Main Beach Arcade, Fernandina Beach Florida: 2005 6 comments
Welcome Facebook users 11 July 2017: I see a lot of hits on this old page from Facebook today. Welcome to Columbia Closings. Normally this site focuses on Columbia South Carolina, but there are some other Fernandina pages you may be interested in:
A1A Gas Mart, 816 South 8th Street (Fernandina Beach FL)
Amelia Con 2014, Fernandina Beach Florida
Amelia Con 2016, Fernandina Beach Florida
Island Cinema 7, 1132 14th Street (Fernandina Beach FL)
Kmart, 1525 Sadler Road (Fernandina Beach)
O'Kane's Irish Pub And Eatery, 318 Centre Street (Fernandina Beach)
Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q 2742 South 8th Street, Fernandina Beach FL
Topsy's Downtown Gulf, 710 Centre Street (Fernandina Beach)
A1A Gas Mart, 816 South 8th Street (Fernandina Beach FL)
Indian River Fruit Stand, A1A (Yulee Florida)
And check the Alphabetical Closings page for other Florida references.
And now back to the original post:
Well, I'm on the road, and didn't get all the pictures I wanted to take done beforehand, so I'm going to throw in a few ringers this week.
These pictures were taken on New Years Day 2006, and a very foggy one it was too. The Main Beach Arcade at Fernandina was a place we never went, despite spending a week there every summer from the 60s through the 80s. I'm not entirely sure why, but for some reason, I don't even remember campaigning for our parents to take us. Perhaps it was because we walked everywhere when we were in Fernandina, and the beach was simply too far.
The place had go-karts, a water slide, a snackbar and an arcade. Notice the whiting out of "Local" from the "Shrimp" offered (and remember that Fernandina is "the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry" and still has a Shrimp Festival every year). Notice also the sign on the go-kart track forbidding "wreckless driving". I'm not sure if that was clever or ignorant.. Anyway by New Years day, the place had been more or less condemned (read the red tags), and is now completely demolished and gone. Oh well.
UPDATE 24 Feb 09: This is a shot taken on 17 Feb 2009 of the empty lot where the arcade was. The buildings and attractions were in the grassy area in front of the pickup truck.
UPDATE 4 March 2012 -- Well, I'm guessing razing the place is not looking so good to the property owner now, six years later, with the property still vacant..
6 Responses to 'Main Beach Arcade, Fernandina Beach Florida: 2005'
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Ray
10 Jul 12 at 6:31 pm
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I think I remember the trampolines, though I may be conflating that with King's Funland on Pawleys Island.
You might remember this guy too.
ted
10 Jul 12 at 7:05 pm
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Yes there where trampolines. In the ground surrounded by rocks that hurt your feet when you walked over them to get onto the trampolines. They took up the area that is now the northern most 18 hole PutPut course which there are two of. This is across the street from the pictures seen here. There also used to be an old wood sided skating rink near there.
Richard
11 Jul 17 at 5:32 am
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Before it was the Main Street Arcade is was a cheap motel. I spent a miserable night there suffering from the worst sunburn of my life in 1970. Good times.
Mike
11 Jul 17 at 9:24 am
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I remember all of these old reflections. Before the waterslide they had the bumper boats. I also have a sad memory of one of those mini carnivals set up in the parking area by the motel and a Fernandina boy (Lancaster) died. Can not remember the first name he was younger than me. Fell out of one of the rides the door came open. Never had carnivals there again. What happened to all the activities we use to have here for young people? And lets not forget TEEN CLUB at the recreation center.
Barbara
11 Jul 17 at 11:50 am
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Thanks for posting the pictures. I loved that place! I use to ride those slides all the time. I wish it was still here.
Dan Jones
11 Jul 17 at 8:44 pm
I grew up vacationing on Fernandina as well. We had family there, and spent about a month over the summer there. We were lucky enough to walk to Main Beach on a nighty basis. It truly was my childhood wonderland. I don't remember an arcade, maybe I was too young. I did ride the go carts, played Putt Putt, and went on the water slide. I even remember when there were trampolines across the street. Thanks for the old pictures. It brings back a lot of memories, and a little sadness.