Courtesy of the 49th Street Galleria/Biz Standing. The logo. It was very 1980s look. Actually more of 1978 to 1981 look a little late in the game but it was the 80s look. Even the stripes horizontally.
All above (4 photos) courtesy of Salt Lake City Tribun/49th Galleria.. Beautiful sunset photograph! I love that one! The clock. The Tuxedo look performers (maybe staff performed). And then the Roller Towne. That looked very promotional photograph done by the company.
6 photos courtesy of Way Market. They showed the defunct Fun Dome. Oh boy, someone did stripped the bus! No tires and wheels, damaged panel, lid for the engine is gone, and likely engine is gone too. Crimes! See the guy trying to hold up the girl? That was exactly how I dressed to go skating in late 1970s and 80s. Rolled up sleeves, button down shirt, Dress shirts with dark jeans on. Ah, the good old days!
Courtesy of Urban Exploration Adventures. Awesome detailed videos (Yes, 5 parts videos of this former entertainment center.
Courtesy of alanfry88. A very busy entertainment center. You would see the carousel there plus the small stage. I believe this was a carnival was happening that day because of other activities happening in the atrium. They had Two rabbits mascots at the place. This was taken in September 23, 1995.
49th Street Galleria Center 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Fun Dome 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Salt Lake Pavilion 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Bowling Green Roller Towne U S A 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Roller Towne U S A 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Fun Dome 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Salt Lake Pavilion 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Bowling Green Roller Towne U S A 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
Roller Towne U S A 4998 360 West S., Murray, UT
This was part of an entertainment center, the 49th Street Galleria Center. Roller Towne USA was the rink itself. It had much storied for this much troubled rink. It did changed hands several times and now it is an education center instead of entertainment or amusement or recreational center.
First it was entertainment center. The building was home to the 49th Street Galleria, the entertainment center; then again as the Utah Fun Dome; then a very short lived pet hospital and center; a hotel and convention center, then Salt Lake Valley College; and the Grand Buffet and now an international school. All that in a 30 years span. Wow, that was real short life for many different businesses. Averaging a little over three years per business!
At the time, they had a roller rink, bowling lanes, an arcade, a carousel, a stage theater and movie theaters and go-karts. This was very similar to the old Utah's Hollywood Connection Family Fun Center.
Both of those entertainment centers folded because of similar problems they faced. This means high taxes, too many venues that limited the number of attendees to those centers. And many prefer to attend outdoors theme parks and amusement parks as a vacation out of town. This is my opinion. Everyone wants those two biggest parks in the world: Disney and Universal these days. But the Fun Dome declined because of this -- a shooting occurred in the parking lot between gang members. Seventeen shots were fired. At least four people were shot including a four year old boy. This prompt the Fun Dome to have less attendance and hurt. This was very similar to several different venues I have heard of gang shooting. A dance center (non-alcoholic) had a gang fighting over a girl and had to have 57 police cars to come to crack that down and that hurt the business and they closed. They had several short runs there (sound familiar) and then now a earth mover dealer.
The 49th Galleria, the first one even had a lot of crimes occurred according to a forum member. Philadelphia franchise of 49th Galleria FEC even had crimes too. Apparently this is what happens with the Fun Dome when crimes and gangs carried on. This is another factor why even rinks and FEC close due to crimes and gangs. That also affected in 1950s with drive-ins restaurants and theaters. Then with malls in 1990s and 2000s. Security is important at any entertainment centers. The 49th Galleria had two more proposed locations but they fell thru when the company went bankrupt.
The expenses as well because those entertainment centers needs much more money. Disney parks today cost way over 100 dollars per person per day! An outdoors theme park would average 35 Dollars per person per day. (Adult prices) so today for an entertainment center this grand scale needs to be perhaps around 35 to 50 Dollars per person per day. By comparison, educational center are more stable and blue-chip than an entertainment center. That presents a problem. This would have been quite interesting with the 49th Galleria and Fun Dome.
The reason they called it 49th Galleria is because the number for their address as 4998. But also they named their own road, 49th Galleria which still called 49th Galleria Street today, the only remaining of that name exist today.
The international school had the silos torn down and rebuilt the glass front and added more doors and changed colors to make it more interesting. Good job guys! About time because they had that same boring Big-Box look since 49th was opened.
This was a sister franchise to another 49th Galleria in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which also has closed. Now that location is a Burlington Coat Factory store. They were going to have another 49th Street Galleria. In Sunrise, Florida!
Timeline-
1983: 49th Street Galleria opens.
Late 1992: 49th Galleria closes, reopened as Fun Dome.
2003: Gang shooting injuries 4 years old boy, others which evidently hurt Fun Dome.
Spring 2004: Arcade and Carousel removed as business winding down, bankruptcy likely.
2004: Salt Lake Valley College (Brief)
2005: Fun Dome closes for good.
2005: Pet hospital and center opens and closes within just few months.
2005: Salt Lake Pavilion opens
April 15, 2005: Grand Buffet replaced the go-kart track and opened the buffet, and 4 other restaurants opened.
Jul 31, 2012: Property sold.
2014: The Glass Towers demolished, converting into an international school. School opens.
The Interior.
Being an entertainment center, each area had different look but basically very 1970s-80s look with the staff as in Tuxedo look which was popular in 1980s. Anyway, it was supposedly antique look for other sections. The rink itself was modern though with very 1970s-80s-ish look. There was only one photograph and that was a promotional photograph you can tell. It did not do any good to show what the rink was like.
Anyone?
It had roller rink, carousel, amusement rides, arcade, go karts, a miniature golf course, batting cages, bowling ally, and restaurants as well as ice cream stand. One source said this: Main Plaza, Arcade, Roller Rink, Bowling Alley, Mini Golf, Batting Cages, Pinball Pits and later added SR2 Simulator, Double Decker Carousel, Gravitation and Laser Tag. That source has most detailed.
For Fun Dome alone, it had an indoor go-kart track, a carousel, and an arcade. laser tag, air hockey tables and amusement rides as well as a bowling alley and miniature golf courses inside and outside the building. Apparently roller skating rink was gone. The go-kart must have replaced the rink.
As you go in, the roller rink was on the right behind the doors. It even had arcade games there but also they had arcade games on the left side of entrance where they call it the Pits because it was actually lower than the main floor. The Fun Dome moved the arcade upstairs to be with rides.
The carousel was in the center. Please watch YouTube Video and you will see to understand and to correct the videographer's memory which was an error. The back area with blue carpet was the stage for puppet or magic shows for children. The second YouTube video explained that quite clearly.
The bowling alley had 60 lanes. There was a full 18 hole miniature golf course. It was called Blackbeard's Miniature Golf with dark ceiling and materials. Perhaps in the Caribbean Pirate theme.
Also laser tag game.
Later that spot where the mini-golf course was, they converted to 3D/4D theater making the mini golf course smaller.
They even had very cool "village" themes that looked like store fronts, homes, etc. And big grandiose stairs. The path to the bowling center had fake fronts that when you open it up, its the exterior wall with aluminum truss! And also offices there where the blue prints were! I wish this awesome beautiful lady who filmed the videos on YouTube would have grabbed them and I could bought it from her! haha.
The Exterior.
It looked like a shopping mall. It was even more weird with its design for the entry. They had three silos full of mirrored glass and oddly shaped greenhouse front as well as roof line. It appeared to be Hip style greenhouse roof with the rest as flat boring "Big Box" effect, very 1980s style modernism.
The thing is that it is shown between dark mirrored windows and Off-White Walls of the Flat-Roof "Big Box" look.
The major changes was when the international school changed the look on the outside by getting rid of the silos and awkward appearance of front into more simple design but they also added Black stripes and more doors and better look now. They demolished the front with the silos on March 13, 2014 which effectively ended the 49th Galleria's look with all other businesses were there. Was that a curse? The look may have prevented customers coming back because it was truly ugly design. IF they wanted to make the place more classical, they could have done more to it than that appearance they had. With the demolishing, the school still around these days. We will see because of COVID-19 lockdowns. (This was written on May 10th, 2020).
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely poured Concrete, Blue paint polyurethane coat, shining! (Very 21st century in that photo!) Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: 154,000 SF Built: 1983 Demolished: Only Glass towers/silos and glass front. Rest of building preserved and renovated entirely to fit needs of the school.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block built Shopping-mall "Big-Box" look Building.
Roof: Flat roof with Hip Greenhouse roof on center roof of building.
Acres: 27 Acres.
Operated:
49th Street Galleria: 1983 to October 9, 1992
Fun Dome: October 10, 1992 to Spring 2005
A pet center: Spring 2005 to 2005 or 2006 (just few months)
Salt Lake Pavilion: 2006 to 2014
Salt Lake Valley College: 20014
International School: 2014 to present.
Reason for Closure:
49th Street Galleria: Finances and quick decline of center. Perhaps costs.
Fun Dome: A 4 years old boy was shot and few others injured and scared everyone away that hurt the business. A mass shooting. In 2003 attendance to the Utah Fun Dome began to fall after a shooting occurred in the parking lot between gang members. Seventeen shots were fired. At least four people were shot including a four year old boy. A 16 years old boy was charged with attempted murders.
A pet center: Gave no reason why closed that quickly. Was it too fresh memory about the gang shooting harmed the new business?
Salt Lake Pavilion: N/A
Salt Lake Valley College: Forced out due to building sold.
International School: 2014 to present.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of the rink, more photos of facility in heydays. Exact dates open and closed. Size of rink.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Way Marking, KSL, Arcade Token, Desecret News 1, Desecret News 2, Lawsuit on taxes,
Daily Herald, Theme Park Review, Desecret 3, YouTube (See videos above), SLC Tribune,
Florida Business, Florida Database, Biz Standing, KSL 2,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
First it was entertainment center. The building was home to the 49th Street Galleria, the entertainment center; then again as the Utah Fun Dome; then a very short lived pet hospital and center; a hotel and convention center, then Salt Lake Valley College; and the Grand Buffet and now an international school. All that in a 30 years span. Wow, that was real short life for many different businesses. Averaging a little over three years per business!
At the time, they had a roller rink, bowling lanes, an arcade, a carousel, a stage theater and movie theaters and go-karts. This was very similar to the old Utah's Hollywood Connection Family Fun Center.
Both of those entertainment centers folded because of similar problems they faced. This means high taxes, too many venues that limited the number of attendees to those centers. And many prefer to attend outdoors theme parks and amusement parks as a vacation out of town. This is my opinion. Everyone wants those two biggest parks in the world: Disney and Universal these days. But the Fun Dome declined because of this -- a shooting occurred in the parking lot between gang members. Seventeen shots were fired. At least four people were shot including a four year old boy. This prompt the Fun Dome to have less attendance and hurt. This was very similar to several different venues I have heard of gang shooting. A dance center (non-alcoholic) had a gang fighting over a girl and had to have 57 police cars to come to crack that down and that hurt the business and they closed. They had several short runs there (sound familiar) and then now a earth mover dealer.
The 49th Galleria, the first one even had a lot of crimes occurred according to a forum member. Philadelphia franchise of 49th Galleria FEC even had crimes too. Apparently this is what happens with the Fun Dome when crimes and gangs carried on. This is another factor why even rinks and FEC close due to crimes and gangs. That also affected in 1950s with drive-ins restaurants and theaters. Then with malls in 1990s and 2000s. Security is important at any entertainment centers. The 49th Galleria had two more proposed locations but they fell thru when the company went bankrupt.
The expenses as well because those entertainment centers needs much more money. Disney parks today cost way over 100 dollars per person per day! An outdoors theme park would average 35 Dollars per person per day. (Adult prices) so today for an entertainment center this grand scale needs to be perhaps around 35 to 50 Dollars per person per day. By comparison, educational center are more stable and blue-chip than an entertainment center. That presents a problem. This would have been quite interesting with the 49th Galleria and Fun Dome.
The reason they called it 49th Galleria is because the number for their address as 4998. But also they named their own road, 49th Galleria which still called 49th Galleria Street today, the only remaining of that name exist today.
The international school had the silos torn down and rebuilt the glass front and added more doors and changed colors to make it more interesting. Good job guys! About time because they had that same boring Big-Box look since 49th was opened.
This was a sister franchise to another 49th Galleria in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which also has closed. Now that location is a Burlington Coat Factory store. They were going to have another 49th Street Galleria. In Sunrise, Florida!
Timeline-
1983: 49th Street Galleria opens.
Late 1992: 49th Galleria closes, reopened as Fun Dome.
2003: Gang shooting injuries 4 years old boy, others which evidently hurt Fun Dome.
Spring 2004: Arcade and Carousel removed as business winding down, bankruptcy likely.
2004: Salt Lake Valley College (Brief)
2005: Fun Dome closes for good.
2005: Pet hospital and center opens and closes within just few months.
2005: Salt Lake Pavilion opens
April 15, 2005: Grand Buffet replaced the go-kart track and opened the buffet, and 4 other restaurants opened.
Jul 31, 2012: Property sold.
2014: The Glass Towers demolished, converting into an international school. School opens.
The Interior.
Being an entertainment center, each area had different look but basically very 1970s-80s look with the staff as in Tuxedo look which was popular in 1980s. Anyway, it was supposedly antique look for other sections. The rink itself was modern though with very 1970s-80s-ish look. There was only one photograph and that was a promotional photograph you can tell. It did not do any good to show what the rink was like.
Anyone?
It had roller rink, carousel, amusement rides, arcade, go karts, a miniature golf course, batting cages, bowling ally, and restaurants as well as ice cream stand. One source said this: Main Plaza, Arcade, Roller Rink, Bowling Alley, Mini Golf, Batting Cages, Pinball Pits and later added SR2 Simulator, Double Decker Carousel, Gravitation and Laser Tag. That source has most detailed.
For Fun Dome alone, it had an indoor go-kart track, a carousel, and an arcade. laser tag, air hockey tables and amusement rides as well as a bowling alley and miniature golf courses inside and outside the building. Apparently roller skating rink was gone. The go-kart must have replaced the rink.
As you go in, the roller rink was on the right behind the doors. It even had arcade games there but also they had arcade games on the left side of entrance where they call it the Pits because it was actually lower than the main floor. The Fun Dome moved the arcade upstairs to be with rides.
The carousel was in the center. Please watch YouTube Video and you will see to understand and to correct the videographer's memory which was an error. The back area with blue carpet was the stage for puppet or magic shows for children. The second YouTube video explained that quite clearly.
The bowling alley had 60 lanes. There was a full 18 hole miniature golf course. It was called Blackbeard's Miniature Golf with dark ceiling and materials. Perhaps in the Caribbean Pirate theme.
Also laser tag game.
Later that spot where the mini-golf course was, they converted to 3D/4D theater making the mini golf course smaller.
They even had very cool "village" themes that looked like store fronts, homes, etc. And big grandiose stairs. The path to the bowling center had fake fronts that when you open it up, its the exterior wall with aluminum truss! And also offices there where the blue prints were! I wish this awesome beautiful lady who filmed the videos on YouTube would have grabbed them and I could bought it from her! haha.
The Exterior.
It looked like a shopping mall. It was even more weird with its design for the entry. They had three silos full of mirrored glass and oddly shaped greenhouse front as well as roof line. It appeared to be Hip style greenhouse roof with the rest as flat boring "Big Box" effect, very 1980s style modernism.
The thing is that it is shown between dark mirrored windows and Off-White Walls of the Flat-Roof "Big Box" look.
The major changes was when the international school changed the look on the outside by getting rid of the silos and awkward appearance of front into more simple design but they also added Black stripes and more doors and better look now. They demolished the front with the silos on March 13, 2014 which effectively ended the 49th Galleria's look with all other businesses were there. Was that a curse? The look may have prevented customers coming back because it was truly ugly design. IF they wanted to make the place more classical, they could have done more to it than that appearance they had. With the demolishing, the school still around these days. We will see because of COVID-19 lockdowns. (This was written on May 10th, 2020).
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely poured Concrete, Blue paint polyurethane coat, shining! (Very 21st century in that photo!) Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: 154,000 SF Built: 1983 Demolished: Only Glass towers/silos and glass front. Rest of building preserved and renovated entirely to fit needs of the school.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block built Shopping-mall "Big-Box" look Building.
Roof: Flat roof with Hip Greenhouse roof on center roof of building.
Acres: 27 Acres.
Operated:
49th Street Galleria: 1983 to October 9, 1992
Fun Dome: October 10, 1992 to Spring 2005
A pet center: Spring 2005 to 2005 or 2006 (just few months)
Salt Lake Pavilion: 2006 to 2014
Salt Lake Valley College: 20014
International School: 2014 to present.
Reason for Closure:
49th Street Galleria: Finances and quick decline of center. Perhaps costs.
Fun Dome: A 4 years old boy was shot and few others injured and scared everyone away that hurt the business. A mass shooting. In 2003 attendance to the Utah Fun Dome began to fall after a shooting occurred in the parking lot between gang members. Seventeen shots were fired. At least four people were shot including a four year old boy. A 16 years old boy was charged with attempted murders.
A pet center: Gave no reason why closed that quickly. Was it too fresh memory about the gang shooting harmed the new business?
Salt Lake Pavilion: N/A
Salt Lake Valley College: Forced out due to building sold.
International School: 2014 to present.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of the rink, more photos of facility in heydays. Exact dates open and closed. Size of rink.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Way Marking, KSL, Arcade Token, Desecret News 1, Desecret News 2, Lawsuit on taxes,
Daily Herald, Theme Park Review, Desecret 3, YouTube (See videos above), SLC Tribune,
Florida Business, Florida Database, Biz Standing, KSL 2,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.