MILFORD, Iowa | After two decades of storage and an eight-year restoration project, the sugar bowl, barrel and slide of Arnold’s Park fun house fame are back on display at the Boji Bay Fun House Pavilion event center.
“It’s a project that’s been in the works for a while now, but we opened up last summer,” said Brandon Macias, general manager.
Even though a lot of time and expense went into renovating the fun house equipment, the pieces significantly contribute to the atmosphere of the center.
The owner of Boji Bay Fun House Pavilion, who wished to remain unnamed, felt those fun house pieces were integral to the history of the lakes area and shouldn’t be left in storage, said Macias.
“Our owner got to experience the fun house toys when he was a kid. He thought it was a good idea to revive that part of history,” said Macias. “The idea for the event center came later and makes this space really unique.”
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The sugar bowl and barrel are considered artistic display pieces and, despite being functional, are not available for use. The slide, after a few modifications from its original state, is open for use to patrons of the event center.
“The slide is really popular,” said Macias. “It’s huge and splits the building. We actually took a chunk out of it so we could build a bar into it. It’s a really unique piece.”
Macias says that the slide demonstrates the irrelevance of age when it comes to having fun.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a CEO of a company or a kid, it’s fun,” he said. “People have even gotten married on top of it.”
Since opening in June 2013, Macias estimates that the location has held between 80 and 100 events. Another 60 to 80 events are on the calendar between now and 2016.
“As a safe bet, it’s a good idea to book events a year in advance,” said Macias.
The location once held the restaurant Okoboji Blu. However, according to Macias, the layout of the building and placement of the slide were not conducive to a restaurant atmosphere.
“With the design of the building, it was decided that it would be easier to be an event center,” Macias said.
And an event center it became, hosting a variety of gatherings from weddings and parties to corporate events. It will also be a campsite location for RAGBRAI later this summer.
Not only does the Boji Bay Fun House Pavilion contain a vast indoor area featuring the sugar bowl, barrel and slide, but the facility is also set to open a substantial outdoor venue on July 1.
“For our outdoor space, we will have a bandshell, two swimming pools, a hot tub and mini golf,” said Macias.
The outdoor section will also encompass the Clubhouse Café, a small bar where visitors can grab a drink or sandwich while enjoying the pool.
The bandshell will feature the Pavilion’s summer entertainment series from July 18 to Aug. 22.
“We have a wide variety of music coming from rock to country,” Macias said. “We are also hosting what I call a dubstep, electric violinist. It'll be a good time."
