Did you know that not all casinos are meant for gambling?
The word casino is of Italian origin; the root casa means a house. The term can apply to a small country villa or social club. The St. Simons Island Casino Building is the latter. Unlike the gambling-focused establishments we think of today, some early 20th-century casinos were built for general recreation and community activities. And, since 1928, the Casino Building has been an enriching gathering place for the community.
The St. Simons Casino Building is home to a branch of the regional library. It also features a 100-seat theater and an outdoor bandstand. Located at 550 Beachview Dr., it sits just steps from Neptune Park. The Casino Building is also a multifaceted meeting facility. It accommodates a variety of public and private events including meetings, parties and weddings. Individual meeting rooms are available for rent, and the center atrium is frequently rented out for weddings.
The Island’s first Casino, a wooden pavilion perched over the water, was lost to fire in 1935. By 1937, it had been replaced by the current brick structure, funded with $30,000 in insurance money and support from President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) program. Initially painted white, the building complemented the horizontal profile of the nearby St. Simons Lighthouse.
The Casino has a rich history of community engagement.
Early on, it housed the St. Simons Library sponsored by the Cassina Garden Club, which offered over 3,000 books for summer readers by the end of the war. In 1950, the library expanded into the space left vacant by the former bowling alley. Today, the St. Simons Library is designated a Literary Landmark by Friends of Libraries USA and is visited yearly by 10s of thousands of visitors.
Later, in 1963, the Casino Building’s movie theater found a new purpose as the home of the Island Players, who relocated from their original playhouse at the St. Simons Airport. The Island Players are at the heart of Saint Simons Island and the Golden Isles. They deliver outstanding amateur theatrical performances at the St. Simons Island Casino Building, bringing live theater to the community.
