Fun-o-Rama

There are very few places from my childhood that have remained part of my life for more than sixty years, but Fun-O-Rama is one of them. Sitting across from Short Sands Beach, this arcade has been a tradition for generations of families visiting York Beach. For me, no summer visit feels complete without walking through its doors.

The building itself has a fascinating history. In the 1940s, it served as a bathhouse for beachgoers before becoming a roller-skating rink. As vacation travel to York Beach grew after World War II, pinball machines were added during the 1950s, and by the 1960s the building had evolved into the arcade known as Fun-O-Rama. For generations of families, it has become just as much a part of York Beach as the ocean across the street.

As a child, I spent hours here, especially at the skee-ball lanes. I can still remember the excitement of watching the wooden balls roll up the ramps, hoping to hit the highest scoring rings. The arcade was filled with flashing lights, ringing bells, and the sounds of laughter as we competed for tickets and prizes.

Much has changed over the years.  The old jukebox that once filled the building with the music of the day has disappeared. New games have replaced many of the old favorites. Yet somehow, the spirit of Fun-O-Rama remains remarkably unchanged. The worn wooden floors still creek beneath your feet, the familiar sounds of arcade games fill the air, and there is still the same feeling of carefree summer fun that I remember from my childhood.

I still make it a point to stop in at least once every year to play a few games of skee-ball. I may not keep score quite as seriously as I once did, but every roll of the ball brings back memories of summers spent with my parents, later with friends, and eventually with my own daughters. They, too, discovered the simple joy of an afternoon at Fun-O-Rama, creating memories that now span three generations of our family.

Some places survive because they are historically significant. Others survive because they continue to make people smile. Fun-O-Rama has done both. It has been welcoming families for decades, preserving a piece of the classic seaside vacation that has become increasingly rare. Every summer when I step inside, I am reminded that while York Beach has changed over the years, there are still places where time seems to slow down, and childhood never feels very far away.