Tiki Gardens, Theme park in Indian Shores, Florida, United States.
Tiki Gardens was a recreation park in Indian Shores that incorporated South Pacific elements across its grounds, with replicas of traditional Polynesian structures and decorative elements throughout the property. The park featured multiple artificial attractions and installations that welcomed visitors with exotic landscape scenes.
Tiki Gardens opened in 1964 as a South Seas Polynesian theme park in Indian Shores, Florida, run by "Trader" Frank Byars and Wahine Jo Byars. The couple sold the property to a developer who planned a hotel there; Pinellas County then bought the land and made it a public beach access parking lot. The park closed in the 1980s.
The park's soundtrack came from the LP Exotic Sounds from Tiki Gardens, which carried "Polynesian Fantasy...the Tiki Gardens Theme Song", written by Ernie Shreeves, one of the men behind the park. Visitors heard this music as they walked among the Polynesian-style structures and carvings.
The former entertainment venue now serves as a public beach access parking lot managed by Pinellas County for Indian Shores visitors. The area is easy to reach and offers straightforward beach access.
The LP Exotic Sounds from Tiki Gardens carries "Polynesian Fantasy...the Tiki Gardens Theme Song", written by Ernie Shreeves, one of the "men behind Tiki Gardens". The record preserves the park's theme tune after the site closed in the 1980s and became a Pinellas County beach access parking lot.
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