Location
Aladdin’s Castle: Acadiana Mall
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…
Aladdin’s Castle: #203 Yorktown Shopping Ctr.
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…
49er Fun Park
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…
115 Bourbon Street
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…
Zao Island / DZ’s Hollywood Park / Wright’s Barnyard – Valparaiso
This was a sister location to Wright’s Barnyard, opened by the Wright family in 1981. The Wright family founded multiple family entertainment centers, including the original location in Lansing, this location in Valparaiso, Indiana and Crestwood (Wright’s Hollywood Park). In 1994 the Wright family sold the business, including all three centers, to Discovery Zone. Discovery Zone renamed them all…
Wright’s Hollywood Park / DZ’s Hollywood Park / In the Game – Crestwood
This was a sister location to Wright’s Barnyard, opened by the Wright family in late 1990. Initially, the Wright family founded multiple family entertainment centers, including the original location in Lansing, this location in Crestwood (Wright’s Hollywood Park), and Valparaiso, Indiana (now Zao Island). In 1994, all of the locations were acquired by Discovery Zone, who rebranded all of the…
Just Games – Mt. Prospect Algonquin
Just Games Inc. operated a number of arcades in the Chicagoland area in the 1970s and 1980s. This location was located at the site of Briarwood Plaza. Briarwood Plaza was built in 1977, but we know that the arcade opened in Dec 1973 and was open at least through May 1976. We know that at least one of the Just Games Mt. Prospect locations existed through October 1986. Given the shooting associated…
Bally’s Tom Foolery: Milwaukee
One of a handful of Bally’s Tom Foolery early arcade bar/nightclub concepts that existed briefly in the early 1980’s. This location was previously a Barnaby’s Family Inn, until Bally Manufacturing Co. purchased the chain in 1981 and converted it into the Tom Foolery concept. The arcade crash of 1982-1983, plus the mountain of debt that Bally’s was navigating at the time, put an unfortunate and…
Galloping Ghost Arcade
Galloping Ghost is the largest arcade in the world, with over 885 games. It spans multiple buildings in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield. Owner Doc Mack opened the arcade in 2010 with 130 arcade games that were saved from the brink of destruction, restoring them for all to enjoy. Continuing to expand each year, by 2024, they have grown into the largest arcade in the world, with games coming in…