<b>An old brochure from the Royal Park Inn offers a glimpse into the Vero Beach many longtime residents still remember.</b> <b>VERO BEACH, FL — July 10, 2026</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> – Every summer, as the Royal Poincianas burst into bloom across Royal Park, it's easy to imagine what this neighborhood looked like seventy-five years ago. Captured in the paintings of the Florida Highwaymen as they traveled U.S. 1, selling their artwork to visitors making their way through what was proudly known as the "Gateway to the Tropics."</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Long before Vero Beach became a year-round destination, Royal Park was the center of community life. At its heart stood the Royal Park Inn, a charming hotel that welcomed winter visitors while introducing them to everything that made Vero Beach special. Just across the street, Vero Beach Country Club served as one of the community’s premier gathering places, offering visitors and residents alike an exceptional golf experience.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Recently, Vero Beach Country Club uncovered an original Royal Park Inn brochure from the 1950s. More than a travel advertisement, it reads like a snapshot of life in a young Florida town.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">"Sunny days at Vero Beach mean health and happiness for our guests," the brochure begins. Guests were invited to spend their days however they pleased. They could ride the Inn's beach wagon across the causeway to the ocean, play "one of Florida's best 18 hole courses" just steps away, visit nearby McKee Jungle Gardens, spend an afternoon fishing the Indian River, or watch the Brooklyn Dodgers during spring training. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">When winter visitors returned north and the pace slowed, those same places became the backdrop for local summers. Families gathered beneath the shade of the Royal Poincianas. Children rode bicycles through Royal Park. The beach was quieter. Golf was played in the cooler hours of the day. McKee Jungle Gardens offered shade beneath towering palms, while fishermen headed for the Indian River and nearby inlets in search of tarpon, snook, and other summer catches. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The neighborhood itself was part of the attraction. Many of the places featured in that old brochure still shape Vero Beach today. McKee Botanical Garden celebrates its Centennial this year. Dodgertown remains one of baseball's most recognizable spring training homes. The Royal Poincianas still paint Royal Park in brilliant orange every June. The golf course, once promoted to hotel guests, has served generations of Vero Beach residents for more than a century.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">While the Royal Park Inn itself is gone, its brochure reminds us of something that hasn't changed: the best parts of a Vero Beach summer are simple afternoons spent with family, neighbors, and friends enjoying the beauty of Vero Beach.</span> <b>What else was happening in the 1950s in Vero:</b> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the 1940s and early 50s, the Royal Park Inn offered play at the golf course next door (now VBCC)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The brochure mentions 18-hole golf and Dodgers – both the back 9 and the dodgers were additions to Vero in the late 40s. It’s presumed that the brochure could be from as early as 1949 or 50</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1951, the Merril P. Barber Bridge was completed to replace the swing bridge </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1952, Royal Park Golf Course was re-formed as Vero Beach Golfer’s Association. And in 54, it changed its name to Vero Beach Country Club.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1953, a new Dodger Stadium was completed named after Bud L. Holman who made Dodgertown a reality. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1954, Vero’s first radio station went on air, WTTB 1490 AM</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1955, Piper Aircraft came to Vero</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waldo Sexton, a founder of VBCC, was celebrated on Nov. 5</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 1958 when the city celebrated “Waldo Sexton Day” by dedicating Sexton Plaza. </span></li> </ul>