10 Places in Manila that Evoke Childhood Nostalgia

Mom, Dad, we invite you to be the child today!  Come take a hop, skip and a jump back to the places that brought a smile on your face, back when you were young.

Remember… 

1. Fiesta Carnival

In the early days of the Araneta Center Complex in Cubao stood the Fiesta Carnival, a permanent amusement park and fairground for kids and adults alike. 

Memories are made of these: In the days before McDonald’s ballpit playgrounds, Timezone and Fun Ranch, Fiesta Carnival was the best place to take a child for an afternoon of family fun.  It had classic penny arcade attractions such as ring tosses, shooting galleries and live clown magic shows.  It was one cavernous warehouse-like entertainment center that felt like it took hours to visit from end to end (to a child, that is). 

What it is now: A Shopwise Supermarket was built on the property (you can still see the façade of the original carnival), and an attempt to relocate the carnival a few blocks down the street was made, but it hasn’t garnered the same success and recall as the original.

Photo by Anmar75 via flickr creative commons

2. Magnolia Ice Cream House

Facing Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City stood the stately Magnolia Ice Cream Plant and its public face, the Magnolia Ice Cream House.  

Memories are made of these: This was a haven of ice cream creativity, a Philippine version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory in ice cream form.  Do you remember Ernie and Bert?  Or the Merry Go Round? How about sinking your spoon into the Daredevil and gnawing on its strawberry syrup-coated cone horns?  

What it is now: For almost two decades, the original parlor remained closed after the Magnolia plant changed hands.  In 2012, the Robinsons Group erected the Robinsons Magnolia Mall on the original site and decided to recreate a version of the Magnolia Ice Cream House within the mall’s park.  They now serve variants of the original sundae recipes there.

Photo from the Facebook page of Magnolia Flavor House