The Best 5 Retro Summer-Fun Spots

It’s summer, daddy-o! And if you’re searching for seasonal pleasures, you’ll have it made in the shade when you steer that newfangled hot rod of yours toward these forever-retro New England destinations. With the swiftness of a time machine, they’ll whisk you back to summers of innocence and exuberance, when a star-filled night of chasing fireflies was sheer bliss.

Cape Cod Melody Tent

Twenty-two rows, 50 feet—that’s the farthest you can possibly be from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy and CMA Award winners, and other headliners who take the revolving stage inside the oldest continuously operated tent theater in the round. Broadway musicals under a big top were the latest craze in 1950, when the venue originally dubbed the Cape Cod Music Circus opened. Lighting, sound, seating, the tent, and the summer lineup have evolved for a new generation. But a space this tiny and quirky, where artists can make eye contact with every fan as the stage slowly rotates almost 360 degrees, would never be built today. The intimacy fuels electric performances. Hyannis, MA. 508-775-5630; melodytent.org

Quarterdeck Recreation Center

Almost every summer morning, Sebasco Harbor Resort’s long-serving maintenance man, John Totman, makes the Quarterdeck his first stop. Totman was born in 1937; the resort’s wood-beamed rec center in 1938. Keeping four vintage Bowl-Mor pin-setting machines operational is tricky but necessary: Candlepin bowling is the star attraction when the Quarterdeck opens for guests each evening at 7. You’ll love the time-warp fun of sending spindly pins flying with grapefruit-size balls and of squaring off against your family at table tennis, air hockey, pinball, tabletop shuffleboard, and other old-timey games while the jukebox plays nothing more contemporary than Journey tunes. Sebasco Estates, ME. 207-389-1161; sebasco.com

Santa’s Village

An evergreen forest with a brook coursing through. Fallow deer impersonating Rudolph and company. A guy in a red suit. In 1953—two years before Disneyland’s debut—those were the only required ingredients for North Pole–themed magic. These days, kids have Wikipedia. So … the reindeer are real. The rides (including two roller coasters) are exhilarating. The Ho Ho H2O Water Park is cool for all ages. Yet Santa’s Village, now in its third generation of family ownership, retains its back-in-time appeal. Santa’s helpers are constantly sprucing the place up, and they treat every guest like a top name on the “nice” list. Admission includes everything except the reasonably priced food. And face time with Santa is still little ones’ biggest thrill. Jefferson, NH. 603-586-4445; santasvillage.com

Spring Lake Beach and Arcade

Where else can you spend an entire day—and thoroughly exhaust your offspring—for just $5 admission per person over 5, plus every spare penny, nickel, dime, and quarter extricated from your couch and car? Freshwater fans have found their way to this swimming hole since the days when it touted “horse keeping” among its amenities. Today, the clean sand, kiddie slides, table tennis on the beach, and $2 boat rentals are what beckon. The raddest blast is the world’s oldest penny arcade—a fixture since 1931—with nearly a century of gaming innovation to test your dexterity. Some antique games, like the Wheels of Love, still cost a single cent. Glendale, RI. 401-568-8288; springlakearcade.com

Starlight Inn and Sunset Drive-In

There’s a “red carpet” outside your door, and if you’ve chosen the Elvis Presley room, you’ll have (of course) a king bed. Determined not to let the sun set on the drive-in his parents founded in 1948, Peter Handy doubled down on nostalgia: The old-school yet high-tech motel he built in 2014 has movie memorabilia on the walls of each star-themed room. You can sit right outside with the FM radio tuned to what’s playing on four gigantic screens next door. But since drive-in admission is free for your whole carload when you stay overnight, go ahead and get closer to the action … and the concession’s famous hand-cut fries. Colchester, VT. 802-652-2000; starlightinnvt.com