Helena’s Capital Hill Mall may be gone, but locals still speak of the roar of a 65‑cabinet Aladdin’s Castle that once anchored its east wing. A 1986 city‑council PDF green‑lit the arcade after heated debate—neighbors worried about “where teens go, trouble follows,” yet Bally won permission by promising security patrols and strict hours.
The castle thrived through the ’90s, pairing Gauntlet II marathons with slices from Bob’s Pizza across the atrium. By the 2010s, however, Capital Hill Mall had hemorrhaged tenants; the arcade’s old storefront cycled into a short‑lived Fun Zone and then sat dark until the entire mall was demolished in 2019. A Facebook nostalgia post of a 1968 mall photo nails the consensus: the complex “peaked when it had Aladdin’s Castle, Taco John’s, and Bob’s Pizza all under one roof.”
References
- https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/17/817abc31-575b-5d50-bf5f-a0e04c5e5df5/568dc063b7347.pdf.pdf
- https://m.facebook.com/100047389163911/posts/1238274947762132/
- https://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2008/12/center-had-officially-become-mall-by.html