The Hangout has been a Gulf Shores gathering place for decades. The low-key joint originally opened its doors at the end of Highway 59 in the late 1950s. At a time when there was relatively little development in the area, it was a one-stop-shop, packed with things to do and buy near the beach. It held an arcade, candy store, dance floor and beach supply shop, among other attractions.
It was especially popular with the young crowd — such as the two young women pictured above in the summer of 1965 — who would come out for a soda, a burger or pizza and to mingle with their friends on the sand. The open-air dance floor at The Hangout had a jukebox to keep the music going, and teens could buy a bathing suit, coverup or sunglasses before or after hitting the beach. Old advertisements for The Hangout in local newspapers called on “Teen-Agers” to stop by for a visit.
By the Numbers
1958: The year that Gulf Shores was incorporated. Preparation for the incorporation began two years earlier in 1956, and several locals opposed it.
1960: The year that the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” was released. It helped popularize the bikini and also influenced swimsuit prints and colors, such as the yellow floral suit above.
356: The population of Gulf Shores in the 1960s. By the 1970s, it had grown to over 900 people. In the 2020 census, over 15,000 people were counted.
2008: The year The Hangout reopened after being destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The popular spot was also damaged by Hurricane Frederic in 1979.
The Summer of ’65
- Released in June 1965, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones spent 14 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning the band their first number-one song on that chart.
- This summer, Coca-Cola heavily promoted its “Things Go Better With Coke” campaign. That summer, Greer’s ran an ad in The Fairhope Courier listing 10 cans of Coke for 99 cents.
- The Beatles embark on their second US tour in late summer, further inspiring Beatlemania in the States.
- Two pieces and bikinis began to take off in the 1960s. In 1964, Sports Illustrated released its first Swimsuit Issue. By 1965, one invention began to revolutionize the swimwear industry: Spandex.
- While the concept of a summer blockbuster was established 10 years later, 1965 still had a smash hit. “The Sound of Music” was the highest-grossing movie that year and, a year later, it surpassed “Gone with the Wind” as the highest-grossing film in history, holding that title for five years. In 1975, “Jaws” introduced the concept of a summer blockbuster.
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