Nothing says old Florida like the snake shows at the Serpentarium on South Dixie Highway. The building was part of the attraction, with its 35-foot-high hooded concrete-and-stucco cobra with a forked tongue that towered over the building. And presiding over the green mambas, king cobras and palm vipers was the memorable Bill Haast, snake handler and scientist, who opened the place in 1947 and charmed up to 50,000 visitors a year until he closed the doors in 1984. He used to grab venomous snakes barehanded – his hands became gnarled from bites and he lost parts of several fingers – and hold their open fangs over vials while venom dripped inside. Visitors were allowed to get very close to the snakes. Unfortunately, in 1977 a six-year-old boy fell into the crocodile pit at Miami Serpentarium and was killed by “Cookie”, a 12-ft-long crocodile. Haast killed the croc the next day. For years, Haast tried to prove that venom could treat multiple sclerosis, lupus, arthritis and Parkinson’s disease. Every week, he injected himself with a cocktail of venom from five snakes. He lived to be 100 and proclaimed himself the poster boy for venom.

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9/5/1977, Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff: People looking in Crocodile pit at the Serpentarium.

10/21/1971, Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff: Fred Wilson of Miami Serpentarium holding boa constrictor he just removed from tree behind 2277 Sunset Dr. Sunset Islands. Snake 5' long, about 3 years old, he said.

10/28/1984, Bruce Gilbert/Miami Herald Staff: Right, Hogla Gonzalez and Ana Henly, both cheerleaders from S. Miami High school are dismayed after the Serpentarium Cobra fell apart.

4/27/1968, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff: Serpentarium owner Bill Haast is careful about all of his snakes - even the gigantic King Cobra that is getting a new gold skin by painter Harry Maucione high atop the laboratory and tourist attraction.

1/1/1977, Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff: Remaining Crocodile at serpentarium

9/4/1977, Joe Rimkus, Jr./Miami Herald Staff: Miss Haast & Susan Bowling

9/5/1977, Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff: People looking at crocodile pit at the Serpentarium.

9/26/1973, Tim Chapman/Miami Herald Staff: Kathi Currey, Serpentarium guide, feeds George the Aldabra Tortoise. He eats anything that grows, she said.

3/29/1955, Bill Sanders/Miami Herald Staff: Snake pictured here is a Boa Constrictor, who is trying desperately to maintain a temperature equal to his native country.

9/26/1973, Tim Chapman/Miami Herald Staff: Kathi Currey, serpentarium guide feeds George

10/21/1984, Rick McCawley/Miami Herald Staff: Demolition begins at Miami Serpentarium.

9/4/1977, Joe Rimkus Jr./Miami Herald Staff: The Miami Serpentarium.

Bill Haast and assistant Nancy Harrell feeding a Russell's Viper from Thailand, he is force feeding it with a concentrated protein paste he devised.

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