Zao Island / DZ’s Hollywood Park / Wright’s Barnyard – Valparaiso

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…

115 Bourbon Street

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…

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…

Aladdin’s Castle: Rushmore Mall

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 vests, five‑for‑a‑buck tokens,…

Aladdin’s Castle: Rushmore Mall

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 quarter‑stack challenges. The unit closed…

Aladdin’s Castle: Sandburg Mall

Aladdin’s Castle: Ashtabula Mall

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…

Aladdin’s Castle: Sandburg Mall

Aladdin’s Castle: Ashville Mall Space M-4

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.…

Aladdin’s Castle: Sandburg Mall

Aladdin’s Castle: Bend River Mall

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…