Fort Monroe’s Paradise Ocean Club reopens after 2-year hiatus

HAMPTON — After being forced to close by the National Park Service almost two years ago, the popular Paradise Ocean Club finally reopened Wednesday with some changes to make the location more family friendly.

The club had been a staple in the Hampton community for 10 years, often drawing thousands of people on the weekends. However, it also created some controversy in part because of rowdy crowd behavior. Club owner Baxter Simmons was working on renewing his lease in 2022 when the club was forced to shut down after the park service, which owns the property, abruptly ended negotiations.

Park service officials raised concerns about “public disturbances” and safety problems at Fort Monroe’s North Beach area. One person was shot and injured in a parking area adjacent to the beach. Simmons said the park service also complained about crowd behavior and skimpy swimwear.

Eventually, the park service opened bidding to any business that might want to lease the property. Simmons reentered lease negotiations hoping to reopen his club. Although last year’s beach season came and went with no agreement, Simmons finally signed a 10-year lease in March.

He noted that with the new lease, the club has undergone some changes to tone down the crowds and make it more of a place for the whole family.

Some of the more notable changes: The club’s capacity is now limited to 1,000 people and boat access will be discontinued, as the park service doesn’t want anyone entering the venue from the water.

Simmons said the club will also ditch DJs in favor of live music, with numerous performances already booked.

“What we decided was we need to bring the energy back down at the end of the night on Sundays,” Simmons said. “We used to do DJs on Sundays. And that would keep the energy kind of ramped up all the way through the night. And it’s better to have the energy with the band, and then we’ll do acoustical after that, or steel drum after that, to kind of bring the energy back down.”

He also said the club will try to emphasize the pool and beach more than other types of entertainment and ask that people “watch their attire.”

“We’ve got a sign up at the front gate, about no thongs and G-strings,” Simmons said. “And we’re going to do our best to make sure that if people are walking around with clothing or attire that’s very small and not appropriate for kids that they at least cover up.”

Simmons previously said the new lease started March 1 and will continue until Dec. 31, 2033.

Simmons notes that while the past two years have been “very challenging,” he is happy the National Park Service was willing to work with the club. He also said the time off gave him a chance to refresh the venue.

“We can take it in whatever direction we want because we’ve had a little bit of a break,” he said.

The club’s head of security, Dave Taylor, said the shift from a nightclub scene to a more family-friendly environment, as well as the reduction in crowd size, should assuage concerns about safety at the club. He said entering the club is like “walking into paradise.”

“This should be like a retreat area, something like the Bahamas, where you can come, just relax and escape from Hampton,” he said.

Simmons said about 80 restaurant and lifeguard staff and about 30 security positions have been hired for the reopening.

Doors opened at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and visitors steadily trickled in throughout the day. The club offers food, drinks, a beach area with chairs, cabanas, a stage, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a pool and volleyball courts.

Many guests at the club opening day were ecstatic about its return. Married couple C.J. and Mike Kyle said they were daily visitors before the club’s closure and thought the concerns about crowd behavior and safety at the club were blown out of proportion and based on misconceptions.

They said they loved the overall atmosphere of the club and found it to be friendly and safe.

Nicole Ulrich, relaxing on a beach chair in sunny, 80-degree weather, said she and her family had loved the club and were “very upset” when it abruptly closed.

“I actually cried,” she said.

Ulrich said she would take her kids to the club three to four times a week and never noticed any issues. She enjoyed “the vibe,” the staff, the cleanliness, and the fact that the club provided beach chairs and umbrellas.

“I’m really happy it’s reopened, as we’ll be here all summer long,” she said. “This is our plan all summer.”

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com