TRAMPOLINE COURT ONCE EXISTED HERE - Historical Albion Michigan

The 1950s were booming years in Albion’s growth. The long construction of the new U.S.-12 bypass north of Albion brought business opportunities to entrepreneurs along the N. Eaton St. corridor in anticipation of the opening of this new highway. The highway opened as I-94 in July, 1960. Did you know that Albion once had a trampoline court? It was located on N. Eaton St. at what today is the north side of the Ford parking lot next to Pizza Hut. I can’t get an exact date because it was there for only a short period and it doesn’t appear in the City Directories. Why, it doesn’t even appear in the yellow pages under “Trampolines.” I don’t even know the exact name of it. My general knowledge is that it was in existence sometime in the very early 1960s. This trampoline place was there first, before the Satellite Drive-In was erected just north of it (where Pizza Hut is today).

There were 12 trampolines, and the site was surrounded by a basic chain-linked fence and a circular driveway. Apparently some young couple ran it. Back then, trampolines were the craze across America, just like hula-hoops were. The trampolines were set at ground level, and each was supported by a recessed cement casing. The springs holding the trampolines came out of the casings.

Various youth of Albion became very good at trampolining, and could jump from trampoline to trampoline, flip to flip. Each trampoline had a timer by it. It cost 50 cents per half hour, which was a full week’s allowance at the time.

Needless to say, this business had its ups and downs. It was an accident site waiting to happen, and they did. There were numerous broken wrists, ankles, and other bones. Youth would make flips to “show off” and hit their head on the cement sides, or would get their foot caught between the trampoline canvas and the cement edge. I heard someone got hurt and there was a lawsuit (just one?) which closed the place.

For years I’ve tried to get a picture of this business, but to no avail. Recently however, Ken Waito provided me with an aerial view of the site, which is the best I can do. I would appreciate if any of our readers could supply me with information about the trampoline court, including a photograph.

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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