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 quarter‑stack challenges.
The unit closed during the brand’s early‑2000s retrench, replaced first by a pretzel stand, then a temporary Halloween shop — proof that mall real estate, like nature, abhors a vacuum.