Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Dairy Castle/Route 1 Miniature Golf in Saugus to Be Sold; Hotel/Apartment Complex to Move In

A Route 1 staple that has been a center of fun and entertainment for decades is in the process of being sold, with a hotel and apartment complex moving into the space.

According to an article in Wicked Local, Route 1 Miniature Golf in Saugus, which is also home to the Dairy Castle ice cream stand, batting cages, an arcade, and its iconic orange dinosaur out front is under agreement to be purchased by Michael Touchette of MT Realty and business partner Michael Barsamian, with the plan being to have the property become part of Collins Place, a development with two buildings--one that is a hotel and a second that will be a combination hotel/luxury apartment building. In the article, Touchette says that the ice cream stand, miniature golf course, and batting cages will be shut down once he receives the necessary permits to go ahead with the project. (It is not yet known what will happen to the dinosaur.)

[September 25 update: The Boston Globe states that the Dairy Castle/Route 1 Miniature Golf complex will be closing at the end of this season, according to an announcement from the owners of the place yesterday. The article also says that the iconic orange dinosaur has not been included in the sale, and the developer who purchased the property says he would be "open" to having it remain at the site.]

[October 21 update: The Route 1 Miniature Golf/Dairy Castle complex hosted a "Thank You Throw Back" Columbus Day weekend, and an earlier post from their Facebook page indicates that the place expects to close for good either later this month or in early November, depending on the weather. (It is still not known what will become of the dinosaur.)]

[November 15 update: A phone call placed to the spot indicates that the Route 1 Miniature Golf/Dairy Castle complex closed for good this weekend, with today apparently being its last day.]

The Route 1 Miniature Golf complex first opened in 1958.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]