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Rock Palace

lantz

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When was it built? I know it flooded in 83 when gates where opened. I did read an old thread from here that said it burnt down.

I just want to know when it was first built. I remember it when I was old enough to get my chin over a pool table side. I remember the Shirley Temples and the sucky concrete steps up to the place that still sorta exist across from us.

Thanks.
 

RiverDave

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One place I honestly have no recollection of.. I’m sure my brothers remember it
 

nowski

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Rock Palace (A Parker Gem) now that brings back some Great Memories and by the way there was more than Shirley Temples happening in that place...
 

Chili Palmer

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I remember going to Rock Palace before the big flood and seeing guys beating the crap out of each other in the boxing ring. We followed some girls out of the bar and went across the street and played grab ass at the water slides (that are no longer there either). From what I understand is the water slide owner is the guy on Parker that does the parasailing.
 

6 balls

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I remember in the early 80’s, The Snowmen played there a lot.

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Bob Bitchen

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I had been their many times in my youth. The owner was a ex-Hollywood stunt man named Jimmy Kid. He also owned Casa Del Rio a trailer park up river. I've looked but can't find any old photos of the place.
 

Echo Lodge

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From my Dad....

Oh yeah. I remember it. It was neat, & nice. Painted all white, plush inside. Lounge couches, some furry. Nice dance floor & good looking girls. Expensive. Everyone said they were planning on getting gambling. (Same rumor for Sundance). Right up against the river where the river hooked to the right going down river. Lousy place to dock; current was like a whirlpool. The boats weren’t happy facing up- river or down river. I only docked there once & said never again (& it wasn’t even my boat). I don’t think they even had rubber bumpers protection from the concrete. I think I took some of u kids to the water slide except I think it was closed down (no water). Street parking for the Rock Palace was bad (dirt with holes). & right off the busy road. It really got flooded out, 3 or 4 feet of water. I don’t remember a fire. I remember them taking all the wet furniture & fixtures outside & never refurbishing. I don’t know if the concrete slab is still there. Sad, a neat place that just never worked out. & that was back when legal drinking age in Arizona was 19. A big California draw
 

rivermobster

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I only remember it being there a few years. I wanna say three, maybe five at the most?

The comments about getting to it are spot on. The location was Terrible.
 

lantz

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The concrete foundation for the river front piece is still there. A friend threw up a pic and said it was mid 70s but no Rock Palace. I remember the water slides too. One of the first times I remember seeing my dad hurt. He came down a slide, and skipped right across the catch pool and slammed his butt into the steps. He spent the rest of the trip lying in the trailer because of his back.

Thanks for the info so far. If anyone, comes up with a for sure date when it was built, I'd appreciate it.
 

chevy

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Grand opening memorial weekend 1980 the band was Iron Butterfly yes they did inagodadavida, the owner then was a guy named big Al he also owned the water slide he sold the place before the flood to jim kid about 1983
 

rivermobster

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Grand opening memorial weekend 1980 the band was Iron Butterfly yes they did inagodadavida, the owner then was a guy named big Al he also owned the water slide he sold the place before the flood to jim kid about 1983

This makes sense.

And dude, do you have the full size pic of your avatar?? I remember standing right there looking at that same view.
 

lantz

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This makes sense.

And dude, do you have the full size pic of your avatar?? I remember standing right there looking at that same view.

I've got a full sized pic of I think the middle three gates open. My cousin has a framed one on the wall her house next door with all 5 gates open. We got polaroids of it too. If you want, I can scan them when I get home, and send them to you.
 

BajaMike

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Grand opening memorial weekend 1980 the band was Iron Butterfly yes they did inagodadavida, the owner then was a guy named big Al he also owned the water slide he sold the place before the flood to jim kid about 1983


Reminds me of my friend, Lee Dorman, who was the bassist for Iron Butterfly and co-writer of Inagodadavida, and died in 2012 in Dana Point, where he lived for the last 20 years. He was still doing Iron Butterfly tours in Europe and played with friends often at Hennesseys in Dana Point.

I drove him home many times from the bar, and he was a great guy....liked his beer and cigarettes.....

The album with Inagodadavida was the first ever “Platinum” album.
 

chevy

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Alan (boat cop) is wrong on who built it and owned it, originally it was a guy named big Al he didn't own it long maybe a year, my brother has had a place 100 feet down river on the water from the palace since 1978 and lives there full time now he almost invested in the water slide with him but backed out luckily, I can not remember the guys last name everyone called him big Al at the time then kid bought it 82 or 83
 

SoCalDave

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Alan (boat cop) is wrong on who built it and owned it, originally it was a guy named big Al he didn't own it long maybe a year, my brother has had a place 100 feet down river on the water from the palace since 1978 and lives there full time now he almost invested in the water slide with him but backed out luckily, I can not remember the guys last name everyone called him big Al at the time then kid bought it 82 or 83
Well I stand corrected as I wasn't there during that time period. Just posting what I had read.
 

boatpi

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Most of the stories regarding the wet T shirt contest held weekly I cannot post. Plenty of ice water was used,I will leave it at that. The bands were great, beer flowed like river water, women, many. Too crazy to drive the boat up, so I always drove. D\Sunday was actually a good time. It was happin' in the late 1970's.
 

Water Romper

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I don't recall Rock Palace but I do remember Rock City (Glendora, CA) back in the 70's, possibly the same owner? Names are similar, that may be the only connection.
 

C-Ya

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I remember Rock Palace.....

For those of you that don’t know, The Sundance used to be a huge wooden bar, which was burned to the ground in an arson fire in the early eighties. The rumor was....... The owner of The Rock Palace burned down Sundance. Just as soon as The Sundance was rebuilt..... Rock Palace burned down. Quincidence?

I had some great times at Rock Palace!
 

rivermobster

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I remember Rock Palace.....

For those of you that don’t know, The Sundance used to be a huge wooden bar, which was burned to the ground in an arson fire in the early eighties. The rumor was....... The owner of The Rock Palace burned down Sundance. Just as soon as The Sundance was rebuilt..... Rock Palace burned down. Quincidence?

I had some great times at Rock Palace!

I'm thinking Sundance burning down was definitely not a coincidence, seemed more like an insurance scam to me! LoL

If memory serves RP burned down After it had been closed?

@Skyskier
 

Nimdah

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These are direct-scanned slides from my late father's photo collection. He'd invested some money into the building of the Rock Palace, and according to my mother, they were having cash-flow problems because they had nothing in stock. Everything went to shit once the Dam flooded the palace, and that's pretty much what I know about it. (we never recouped any of the investment) Al Zeller was the guy who built the place and raised the funds.
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chevy

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I'm thinking Sundance burning down was definitely not a coincidence, seemed more like an insurance scam to me! LoL

If memory serves RP burned down After it had been closed?

@Skyskier
Yes, Rock Palace burnt down a year or so after it had been condemned from the flood
 

chevy

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These are direct-scanned slides from my late father's photo collection. He'd invested some money into the building of the Rock Palace, and according to my mother, they were having cash-flow problems because they had nothing in stock. Everything went to shit once the Dam flooded the palace, and that's pretty much what I know about it. (we never recouped any of the investment) Al Zeller was the guy who built the place and raised the funds. View attachment 963439
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That would be my brother in water in front of his trailer, ha good shot
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rivermobster

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These are direct-scanned slides from my late father's photo collection. He'd invested some money into the building of the Rock Palace, and according to my mother, they were having cash-flow problems because they had nothing in stock. Everything went to shit once the Dam flooded the palace, and that's pretty much what I know about it. (we never recouped any of the investment) Al Zeller was the guy who built the place and raised the funds. View attachment 963439
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View attachment 963443 View attachment 963444
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Love the pics. Sucks about your dad. ☹️
 

Nimdah

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Love the pics. Sucks about your dad. ☹

COVID-related... I mean, he was 83 years old. At the end, you couldn't get more than a sentence out of him before he was out of breath and coughing up a lung. Take care of your health.

I'll post more pictures, They're scattered around on this HDD. Please tell me more about this place. It's been returned back to the city/state?
 

rivermobster

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COVID-related... I mean, he was 83 years old. At the end, you couldn't get more than a sentence out of him before he was out of breath and coughing up a lung. Take care of your health.

I'll post more pictures, They're scattered around on this HDD. Please tell me more about this place. It's been returned back to the city/state?

I have no clue who owns the property now. There is at this point, there is almost nothing left to see, you would never know it existed, unless your old like me! lol

There are a few RE peeps on the board. Maybe one of them could figure out who owns the property now? @RiverDiva

Sorry about your dad. :(
 

cofooter

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Where exactly was, it, looks like just upriver from river island
 

rivermobster

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Just happened to be driving by. No for sale sign, looks to be a nice piece of land.......... other than floods, that is. View attachment 963636

Kinna doubt that flood thing will Ever happen again...

The way I heard it was, they miscalculated the runoff that year, and the excessive water was the cause of the flood.

*I think* that's one of the reasons they keep the lakes low now, to keep that from happening again.

You know, cause of all the massive snow melt we get these days? 🙄😝
 

chevy

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I have no clue who owns the property now. There is at this point, there is almost nothing left to see, you would never know it existed, unless your old like me! lol

There are a few RE peeps on the board. Maybe one of them could figure out who owns the property now? @RiverDiva

Sorry about your dad. :(
I believe it is state trust owned now
 

DB / HAV

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Great pictures, please keep them coming! Very sorry about your Dad
 
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