One of Chicagoland’s multi‑bar mega‑venues, 115 Bourbon Street slipped an honest‑to‑goodness arcade cabinet into its sports‑bar mix at the peak of the early‑2000s “barcade” wave. Regulars still recall the Ms. Pac‑Man / Galaga «Class of ’81» combo parked near the south wall — proof captured in historic arcade finder listings. The venue opened in 1999 in Merrionette…

49’er Fun Park began life in the late 1980s as a mom‑and‑pop miniature‑golf course tucked into Grass Valley’s pine‑lined foothills. By the early ’90s, batting cages, bumper boats, and a Namco‑leaning arcade expanded the footprint, turning the spot into Nevada County’s de facto birthday‑party HQ. TripAdvisor reviews from the 2010s still rave about redemption tickets and…

A short-lived attempt by K-Mart to compete with the food + drink + kid’s wonderland arcade experience of the early 80’s that replaced animatronics with human magicians. Two prototype locations in IL and MO came and went within a 2 year…

A short-lived attempt by K-Mart to compete with the food + drink + kid’s wonderland arcade experience of the early 80’s that replaced animatronics with human magicians. Two prototype locations in IL and MO came and went within a 2 year span. Reference: https://defunct-brands.fandom.com/wiki/Abra_K_Dabra…

Mall‑rats of Chicago’s western suburbs still get misty‑eyed over Aladdin’s Castle #203, Yorktown Shopping Center — one of Bally’s Illinois flagships. Opened circa 1975 between Sears and the food court, Store #203 funneled thousands of teens through its mirrored entrance until the chain’s wind‑down in the late 1990s. Former attendants on Reddit recall neon‑green…

Before crawfish‑peeler stalls and sneaker boutiques crowded the concourse, Aladdin’s Castle, Acadiana Mall (Lafayette, LA) was the hangout spot for south‑Louisiana high‑score chasers. Opening records place the arcade’s debut around 1980, right as Bally was blanketing regional malls. Nostalgia sites and local radio blogs capture residents reminiscing about Galaga marathons and…

When Ashtabula Mall launched in 1992 the developer carved out a high‑ceiling space for Aladdin’s Castle, giving northeast Ohio teens a neon‑lit alternative to Lake Erie winters. Bally kept the brand on the masthead until the early 2000s, when Namco’s post‑merger realignment re‑signed the room as Tilt. That incarnation limped through 2008 before shuttering—only to be resurrected a…

Aladdin’s Castle, Asheville Mall opened in November 1989, staking out a 4,500‑square‑foot suite just off the lower‑level food court. For the next dozen years the branch served as western North Carolina’s joystick mecca—new releases like Mortal Kombat would draw crowds three‑deep around the cabs, while the upper balcony offered a ring‑side view of high‑score showdowns. A 2021…

Central Oregon’s Bend River Mall boasted an Aladdin’s Castle that felt more like a clubhouse than a chain store. Opened circa 1980 along U.S. 97, the pit‑stop arcade became the rainy‑day refuge for skiers and desert commuters alike. A vintage Facebook photo dated 1997 shows the gold‑turret sign glowing behind a father‑and‑son selfie—proof that the branch was still thriving well…

Aladdin’s Castle, Berkshire Mall (Wyomissing, PA) opened upstairs near Bon‑Ton sometime in the late ’70s and quickly became Berks County’s quarter‑drain of choice. The room was famous for two things: an animated neon sign that flickered in sync with Galaga explosions and the “no‑hassle birthday” package advertised on local kids’ TV. Yelp lists the branch as closed but preserves…

Built right into the main Sears entrance, Aladdin’s Castle, Burnsville Center began raking in Minnesota quarters from opening day in 1977. Contemporary newspaper ads even listed the arcade among the mall’s inaugural tenants—a signal honor in a region obsessed with hockey rinks, not joysticks. Long‑time patrons on forums recall the space relocating to the food‑court mezzanine during a…