Fun-Land Drive-In neon sign rescued for use in new immersive art experience

Fun-Lan marquee headed to new home

Jennifer Holton reports

TAMPA, Fla. - Last week, we learned one of Tampa Bay's last remaining drive-in theaters had abruptly closed, but thanks to the creators of an immersive art experience, the theater's iconic neon sign will have a new home.

For decades, bargain hunters flocked to the Fun-Lan Drive-in and Flea Market on Hillsborough Avenue, but regular customers weren't enough to keep the Tampa staple open after the pandemic.

When a group of Bay Area artists heard about the closure, they jumped at the opportunity to preserve a piece of Tampa history, and bring it into the future.

Along Nebraska Avenue in Tampa Heights, artists plan to reassemble the Fun-Lan sign and add it to their immersive art attraction called the Peninsularium.

Curators say the exhibits will open sometime next year, and its hope is to highlight Florida’s eccentric culture and history, making Fun-Lan’s famous marquee a perfect addition to the experience.

Over the weekend, members of Crab Devil, the multimedia group assembling the Peninsularium, got word the Fun-Lan sign was going to be demolished. The group sprang into action and paid around $5,000 so the vintage marquee could be dismantled and taken to its new location, according to Savannah Cruz with BKN Creative. The final cost of the move is not yet clear, she added.

Employees mourn memories of Fun-Lan after sudden closure

A piece of Tampa history is falling by the wayside. The Fun-Lan Drive-In and Flea Market on East Hillsborough Avenue has permanently closed.

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Crab Devil members said they wanted to do what they could to save the old relic that greeted guests for 71 years.

"We wanted to do what we could to save the old time," said Devon Brady, the CEO of Crab Devil. "And we mobilized a crew pretty quickly as the owners agreed to let us take this down and preserve it."

Tuesday morning, crews worked for hours to remove the old sign. Brady says signage like this, with all the old neon bulbs, just doesn’t exist anymore. Taking it apart was a challenge.

"It’s tricky because it was all put together with 1940s technology, so there’s all brass screws, there’s 1,000 screws in there, and over the years it's been added to in layers. So we’re having to peel back the layers of everything so we can kind of take it apart carefully without having to cut it up."

Take an adventure on Florida's wild side

Fairgrounds St. Pete, an immersive art installation in St. Petersburg, invites everyone to escape reality and explore an interactive, story driven experience of all things Florida.

Over at the Peninsularium site, Janine Awai, who calls herself the "crab reckoner" of Crab Devil, says one of their goals is to make sure that the vestiges of Tampa’s past are kept alive.

"I think people really appreciate it because Tampa has a lot of interesting history, but I think we’re starting to realize it’s never been told really well," Awai explained.

Brady and Awai say the old signage will become a part of the facility, but the details are still being finalized.

"It may take place in one of the courtyards, but it’s important for us to keep some of the Tampa history elevated," Awai said.

The Peninsularium is set to open sometime next year. The multi-million dollar project is located at 3800 North Nebraska Avenue.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this report stated that $5,000 was put towards purchasing the sign. A spokesperson now says the payment strictly went towards the dismantling and relocation of the sign and the total cost of the project is not yet known. This version has been updated to reflect that.