Fascination at Nantasket Beach, Hull, MA. Photo © James Young Art via flickr
Last month, ATZ wrote about Faber’s fabulous Fascination sign going dark and being dismantled. The Coney Island arcade lost its lease after more than 60 years, a casualty of Thor Equities’ plan to demolish the historic Henderson Building. ATZ checked out a couple of Fascination parlors from East Coast to West where you can admire their splendid signage and play the game described as a combination of skeeball and bingo.
Fascination at Nantasket Beach in Hull, a seaside town south of Boston, was owned for 60 years by town selectman Leonard Hersch. “He bought the equipment from a Goldman in Coney Island in 1945,” said Jim, who has worked at the Fascination parlor for two decades. As we chatted with Jim on the phone, we could hear the din of the game parlor. Somebody won, and he interrupted our conversation to call out on the mike: “Give her five dollars!” That’s right, you can play for money in Massachusetts!
PRIZES. The old arcade is still operating, the last tidbits of the former grand Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach. Photo © pixiclipx/Paula Craig via flickr
Jim told us: “Our lit sign passed away but we have a sign in big red letters.” In James Young’s photo at the top of our post, you can see all the signage on the front and how inviting it looks: How to Play Fascination: Bingo with Lights Regular Game… First Player to Light Five Lights in Any Straight Line Is the Winner… COVERALL Light all TWENTY-FIVE LIGHTS and you’re the Winner! Winning table remains Lit, all others go out. Win Cash Prizes!
Nantasket Beach was once home to Paragon Park, which closed in 1984. The 1917 Giant Coaster was dismantled and sold to a park in Maryland (now Six Flags Great America) and the property was developed into beachfront condos. All that remains of the boardwalk attractions are the antique carousel, clock tower and a few arcades including the Fascination Parlor. Richard Lawrence, who also operates the Dream Machine Arcade and a miniature golf course, manages the place. Today the Fascination parlor boasts two large screen TVs, so regulars won’t miss their football games when they play Fascination. Wine and beer are served as well as complimentary coffee and donuts. The Fascination Parlor is open Friday through Sunday year round. Check out the photos and videos of this local landmark on the website of the Hull Patriot Ledger.
Fascination. I can't believe I went 43 years without knowing this game existed! Seaside, Oregon. Photo © MaryDenise6 via flickr
The Fascination Parlor in Seaside, Oregon, dates back to the 1950s, according to owner Mark Utti. Now that summer is over, they’re open weekends only: Friday, 4-12 pm; Saturday, 11 am-12 am; and Sunday, 11 am – 8 pm. Here’s a fun video by Charlie MC of three friends playing at the Seaside Fascination in 2009. You may want to turn down the music if you’re at work.
Fascination, 189 Nantasket Ave #C, Hull, MA 02045, Phone 781-925-1900
Fascination, Funland Entertainment Center, 201 Broadway St Seaside, OR 97138, Phone 503-738-7361
Related posts on ATZ…
September 12, 2010: Video: Coney Island’s Faber’s Fascination by Charles Denson
September 9, 2010: Thor’s Coney Island: Faber’s Fascination Goes Dark After 50 Years
February 25, 2010: Happy Belated Birthday to Coney Island’s William F Mangels
November 5, 2009: Museum Piece or Obsolete? Old Carnival Games, Stick Joints on eBay
It’s a little comforting to know that Fascination still exists somewhere. Let’s hope nobody gets crazy ideas about developing what’s left of Paragon Park.
The Fascination parlor was lucky to have been owned by a prominent citizen of Hull, who kept it going all these years. I read that he died recently, but new management is in place, so I hope it will continue to thrive.
Coming from a Coney perspective, it struck me how just a handful of amusement attractions survived the demise of Paragon Park and subsequent condo-ization of Nantasket Beach. Yet I’d still like to visit the Fascination parlor –it’s like a slice of Americana!
It’s got my interest too. There are similarities to the fate of Coney Island; much of the original amusement area was converted in the 60s into apartment complexes.
This has got me thinking. There’s an irony at work in that Sitt probably wanted to build in the Coney Island amusement area because of its history. But by doing so, he eradicates it. He destroys the very thing he so desired to have. There’s something extremely disturbed about that sort of obsessive and seemingly contradictory behavior.
But I guess we knew that already.
Thanks for including my photo! And I love the video. I don’t get to Seaside too often so I can live vicariously through the video for awhile…..maybe we should form a Fascination addiction support group….
Seriously, it’s really so sad that these games are disappearing. It seems like a lot of people enjoy them.
Thanks again for the photo, marydenise! Hope you get to play the game again soon. Since I did the blog post, readers have told me about the Fascination at Playland Not-at-the- Beach Museum in El Cerrito, CA, though I haven’t looked into whether they’re open year round. And a friend posted a photo of the Fascination at Knoebel’s Park in Pa, which is open through the end of October. Other places where one can play in the summer: Darien Lake Theme Park and Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, both in upstate New York, and Indiana Beach Amusement Park in Monticello, Indiana.
Sadly, the Flipper’s Fascination game at Wildwood NJ is no longer open “due to circumstances beyond our control” according to a message on their answering machine. On the Jersey Shore, you can play Fascination at Olympic Fun Center in Wildwood.
UPDATE: August 2011…Video about Randy Senna of Flipper’s Fascination
This summer he opened a retro arcade in Wildwood. Rumor has it that his Fascination will reopen next year