The Blue Moon Diner, originally the Miss Toy Town Diner, is a historic

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a com ...

Gardner, Massachusetts Gardner, officially the City of Gardner, is a city in Worcester County in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,287 in the 2020 census. Gardner is home of such sites as the Blue Moon Diner, Dunn State Park, Ga ...

. Built in 1949, it is well-preserved example of a late-model barrel-roofed diner manufactured by the

Worcester Lunch Car Company Worcester Lunch Car Company was a manufacturer of diners based in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1906 to 1957. History In 1906 Philip H. Duprey and Grenville Stoddard established the Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company, whic ...

. It has been located at its present location since 1954. The diner was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2003.

Description and history

The Blue Moon Diner is located on the east side of Gardner's Main Street, on the southern edge of the central business district. The diner is set on a concrete foundation, and is oriented perpendicular to the road, with its parking area to the south. A wood frame addition to the east provides space for the kitchen and additional table space. The diner itself is seven bays long and three wide, and has a barrel roof, now covered in shingles. The main entrance is one of the diner's original entrances, at the western (street-facing) end, sheltered by a canopy; the eastern entry to the diner now provides access to the addition. The exterior of the diner is finished in porcelain enamel panels with integral polychrome graphics, and the entry doors are stainless steel. The interior features a marble counter, fourteen counter stools, and booths lining the southern wall. The booths are wooden, with tables that have laminated tops. Tile work on the interior is predominantly blue and cream, with accents in black and white. The diner was built by the

in 1949, and was originally located in Winchendon, where it was known as the Miss Toy Town Diner. It was moved to Gardner in 1954. The diner, which has seen a succession of owners, was restored in 1984, and is the only diner in Gardner. The diner was used as a scene in the movie

School Ties ''School Ties'' is a 1992 American drama film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, and Anthony Rapp. Fraser plays the lead role as David G ...

featuring Brendan Fraser. In the movie the name of the diner was changed to Skip's Diner.

References

External links

Blue Moon Diner
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Restaurants on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Diners on the National Register of Historic Places Diners in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Gardner, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Worcester County, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Description and history

See also

References

External links