Ipswich’s Top 15 Former Fun Favourites

Do you remember sprinting up the stairs at Warrego Water Park and racing your mates to the bottom?

Did you cheer the pins exploding at Ipswich Tenpin or sneak a first kiss in the back row of Birch Carroll & Coyle?

Our city was once a playground of neon signs, crackling speakers and dusty clay corners.

One by one they winked out, leaving only stories and empty lots.

So we went memory digging. We went rabbit-holing.

Then we scored each lost haunt on how unique, busy, famous and downright missed it still feels.

The result is a Top 15 that starts in the splash zone and ends under drive‑in starlight.

Grab a cuppa, scroll on and see where your own footprints land.

If you get a lump in your throat, that’s okay. It just means the place mattered.

1. Warrego Water Park, Haigslea

⭐️ 23 / 25

• What it was: A highway‑side water‑park with three slides, a kids’ pool and mini‑golf, operating most summers from the early 1990s to 2003.
• Why it vanished: Sky‑high insurance premiums and years of drought wiped out profits.
• Timeline: After closing in 2003 the site re‑opened in 2008 as the Australian Motorcycle Museum, displaying 200 classic bikes; the museum shut in 2015 and the paddock has sat empty ever since.
• What’s there now (2025): Mown grass, what appears to be a new driveway and the remnants of its old entry sign.

Entry to what used to be Warrego Water Park.

2. Ipswich Tenpin, Bundamba

⭐️ 23 / 25

• What it was: A 24‑lane AMF bowling centre opened in 1981, beloved for junior leagues and Friday‑night disco bowling.
• Why it vanished: The January 2011 Bremer River/Bundamba Creek floods submerged lanes and machinery; insurance shortfalls ended any rebuild hopes.
• Timeline: From 2011 the building sat water‑stained and silent. In 2024 the owners/developers won approval to convert it into two light‑industrial warehouses (one warehouse roof, two tenants). Basically, the old bowling alley roof is being raised 2x it’s original height. Last we heard at least 1/2 of the new space will be home to Flipout.com.au. By mid‑2025 the new space is mostly complete with expected tenants by Christmas. Anyways, you can see the expression of interest for tenants here to see what the final building has been approved to look like.
• What’s there now (2025): A new shed (2x the roof height of the old TENPIN) with fresh cladding. Awaiting new tenants to lease the space.

3. Players Nightclub, Brisbane St CBD

⭐️ 22 / 25

• What it was: A split‑level nightclub that burst onto the scene as The Vault in 1994, morphed into Club City by 1996, then reached peak popularity as Players from New Year’s Eve 1999 until 2008. A glossy makeover rebadged it as Cocktails & Dreams in 2010.
• Why it vanished: Stricter liquor laws, higher rents and a shrinking late‑night crowd made the dance floor harder to fill and the books harder to balance.
• Timeline: Players packed queues past midnight through the early 2000s. After a quiet spell, Cocktails kept the DJ booth spinning from 2010 to 2016. A short‑lived “Club Metro Jam Night” ran in 2016‑18 before the liquor licence lapsed and the lights went out for good.
• What’s there now (2025): It reads “Club Metro” above the entry, and is home to a 24-hour gym and fitness centre. The old bar and mezzanine now house treadmills and squat racks since 2019.

4. Bodega Restaurant, Newtown

⭐️ 21 / 25

Image Courtesy of Picture Ipswich

• What it was: A Spanish‑themed fine‑diner opened in 1973, famous for its giant wine‑bottle fountain out front.
• Why it vanished: The founding family retired and successive operators struggled to match its reputation.
• Timeline: From a corner store in 1966 to Bodega in 1973, it hosted flamenco nights, shifted to modern Australian menus in the 2000s, closed in the early 2010s and was once Pancake Manor then Casa Mia. There was a permanent structure built in July 2017 where the Champagne bottle used to be.
• What’s there now (2025): Healthy Lifestyles Australia Allied Health Centre. There’s also a Kirin Restaurant and Bar sign out the front where a new structure was built in 2017.

5. Wintergarden Theatre, East St

⭐️ 20 / 25

• What it was: A lavish 2,000‑seat “picture palace” with chandeliers and a Wurlitzer, opened in 1925.
• Why it vanished: Single‑screen cinemas died out in the 1970s; demolition crews removed everything but the facade in 1979.
• Timeline: The theatre dazzled crowds for five decades, closed after Jaws screened to half‑empty houses, and by the 90s the block was just a facade of the heritage frontage.
• What’s there now (2025): The ornate facade stands like a stage set; behind it cars and an employment office.

6. Birch Carroll & Coyle 6 Cinemas, City Square

⭐️ 19 / 25

• What it was: Ipswich’s first multiplex, opening in 1979 with six screens and neon‑lit snack bars.
• Why it vanished: The Nicholas Street mall redevelopment forced closure when the lease expired in 2019.
• Timeline: Crowd‑pleasers from Star Wars to Titanic packed the house until 2019; the building was gutted in 2022 and rebuilt as a cutting‑edge HOYTS that opened in 2024.
• What’s there now (2025): A modern HOYTS complex with recliner seats, Dolby Atmos and a bar. Also an Anytime Fitness, miniBounce and General Public with bowling and arcade.

7. Jim Gardiner Pool, Limestone Park

⭐️ 19 / 25

• What it was: A 55‑yard (yes, 55!) outdoor public pool opened in 1961, centre of school swim carnivals and lap‑sessions.
• Why it vanished: Ageing concrete shell leaked and council chose to build indoor aquatic centres instead.
• Timeline: From 1961 to 2000 it echoed with dive‑starts and whistle blasts; the pool was filled in 2001, a memorial arch installed in 2003, and the site sealed as car parking.
• What’s there now (2025): Carpark, grass, a plaque honouring coach Jim Gardiner and Ipswich Coalminers Mermorial.

8. Denmark Hill Reservoir Look‑out

⭐️ 18 / 25

• What it was: A spiral‑stair tower atop a concrete reservoir, giving 360‑degree views over Ipswich and Brisbane.
• Why it vanished: It’s still there just closed down for safety reasons. As far as we can tell there was a suicide that occurred in early 2021 and the Queensland Police advised Urban Utilities to shut it down. It has not reopened.
• Timeline: The viewing platform was built with the water reservoir in the 60s and maintained until the early 2020s. It was closed overnight in early 2021 (likely a suicide although official info is murky).
• What’s there now (2025): Everything the same it’s just locked so you can’t walk up to the top of the stairs. Also plenty of “no entry” signs.

9. Tivoli Raceway, Chuwar

⭐️ 18 / 25

• What it was: A red‑clay motocross track carved in Tivoli halfway between the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers. It was the host of state and national titles since 1964.
• Why it vanished: Until the late 2010s it was thriving and still would be today if it wasn’t for growing suburbs and stricter noise/dust laws. Owners—Motorcycling Queensland—were basically forced to accept an offer from developers in 2024. You can see the real estate listing here.
• Timeline: Race engines echoed until the final meet in December 2017; the property was listed in 2022, sold in 2024 and awaits final council approvals to become a few hundred houses.
• What’s there now (2025): Silent mounds of earth behind a locked gate, with survey pegs marking future house lots.

10. Ipswich Bowl, Brisbane & Thorn Sts

⭐️ 17 / 25

• What it was: Queensland’s second ten‑pin centre, opening in 1962 in a distinctive saw‑tooth warehouse.
• Why it vanished: The bowling craze cooled and by 1970 the building was sold to Jenyns to make lingerie.
• Timeline: Lively leagues in the 60s, factory floors in the 70s‑90s, then a full refurb in 2008 created a three‑storey office complex now home to Brisbane Motorcycles.
• What’s there now (2025): A motorcycle company head office—Brisbane Motorcycles.

11. White Rock Summit, Spring Mountain

⭐️ 17 / 25

• What it was: You can still walk to its base you’re just not allowed to climb it anymore. A sandstone peak with sweeping views, reached by a short scramble from the main trail.
• Why it vanished: A “no-climb” agreement was reached between Traditional-Owners and ICC in 2017. Traditional Owners closed the summit to protect sacred sites and fragile rock.
• Timeline: Hiking brochures were updated in 2020 to not under any circumstances climb White Rock. There is now signage to instruct hikers and walkers of the cultural ban; base trails remain open.
• What’s there now (2025): A sturdy fence, cultural‑heritage signage and a detour that stops just short of the old viewpoint.

12. Ulster Hotel, Brisbane St

⭐️ 16 / 25

• What it was: A family‑run corner pub built in 1910, famous for live blues gigs and $5 steak nights.
• Why it vanished: Rising repair costs after repeated floods and the owners’ decision to retire.
• Timeline: Poured beers for 106 years, closed quietly in 2016, reborn briefly as Indian restaurant “Memories of India” in 2019, which folded during COVID and then reopened again and is currently open tonight. Have you been?
• What’s there now (2025): Memories of India Restaurant.

13. Ipswich Greyhound Track, Showgrounds

⭐️ 16 / 25

• What it was: A Thursday‑night greyhound oval at Ipswich Showgrounds drawing punters and families since 1981.
• Why it vanished: The lease ended and Racing Qld backed a new $90 m facility at Yamanto instead.
• Timeline: It was announced in 2023 that forty‑two years of dog racing would soon end at Ipswich Greyhound Track. The club officially moved to “The Q” at Yamanto in April 2025; Showgrounds now use the track for setting up events, markets and shows.
• What’s there now (2025): Ipswich Show Society runs events, markets and shows.

14. Ritz Theatre, Bell St

⭐️ 15 / 25

• What it was: An air‑conditioned art‑deco cinema that opened in 1940 with 1,000+ plush seats.
• Why it vanished: Television emptied the stalls; the building was demolished in 1966.
• Timeline: From gala premieres in the 40s to half‑full Saturday matinees in the 60s, the Ritz was condemned in 1965, razed a year later, and paved over as a council car park that remains today.
• What’s there now (2025): A multi‑storey parking station overtop Ipswich Central Station.

15. Starline Drive‑In, Raceview

⭐️ 15 / 25

• What it was: A 500‑car twin‑screen drive‑in theatre opened in 1955 on a gravel paddock south of town.
• Why it vanished: Home video, shrinking audiences and soaring land values made the business untenable.
• Timeline: Families honked through Grease and E.T., but by 1997 only a handful of cars rolled up; the final film flickered in October 1997, the screens came down in 1998, and eventually a retirement village was built.
• What’s there now (2025): Cascade Gardens Leisure & Retirement Village.