Station 49 open for summer fun with new weekday hours

Looking for family-friendly summer fun in Birch Bay? Look no farther than family-owned entertainment center Station 49.

As of June 23, Station 49, located at 4620 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, is open daily for the summer with entertainment for all ages. The venue includes a go-kart track, mini golf, an arcade, a miniature train ride and a saloon area. They also host weekly comedy nights and live music.

Owner Dale Giffen runs the park with his family. Though the park has changed ownership a few times, it’s always been owned by someone in the Giffen family. His wife, Sheila, greets customers at the front desk where they manage admissions and sell snacks. Their son, Brayden, graduated from Arizona State University and is helping for the summer.

Dale and his father, Don, recall the park dating back to 1962, the year of the Seattle World’s Fair; the family owns some of the bumper cars featured at the fair, though they’re no longer in use.

“They’re not quite as safe as today’s go-karts,” Dale remarked. “We saved the original go-karts for nostalgia.”

Up until summer 2020, the park was named Miniature World Family Fun Center. The Giffens renamed the park in honor of the miniature train, which has been a park feature since 1994, and its location along the 49th parallel.

In addition to last year’s rebranding, the Giffens added a saloon area to the park, tying in with the park’s Western theme. The saloon hadn’t seen much use until this year.

“Last year we opened on July 4, but everything was shut down,” Dale said. “We couldn’t do anything, so there was really no business down here.”

This summer, however, the saloon is open and in full swing with weekly events. Station 49 hosts comedy nights every other Thursday, line dancing every Friday and live music every weekend. Though a recent addition, the events have been well received by customers, Dale said.

“For just starting out, we’ve been very happy,” Dale said of the new venue.

Moving forward, they’re looking to add country swing dancing on Thursdays as well. As they add new events and invite performers, the Giffens want to make sure Station 49 remains a family-friendly destination. The park is also dog friendly as long as the dogs are leashed.

The best thing about owning Station 49 is getting to be part of the community, Dale said. He hopes to bring more people to Birch Bay with Station 49 and is invested in community growth and development. True to his word, the Station 49 website, station49.fun, also promotes other Birch Bay businesses.

“We want all businesses to prosper in Birch Bay, because businesses do struggle in the wintertime,” Dale said. “We’re happy to see shops open this year.”