19 Tucson institutions you'll never see again
Feel nostalgic for some Tucson institutions that are gone forever.
Magic Carpet Golf
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Magic Carpet Golf, which stood for 40 years on East Speedway, closed in 2008 — swallowed up by a neighboring car dealership.
The rebar-and-concrete characters were scattered throughout the city after a preservation effort by State Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson and artist Charles Spillar
The Poo Monkey, plus palm tree, are now stationed at a private residence.
See more of the statues and their locations here.
Justin's WaterWorld
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Justin's WaterWorld, at 3551 S. San Joaquin Road, had slides (the Cannonball, Blue Twisters!) and pools. It closed in 2007.
Adding a twist of her own, Alicia Champlin, 13, catches some air at the end of Blue Twister, one of the many slide rides.
Zachary's Pizza
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Zachary’s Pizza, 1028 E. Sixth St., closed July 29, 2012 ending a 24-year run as one of Tucson's most enduring pizza restaurants.
Read more about it here.
The Polar Bar
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Tucson's Polar Bar, opened in the 50s on Speedway between Country Club and Alvernon, was started by Derald Fulton who later opened Tucson's legendary fast-food chain Lucky Wishbone. It had an extensive menu with a dining area and car hop service.
That's a ganga!
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Austin Agron, the owner of Bargain Center Furniture gained notoriety by dropping lamps and yelling, "Hey, neighbor, that's a ganga!" on TV commercials.
From an Arizona Daily Star story published in February, 1983: "I've found the personal touch is important in doing commercials," says Austin Agron, who uses the slogan "It's a ganga!" to attract customers to Bargain Center Furniture, 4949 E. 22nd St. "People walk into my store and see me — the guy from the commercial. It gives them a warm feeling, and that's good for business."
A “ganga” is the Spanish word for “bargain” or “windfall.”
Agron began using the word at the suggestion of a local disc jockey who was doing a remote broadcast from Agron’'s furniture store.
“In Spanish, ‘ganga’ means ‘bargain.’ And since that’s the name of my furniture store, it’s the perfect trademark,”
Bargain Center Furniture closed in 2005 though the Tucson Furniture Mart that opened in its place was also owned by the Agron family.
Gordo's Mexicateria
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Gordo's Mexicateria, located on Broadway for about 40 years, was known for its commercials in which owner Diego A. Valenzuela asked, ""Do you like chimichangas? I mean, do you r-r-r-really like chimichangas?" Valenzuela died in 2003 at age 69.
The Haunted Bookshop
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Kids enjoy their favorite books at the Haunted Bookshop, 7211 N. Northern Ave., in June, 1980.
The beloved northwest bookstore closed in May 1997. Here's what we wrote at the time:
They browsed through business books, rifled the reference section - and bought almost everything that wasn't nailed down.
The Haunted Bookshop, unable to compete with two nearby chain superstores, is now Tohono Chul history. But last Saturday, the beloved independent store's last day of business, people came for a last look - and a memento or two.
"You wouldn't believe what people want," said clerk Kim Messier, who took time out from ringing up 60-percent-off sales to chat.
In addition to buying books, folks also carted off step stools, card racks, store displays, framed prints and patio furniture - as well as the store's six-car model train.
The locomotive and cars - which used to whiz around a track mounted high above customers' heads - attracted a number of impassioned bids, Messier said.
"People just want a piece of the bookstore," she added, looking around the increasingly empty, increasingly ghostly space. "We were an institution."
Fruit-Land Market
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Fruit-Land Market stood at Speedway and Sixth Avenue.
Marshall Kgun
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Burt Oien, KGUN-TV's first Marshall KGUN, entertains the kids in the late 1950s. The "Marshal Kgun" kiddie show ended in the late '60s.
The Big A
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It was in the name of progress, but that didn't make it any easier. A longtime campus favorite, the Big A Restaurant, at 1818 E. Speedway, was being forced to move to make way for the Speedway widening project. Rosemary Seery, shown here on April 10, 1989, and her husband had signed a lease to move their restaurant down the street to 2033 E. Speedway. Although all the memorabilia and even the coaches' corner would make the move, many were concerned the Big A would never be the hangout it had been since 1961. The Big A closed in 1999.
Levy's Department store
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Customers wait for the doors to open for the first time at the Levy's store at El Con Mall on Sept. 15, 1969. The building was razed in 2012 and a Walmart was built in its place.
The Hidden Valley Inn
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The Hidden Valley Inn, shown here in 1982, on Sabino Highway closed in 2006. It had been rebuilt after a fire in in 1995. It was converted into office space.
El Conquistador Hotel
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El Conquistador Hotel opened Nov. 22, 1928, and was demolished in 1967 to make room for expansions to the El Con Mall.
George L. Mountainlion
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The original resident/mascot mountain lion of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, George L. Mountainlion (photographed here in 1958) was famous for being incredibly friendly and a published columnist.
Austin's Old Fashioned Ice Cream
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Austin's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, opened in 1959, was known for pickle ice cream, amazing shakes and diner fare. The restaurant closed in its original location on Broadway just west of Country Club in 2010 and didn't survive much longer in a new location. RIP Austin's.
Steinfeld's department store
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On July 23, 1974, the 69-year-old Steinfeld's, at the corner of Stone Avenue and Pennington Street, was demolished. In its place, the new 16-story Arizona Bank Plaza office building would be constructed.
Professional baseball
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Major League Baseball's spring training abandoned Tucson, as have multiple minor and independent league baseball teams.
El Parador
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El Parador Restaurant, a longtime tropically-themed Mexican restaurant, closed in 2013, ending a 40-year run on East Broadway.
Drive-Ins
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The DeAnza Drive-In at 22nd and Alvernon, Tucson's last drive-in theater, closed in 2009.
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Photos of buildings, streets and landmarks around Tucson from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, and th…
