Moonlight Lagoon

lakeside resort designed for family-friendly entertainment - a destination that recreates memories from decades past and inspires memories for decades to come.

Situated lakeside beyond the retro but luxurious campground and lodge is the main attraction of Moonlight Lagoon – the Twilight Tracadero, an open-air pavilion, restaurant, and band stand for nightly musical acts and performances. Families come together for an evening meal and stay for the dance that continues into the night, punctuated by a perfect view of fireworks over the lake.  

All employees of the resort dress in historically inspired retro outfits creating a time capsule environment to immerse guests. During the day, visitors can explore the grounds and spend time visiting all the people and offerings of Moonlight Lagoon:

• Beauty Parlor & Barber Shop

• Astro Lounge

• Carousel

• Soda Fountain & Candy Shoppe

• Luna’s Drive-In Diner

• Picnic Lawn & Garden

• Fire Pits

• Fish’n’Dish Restaurant

sample itinerary for a summer weekend at Moonlight Lagoon

Day 1 | Friday:

4:00 PM: Family of four pulls up to the Moonlight Lagoon Lodge. After a short day of work, the family packed up the car, picked up the kids and headed out of the city. The family (The Baileys) exits the interstate and follows the large painted signs towards Moonlight Lagoon. A beautifully manicured campground sitting lakeside comes into view with sandy beaches and tall evergreen trees. Next to the campground is the lodge – a large wooden whitewashed building with brightly painted green and yellow trim. A large patio wraps around the entirety of the building and is lined with rocking chairs and patio furniture that begs to be sat in with a fresh brewed iced tea or lemonade.

 The car is surrendered to the friendly and eager valet while a bellhop in a brass button jacket grabs the bags from the car and the family moves into the lobby. The lodge hospitality staff is dressed handsomely in forest green jackets and yellow hats for men and coordinating tailored plaid garments for women. The lobby has an oversized stone fireplace under massive wooden beams. The check-in desk sits in front of a hand painted landscape mural – similar to the backdrop seen behind black bears in a natural history museum diorama. 

5:00 PM: After getting situated in the room, Mr. and Mrs. Baily decompress on the porch and strategize the weekend plans while the kids, Carolyn and Charlie, run off to check out the beach area and the lawn. Upon check-in, the Baileys made a 7 pm dinner reservation at the lodge’s supper club, Fish’n’Dish. The concierge told them that the chef at the restaurant will cook fresh fish caught from the nearby fishing pond.

5:30 PM: Charmed by the idea fishing and then being served the results, the Baileys decide to walk over to the fishing pond and try their luck. Mr. Bailey has been wanting to take the kids fishing and is excited by the teaching opportunity. The pond is a small extension of the lake and is kept well stocked with trout. Next to the pond is a small bait and tackle shop where Ed, the expert fisherman, outfits the Baileys with poles and worms. The scenery reminds Mr. Bailey of the fishing hole he used to frequent with his dad and where he’d occasionally cut school with a friend to play hooky.  

After both Carolyn and Charlie hook a trout, Ed offers to clean the fish and prepare them on ice to bring back to the restaurant. But first, a photo! The tackle shop next to the fishing pond is the perfect backdrop for the photo memory that will be cherished by the Baileys forever. The kids watch Ed as he skillfully cleans the fish both intrigued and disgusted at the same time.

7:00 PM: The Baileys arrives with their fish at the supper club for dinner. They’re sat at a round table at a window facing the lake and surrender the trout to the waiter. In addition to the fish, other food recommendations are made to accompany the big catch of the day. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey share a bottle of wine while the kids indulge in cherry cola like they’ve never tasted before – rich and syrupy, just like how Mrs. Bailey remembered from her childhood. 

8:30 PM: After dinner, the Baileys head to the beach toward the firepit rentals. Living in the city, outdoor firepits are strictly prohibited so the family is eager for some fireside time. For dessert, the waiter at Fish’N’Dish sent the Baileys off with a s’mores kit complete with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. Although they’re stuffed from the meal, Mr. Bailey lets the family know “there’s always room for s’mores.”

 9:00 PM: While sitting around the fire, the first boom of the nightly fireworks is heard. The fireworks are launched from a barge anchored in the middle of the lake so that the big show can be observed easily from just about anywhere on the grounds. It’s a magical ten-minute show that usually cues bedtime for the younger guests of Moonlight Lagoon. After she show, the family smothers the fire and heads back to the room to get some rest before the excitement starts tomorrow. 

Day 2 | Saturday:

8:00 AM: The Baileys head to the Early Bird Breakfast Buffet. The spread is held in the Fish’n’Dish restaurant and includes everything from waffles and pancakes to a roast beef station, fruit and Jell-O selection, and of course, Ovaltine for the kids.

 8:00 AM: Pool Time! The family decides to take advantage of the warm weather by throwing on their suits and heading to the outdoor pool. Charlie heads immediately to the diving board to pick up where he left off last summer perfecting his dives. Carolyn sets a towel out next to her mom and begins with some summer reading before submerging – she’s always been the more quiet bookish type. Mr. Bailey heads to the lap side of the pool to get his exercise in before splashing around with Charlie.

Two large pools inhabit the space and offer a deep diving end, a large slide, lap lanes, and a shallower kiddie area. The pools have a perfect aqua color that compliments the colorful triangular flags that hang overhead, reminiscent of the public pool hot spots from years past.

12:00 PM: When it’s time for lunch, the family dries off and walks over to the neighboring snack shack. The building is shaped as a giant Coney Island hot dog as that’s the signature item of the establishment. Also offered are burgers, brats, corn dogs, fries, soft serve ice cream, chips, popcorn, candy, soda, and funnel cakes. Inside the hot dog structure, the employees wear matching red and yellow striped t-shirts with paper hats patterned with dancing hot dogs. The kids ask for matching hats to wear while eating their dogs.   

 1:00 PM: Tanned and sun kissed, the family heads back to the room to change. Mrs. Bailey heads to her beauty parlor appointment at the lodge salon where she’ll have her hair set to get ready for dinner and the dance later. This Saturday is Elvis Night so she’s hoping for a nicely styled bouffant to match her evening’s outfit – she never misses an opportunity to get dressed up for a themed event. The beauty parlor and barber shop offer signature styles of the 1950s along with modern services including blowouts, cuts, and styling.  

While Mrs. Bailey gets pampered, the rest of the crew heads to the boardwalk area. Seen from the lodge is the enticing ‘Moonlight Lagoon’ archway sign that is covered in flashing light bulbs, sparkling day and night. As they approach the entrance, the calliope song of the carousel whistles and crescendos as if calling the family, urging them to ride. The carousel is covered with all sorts of magical and mythical aquatic life: mermaids and mermen, sea horses pulling ornate seashell carriages, dolphins and whales, and an octopus that appears to be waving its tentacles as the body rises and falls. In the center of the carousel is the calliope along with an automatic music machine that plays unmanned percussion along with the melody.

After the carousel, the family checks out the penny arcade where Mr. Bailey schools the kids with his pinball talent. After conversing with a mechanical fortune teller, the gang decides they’re ready to try their luck at the shooting gallery. Mastering the aim of the toy rifles is rewarded with triggered animatronics that let Charlie know he’s quickly getting the hang of it, but not as quickly as sharp-shooter Carolyn. Out from behind the shooting gallery rides Roy Rogers and Trigger the horse, signing autographs and posing for pictures with the kids. When the crowds died down a bit, Mr. Rogers showed off a few rope tricks and then trotted off towards the campground.  

After a few quarters worth of playtime is used up, the Baileys meander over to the Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain for malt milkshakes. From the boardwalk, the establishment is easily recognized by the iconic giant ice cream shaped facade, and more light bulbs. The master milkshake mixers working inside are just as iconic with their bright white pants, shirts, aprons, and paper caps. Mr. Bailey was impressed by the improvisational skills of the employees who talked as if they’ve been cast in an I Love Lucy or Leave It To Beaver show with the “golly gee” attitude and vocabulary of a more wholesome past.

 4:00 PM: Mrs. Bailey catches up with the family at the bowling alley. The kids were fascinated to see the inner workings of the ball return machine and the swiftness of the people handling the manual reset of the pins. It was Charlie’s first time without the bumpers, so he found more interest in the jukebox than the gutters he kept throwing. Although this is the first time they’ve realized it, the family noticed that they’ve been spending less time on their phone and more time enjoying the moment. Perhaps it’s the time machine effect where the regular technology use just feels a little out of place, or maybe it’s the concentration of activities in the resort. Either way, it’s a refreshing breather.   

6:00 PM: Back at the room, the Baileys rest and get ready for dinner. Guests attending the Twilight Trocadero are encouraged to play the part and dress up for the evening, so the family gets ready. Mr. Bailey is excited to wear his new long western-styled bowtie ala Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash that he picked up earlier at the gift shop. Charlie opts for suspenders and the girls both have pastel dresses with long skirts made for twirling and precious peter pan collars.

7:00 PM: The Baileys arrive for their seating at the Twilight Trocadero. The tables sit under a covered open-air pavilion that’s nestled up to the lake and serves steak that’s to die for. Before the entertainment starts the tables are served and families enjoy their delicious meals together. Last night the Bailey’s heard tropical Harry Belafonte sounds from across the lake – it’s one of the things they love about the resort. The nostalgic sounds of the pinball, the carousel, the big bands, and how it bounces across the water. It’s exciting and peaceful at the same time.

While plates are cleared and dessert is passed out, the Twilight Trocadero departs on a musical themed journey hosted by talented cover bands and impersonators of pop culture kings and queens of the fifties. Everything from big band and swing music to jazz night with Art Blakey and Dizzy Gillespie, country with Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, crooners, r&b and soul singers, rock’n’roll, and pop doo wop hits non-stop. It’s as if the Copacabana has been brought back to life and Lawrence Welk has gotten the band back together. But tonight, The King is on stage, and the once screaming teen girls sit close to the stage with their grandchildren telling stories from when they saw Elvis while in college. 

9:00 PM: As the band counts in Jailhouse Rock, the fireworks blast off in perfect synchronization. The diners have all become dancers by this point and watch the fireworks show as Elvis howls and shakes his hips. It’s an unbeatable ending the day the Baileys have had.

Day 3 | Sunday:

9:00 AM: The Baileys take their time waking up and vote on one last activity before heading home. Boating it is! After a quick breakfast, the group heads back down to the beach and talks to the staff at the Boat House about rental options. Charlie and Mr. Bailey opt for a canoe while Carolyn and Mrs. Bailey pick out a friendly looking swan paddle boat. The lake is calm and cool in the morning – across the way they can see the Twilight Trocadero and remember all the fun they had last night.

11:30 AM: Reluctantly, the Baileys tidy up the room and do one last sweep to make sure they have all their belongings before checking out. Carolyn reminds the family that when they get their car back from valet, they can take it to Luna’s Drive-In Diner for a last meal before leaving the resort. The family agrees it’s a great idea and packs up the car.

12:00 PM: The Baileys decide to pull up to the drive-in station and order lunch from a young lady on roller skates. Through the windows, the interior of the restaurant looks like a quintessential dine with spinning pie and cake displays, shiny silver counters and stools, and a checkerboard floor. The staff zips around on skates, perfectly balancing trays of shakes, burgers, chicken tenders, and fries. It’s a treat for the kids to eat in the car from the tray that’s been attached to the side of the window. Nobody feels ready to leave yet so the family discusses the next time they’ll be able to return and who they’d like to invite with them.

12:30 PM: The Baileys hit the road and watch Moonlight Lagoon shrink in the rearview mirror until they return to the interstate. Until next time, and happy trails!