Some recent Marineland posts have piqued my interest a bit - On the western side (outskirts) of St. Augustine, off of SR16, heading toward US1, there are still remnants of what used to be some sort of small amusement park. It looks like it had a medieval (or Spanish castle/fort) theme as the perimeter was sort of a walled fortress. I have watched this place deteriorate for 20+ years & it obviously closed decades ago. What was it called? Was it a failed tourist trap? Who has pictures of it in its prime?
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29.915704,-81.398386&spn=0.001734,0.002411&t=h&z=19 I think this is it. Looks like there's nothing back there now. My sister in law lived in St. Aug for a long time and I think she mentioned what it was, for some reason I'm thinking it was an attraction that moved closer into the main downtown area.
I believe that was Marco Polo park?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo_Park
No upon further review definitly not Marco Polo Park, have no idea what that may have been
I have never heard of this place. My dad has told me stories of a place called Six Gun Territory. Here is a link to it on a pretty cool site for old Florida tourist traps.
http://www.lostparks.com/sixgun.html
thekillingwax - I'm pretty sure that's it. From the looks of it, it was more facade up front as there isn't a whole lot of room behind the old wall. I swear I remember a cannon or two @ the front. It would be cool to "treasure hunt" back there.
I always love the '50s era throwback stuff (not in my house, though :D) - the alligator ashtrays, salt water taffy, shell chandeliers, Stuckey's, HOJO, etc. It's pretty cool to detour off of I95 coming into Florida & take US1 South & see all of the old motor lodge carcasses of yesteryear - PRE-INTERSTATE.
Hmm - I think I'll rent Porky's.
There was some place off of Beach Boulevard, train ride...big cube shaped buildings....
Guess I'm now on a treasure hunt too - I really wanna know what this place is/was!
Quote from: billy on September 23, 2009, 09:23:21 AM
There was some place off of Beach Boulevard, train ride...big cube shaped buildings....
Yes, where the Wal-Mart is today, it was called Dizzyland. It was connected to a golf range/school and had a very complete midway. It's putt-putt golf course was the bomb back in the day, and was woven in and out of a forest of giant dinosaurs! The last one standing is just east, on the south side of Beach with orange skin and red glowing eyes.
The National Railway Historical Society, got permission to clean up the railroad long after the park closed. It had a REAL 2' gauge steam locomotive. Except for perhaps the PACIFIC ELECTRIC RR in LA, the first train I ever operated was that sweet little steamer. It had a full size 2 man cab, and the railroad folks made fine instructors. If we would have been able to see the future of railroading, we could have used that place as an engineer and conductor school. How cool would THAT have been? OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: blizz01 on September 23, 2009, 01:08:35 AM
Some recent Marineland posts have piqued my interest a bit - On the western side (outskirts) of St. Augustine, off of SR16, heading toward US1, there are still remnants of what used to be some sort of small amusement park. It looks like it had a medieval (or Spanish castle/fort) theme as the perimeter was sort of a walled fortress. I have watched this place deteriorate for 20+ years & it obviously closed decades ago. What was it called? Was it a failed tourist trap? Who has pictures of it in its prime?
I'm pretty sure it was some sort of mini attraction/theme park. Now it is a nursery.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on September 23, 2009, 12:11:44 PM
Yes, where the Wal-Mart is today, it was called Dizzyland. It was connected to a golf range/school and had a very complete midway. It's putt-putt golf course was the bomb back in the day, and was woven in and out of a forest of giant dinosaurs! The last one standing is just east, on the south side of Beach with orange skin and red glowing eyes.
Ah... you mean Rexy! He's got his own Facebook page now. I used to play minigolf at the Blanding location as a kid - still have a picture of a 4 yr old ME standing under that orange monster.
Hey Ock, you remember a waterslide park somewhere around there too? Early to Mid 80's, we went there all summer long in 80-81 and I'd race down the concrete slopes nose-first on those foam mats!
Quote from: Cliffs_Daughter on September 23, 2009, 02:50:59 PMI used to play minigolf at the Blanding location as a kid - still have a picture of a 4 yr old ME standing under that orange monster.
I worked at Sir Goony's on Blanding when I was in high school. Good times.
Wasn't there a waterslide near Regency?
Slippery Dip?
Damn bucket...I haven't heard that term (Slippery Dip) in at least 20 years. That was the one on Beach right? I definitely remember both Putt-Putts (Beach and Blanding) they were our high school hang outs. Where exactly was Goony Golf (maybe near that flea market/drive in theatre on Blanding?)
Sir Goony Golf was on Blanding just across from the Playtime drive-in.
Actually, TLC Landscaping has the entire property now. They even used one of the old cement characters for advertising in their parking lot.
Of course Slippery Dip...
That place was dangerous. God forbid you fall off your mat....
I don't remember ever actually riding on it, just that I was afraid of it. How long ago was it shut down? 25 years? I would have been 7.
The best old Florida stuff is still down south... gotta hit the MaiKai!
http://www.maikai.com/
Or spend an afternoon @ The Fountain of Youth.
Quote from: blizz01 on September 23, 2009, 10:32:21 PM
Or spend an afternoon @ The Fountain of Youth.
If you haven't been, the fountain of youth is a great retro tourist trap. Hasn't made much of a change over the years other than getting rid of the cheap rides an petting zoo. Still remains one of the old classics in St. Augustine.
You know, I've never been to the FoY. Don't really have any intention of going unless someone tells me that it's an absolute must-see.
I've been to the Mai-Kai though - GREAT place! I'd love to get my hands on a Hukilau mug to add to my SHAG collection.
Back to the topic at-hand, I'm trying to pull some records on this mystery property on SR 16.
I found out who owns the land by doing a property records search.
FOY is definitly not a must see. But it probably reflects the classic tourist trap environment better than anything left in St. Augustine.
Definitely - for the full effect, finish off at the Santa Maria restaurant - laminated "Map of Florida" placemats and all! (Don't go for the food :-X)
Quote from: civil42806 on September 24, 2009, 03:00:56 AM
Quote from: blizz01 on September 23, 2009, 10:32:21 PM
Or spend an afternoon @ The Fountain of Youth.
If you haven't been, the fountain of youth is a great retro tourist trap. Hasn't made much of a change over the years other than getting rid of the cheap rides an petting zoo. Still remains one of the old classics in St. Augustine.
Well I WILL NOT go back to the fountain of youth, not only does the water taste like ______ it's BROKEN, because it DOESN'T WORK! OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: blizz01 on September 24, 2009, 10:17:50 AM
Definitely - for the full effect, finish off at the Santa Maria restaurant - laminated "Map of Florida" placemats and all! (Don't go for the food :-X)
Ugh food at the Santa Maria is horrible, got suckered once never again
QuoteUgh food at the Santa Maria is horrible, got suckered once never again
It is certainly a "been there, done that" sort of place - I don't think that repeat customers were ever in their business model, but they arguably have some of the best real estate/ aesthetics in town.........
Quote from: blizz01 on September 24, 2009, 11:14:38 AM
QuoteUgh food at the Santa Maria is horrible, got suckered once never again
It is certainly a "been there, done that" sort of place - I don't think that repeat customers were ever in their business model, but they arguably have some of the best real estate/ aesthetics in town.........
So, now we know why the "feeding the fish" gimmick was really started - so the food wouldn't have to be sent back after a few bites, the customer could simply throw it to the water?
That's the best use for it.
I'm resurrecting the thread because the challenge to solve this mystery is stuck in my head still.
I drove by the odd place yesterday, and I have a little slideshow.
http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x60/HeatherBPhotography/Old%20Mystery%20in%20FL/ (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x60/HeatherBPhotography/Old%20Mystery%20in%20FL/)
Managed to point the lens through some holes in the wood to zoom back into the property. I can see a few old smashed picnic tables, a wishing well, and 'numbered' spaces or stalls on a building (29, 30, 31).
It used to be one of those cheesy living period villages when I was a kid. Then it morphed into a cheesy petting zoo. It might have even been one more thing before finally giving up the ghost. They did reenactments and such. They started getting some stiff competition when the other living village opened up in the 80s on St George street. You guys really have no idea, if you think Saint Augustine is a cheesy tourist trap now you should've seen it during the 80s! Disney hadn't quite managed to corner the whole market like they have now, where they fly these people in and try to keep them entirely on Disney property to get every single dollar, people used to come to Florida and do the other attractions too. I think that's really a big part of what changed.
Hah! If you think it was cheesy in the '80's you should have seen it in the '60's! Have you ever SEEN a flamingo made out of shells painted pink? I may still have one in a box somewhere. (shudder)
By the 80's it had moved up a notch in class.
The late 60's and early 70's had to be the peak of the tourist trap period of St augustine. Still have very fond memories of it. By the 80's it had started cleaning up its act quite a bit.
Great shots, btw.
Quote from: blizz01 on February 01, 2011, 10:45:28 AM
Great shots, btw.
Thanks ;D not bad for a little Bloggie camera. It's not about the equipment anyway, but the user.
Quote from: winthropf on September 23, 2009, 09:41:19 PM
The best old Florida stuff is still down south... gotta hit the MaiKai!
http://www.maikai.com/
Seconded! Stopped at the Mai-Kai for the first time on the way down to Key West last June. This place is a true Tiki landmark that apparently just avoided being torn down several years back. I definitely recommend checking it out to enjoy a Mai Tai or seven amidst it's retro splendour.
What fun. I remember Six Gun Territory well. Fake western town, fake gunfights. The day we went back in the mid-60's, a teenage Ron Howard was there signing autographs and fake gunfighting.
Rainbow Springs - not just a glass bottomed boat. You sat underwater entirely...kind of like inside an aquarium with the fish outside. And there was a place where screens were draped over the trees and exotic birds were within.
Cypress Gardens - water ski shows
Bok Singing Tower in Lake Wales - bell concerts several times a day. Nearby is/was a hill where you could put your car in neutral, and it appeared to roll uphill. I forgot what it was called.
Cypress Gardens was awesome! Not just the watershows either, they had the most beautiful impatiens you've seen.
Anyone with a love for old Florida nostalgia should take a look at Tim Hollis' "Selling the Sunshine State" and "Dixie Before Disney." Absolutely wonderful and available in some local bookstores (including San Marco Bookstore and Chamblin's).
see Carlton Ward,Jr. Florida Cowboys
as real as a sixgun legally riding on hip in a Florida National Forest-not nostalgia.The new old Florida.
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 01, 2011, 01:35:49 PM
Bok Singing Tower in Lake Wales - bell concerts several times a day. Nearby is/was a hill where you could put your car in neutral, and it appeared to roll uphill. I forgot what it was called.
It's called Spook Hill and it's still marked with signs, I believe.
The place on Highway 16, if it ever opened at all, was a very short lived "Old Spanish Castle" attraction I remember them building it and thinking the sprayed on stucco walls looked horrible. They were never painted, and the place never even had a parking lot.
There were two other cool places along that same stretch and on the same side of the road. Mr Perry, of St. Augustine, who was older then dirt in 1960, built a complete 2' foot gauge railroad with a loop that went about a mile into the woods. There was a small 1950's style white building on the property that served as his office-depot-and what ever else. The second one was also a railroad, it was a 15" gauge railroad at the old chicken farm. The owner of that place had tons-o-money, and had two of the most expensive small scale locomotives you could buy. It had little flag stop stations no bigger then a bus stop. The little stations in spite of being sort of open air were quite railroadish. Then suddenly one day he was gone, the railroad gone, and only the chickens were left. It was located across from the Publix give or take 1/2 mile, I haven't been able to locate the site as it is built over. I'm highly curious about the cool small buildings, and if one or more of them ended up as somebody's tool shed?(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/FLORIDA%20and%20Scenic%20Places/A-ZOO.jpg)
CALLAHAN
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/FLORIDA%20and%20Scenic%20Places/REPTILELANDLAWTEY.jpg)
LAWTEY
The two that were the most fun were the little roadside zoo's, one in Lawtey and one north of Callahan. The
one on the north I think outlasted the other, but I could be wrong about that. Yankee's have always wondered just how smart we are and these places settled the question once and for all. They would catch every Yankee tourist that came down US-1 or 301, and charged them several dollars to watch "the alligator shows..." Now I ask you, I don't know how smart southerners are but have you EVER seen a southerner spend $5.00 bucks to see a gator? (http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/FLORIDA%20and%20Scenic%20Places/PHOENIXPARK.jpg)
JACKSONVILLE
There is still some track in the parking lot area of the current Flea Market on 16. Not sure if this is the same thing Ock was talking about. Would have been fun. I've ridden the steamers in LA at Griffith Park. Lots of fun.
Someone mentioned Marco Polo Park early in this thread. Does anyone remember where it was located? I was very young but I think it was off US1 a good ways south of St. Aug. Anyone?
Also, I grew up just down Anniston road from Slippery Dip and spent many a summer day sliding down the hill. Yes, heaven forbid you ever fall off your mat because the concrete would literally scrape the hide off. And right across the street was a great par 3 9 hole golf course. Very cheap and it was great fun to slice your drive off into the trailer park to the east.
I thought where the Wal-Mart is at Beach and southside used to be drive-in movie theatres. It was perfect because as kids we would go watch the PG movie and simply turn around and watch the boobies in the R rated movie. Someone designed those very well. Good times for a 10 year old boy!
MARCO POLO: Just on the left side of I-95 at Old Dixie Highway in Volusia, between Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. The property is an RV park today.
OCKLAWAHA
I remember MPP but also remember that it was not around for long.... Was thinking it was down in the Highway 40 area, but Ock's description sounds accurate.
Ahh....6-gun Territory!! Now that was a fun place.. Too bad it dried up and was razed to become " 6-gun Plaza " Mall ....ugggggh!!!
Quote from: Timkin on May 14, 2011, 02:55:19 PM
I remember MPP but also remember that it was not around for long.... Was thinking it was down in the Highway 40 area, but Ock's description sounds accurate.
Ahh....6-gun Territory!! Now that was a fun place.. Too bad it dried up and was razed to become " 6-gun Plaza " Mall ....ugggggh!!!
Sort of poetic justice that 6-Gun plaza was built for Woolco! Sucks to be them... There is however one of the nations premiere train shops in that place. OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on February 02, 2011, 10:43:08 PM
MARCO POLO: Just on the left side of I-95 at Old Dixie Highway in Volusia, between Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. The property is an RV park today.
OCKLAWAHA
Yep, that's where it was. Never got a chance to go there though. My parents had friends in Orlando so we'd visit either the mouse or th older Florida attractions. Never made it to Marco Polo. I think it was open less than 10 years or so?
I don't think it was even that long .
Speaking of MPP - and I never went there, for the record - I found this:
http://mppark.tripod.com/ (http://mppark.tripod.com/)
Somebody did a lovely little tribute site, so I can see what the fuss was about.
I never went to MPP or Passport to Fun World but did know about the two fires.. did not know there were deaths . This park was opened and closed (if I am not mistaken) around the time 6-gun Territory was declining and finally went belly up. It is only my opinion that Walt Disney World , in part , contributed to the demise of these parks.
I never made it to Six=Gun either. Plenty of chances to go as a kid, but I always voted to go to Silver Springs across the highway from them. SS/Wild Waters was my favorite place to go as a kid.
Any one ever go to circus world?
Never did, DD .. Where was that? I remember the name .
@Heather...went to both places lots of times. Usually if we made a weekend of the Silver Springs area we stayed at this place called Cloister Court ,,,same side of the Road as Silver Springs , just west of them... That was razed about 5 or 6 years ago but was cozy little apartment-like detached motel rooms. was neat.. 6-gun was great. I wish it was still around... I wonder often what became of its train ? Ock?
I remember going to Six Gun when I was about 7 or 8. The coolest thing was my uncle bought me a bull whip.
Imagine a 7 year old with a bull whip. DCF would take you away if your parents alowed you to have one nowadays.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 15, 2011, 01:38:25 AM
Any one ever go to circus world?
I went several times during the Circus World and Boardwalk & Baseball days. It was located on the SE corner of I-4/US 27, just south of Disney. As a kid, I lived 15 minutes away. It was a lot of fun back in those days. It's a shopping center now.
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 01, 2011, 01:35:49 PM
Cypress Gardens - water ski shows
Bok Singing Tower in Lake Wales - bell concerts several times a day. Nearby is/was a hill where you could put your car in neutral, and it appeared to roll uphill. I forgot what it was called.
Bok Tower and Spook Hill are still there. Cypress Gardens will reopen as Legoland Florida, this fall. They're keeping the water ski shows, historic botanical gardens and the Island In The Sky ride.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 15, 2011, 01:38:25 AM
Any one ever go to circus world?
I went when it was the Boardwalk & Baseball park (I do NOT do circuses... tremendous fear of clowns). And I loved that coaster they had.
Back in the day, when my friends' families and ours would all pool together for these trips, they did it in the tortuous style of "cramming 10 kids in the back of a van" and we'd go and come back the same day. Nobody thought about staying overnight in Ocala or Orlando... well, not until my dad was home from deployment. Then at least he had some common sense about us being in our own car and resting somewhere.
Which I learned from him - I have a kid, and if it's more than 1 hour away and likely to make me spend more than 7 hours having fun, then I want a hotel room. it's for my own sanity.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on February 02, 2011, 10:43:08 PM
MARCO POLO: Just on the left side of I-95 at Old Dixie Highway in Volusia, between Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. The property is an RV park today.
OCKLAWAHA
I thought the property is now a gated golf community called Plantation Bay on the southwest corner of the intersection. Looking at the Google Earth aerial, however, both site look like they could have been the location.
Old Dixie Highway on the west side of I95 still bears the name "Marco Polo Blvd."
After some more research, Plantation Bay on the soutwest corner of ther intersectionis the accurate location of the park. Here is some more information, including aerials and pictures of the park....
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D356414.0%3Battach%3D583933%3Bimage&imgrefurl=http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php%3Ftopic%3D356414.0&usg=__KCXSPxZQYA_l4NvqxJJTlngwlWA=&h=941&w=1280&sz=173&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=r7GYafW8l5BU9M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=150&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmarco%2Bpolo%2Bpark%2Baerial%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1241%26bih%3D855%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&ei=4DzRTZCuHMXc0QHv3Lj-DQ
I grew up on Leon Rd. Right next to the Slippery Dip. When they were building it I was probably 6 or 7 and they were piling the dirt up in a huge slope. I would sneak down there and climb up on the backside while they were shoving dirt up the hill. The workers would run me off but the next day I would be back. had no idea what they were building. Got many a bloody nose from the concrete walls on the slide. The gravel parking lot. Go-Karts that use to run into the woods. Woods? That whole area use to be so remote. The dip, Skate Arena and Papa's strip club in front of Zaires was about it. Goofy Golf was on Beach Blvd. I see they kept the old Rex. I have so many memories of that. Even had relatives that worked at the goofy golf go-karts and would give us free rides. That was the days when you lived a little dangerously. 6 yrs old and running 30 MPH on a race course. No helmet, probably no seat belt. Holding my brothers Camel. LOLOLOL
Oh.. P.S. I also use to ride my bike down to The Midway Drive-in. I climbed the light tower in the back when I was 8. Snuck in the fence. Was sooooo high. I remember the tower swaying. Was a windy day. Mark and David Nichols did it too. LOL I am saying names.....
If I remember correctly it was called "old spanish fort"