León hoped was the Fountain of Youth didn’t seem to halt the sands of time. The second time around, I dragged, er, brought my boyfriend to the park. At first, he moaned and groaned a little, but then, gradually, he realized he was enjoying himself.

We both found our boy scout-like tour guide, who made corny jokes à la Ned Flanders from “The Simpsons,” to be terribly amusing. But, while obviously young at heart, the erudite guide’s knowledge about early exploration of the world was undeniably impressive. The entire experience, wonderfully cheesy and full of old Florida charm, was well worth the price of admission and, at the very least, deserving of a quick round of applause.