another one of my getting old threads. there's a few places around this town that make me tear-up a little bit as i pass them... like the one that i passed on southwest freeway today. back when things were simple i guess. peppermint park: it used to be where southwest freeway meets beltway 8, but now it's somekind of a warehouse or something. it was painted w/red and white stripes (hence the name). i just remember the rides used to kick arse there and at the time seemed better than those at astroworld. some skating rink on murphy road: not sure if it's still there, but a had a couple of birthday parties there when i was in elementary school. skating to new order, cyndi lauper, etc... the good ol' days... before those damn rollerblades. drive-through theater: i think it was around hiram clark or main or somewhere around post oak or something. just remember driving past it as a kid and wishing that i was there. not sure if i had gone at any time though. fame city: not sure of what's become of this place, but it was fun playing laser tag (before the whole paintball craze). they also had this really cool obstacle course that my friends and i would play tag in on the right side of the place. anyway... the point of this thread is... what are some of your favorite places in houston that have closed down or you don't know what the hell has happened to them?
Its not a warehouse. Its actually Archer Chrysler/Plymouth Body Shop. I think its owned by someone else now. Water park is still there. Looks pretty run down.
When I was a kid, my mom took me to peppermint park once. I had an absolute blast. Every year after that, I continued to ask my mom if we could go to peppermint park. But I think my mom felt like the rides were unsafe or something. The train that circles the zoo in Hermann park still runs. That thing is as old as time itself, and I'm glad it still runs. I haven't had a chance to put my kid on it yet, but I will this spring. -- droxford
Wasn't Peppermint Park on the north loop near TC Jester? Anyone remember Games People Play? My friends and I used to cruise the one on 1960 near Stubner Airline. I had my first makeout session behind the batting cages.
I remember that place too. Someone was shot and killed there way back before they tore down the place. Their water slides were awesome.
My parents have loads of old home movies (from the 70s!) of Peppermint Park. Kind of crappy when you look back on it. To a kid, though, it was a wondrous place. Fame City was the s***. Far away from my house, but worth the trip. Laser tag was awesome (although a few years later, a BETTER 2-story laser tag place opened up, I believe, near FM1960 and Westheimer.) When Exhilarate (?) opened up in Memorial City Mall, we (my friends and I) went there instead. Then, when we were older, we went to Dave & Buster's. Now, when I go back home (which is rare), I always end up at Jillian's (playing video games while stinking drunk, with my long lost best friend, Shiner Bock ). What's that go-kart place off of I-10 (near the 610 interchange) called again? I want to say "Pole Position," but that's just an Atari game. Arrrghhhh! It's on the tip of my tongue, too. I had loads of birthday parties there. I have vivid memories of getting a cool license-thingy that enabled me to ride the "big boy" go-karts (and off-roading 'em "accidentally"). Also, I remember that only 1 out of every 3 arcade games there actually worked. Is it still open? I'm kind of pissed that Astroworld closed down Excalibur. I drove by the place last time I was in Houston, and I did a double-take. WTF? Some XLR-8 type ride is in its spot, now. That sucks.
Spent a lot of time at that place way back when. Had several friends that worked their, so we always had tokens I remember stepping in the 90 mph batting cage after it rained one time. Yikes the first pitch came right at my head! I brushed myself off and lined the next 3 pitches up the middle for base hits. At least thats the way I remember it
Kiddie Wonderland. Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. The Gold Mine. before my time ... a little older... Uncle Sam's. Gilley's. Bocaccio 2000.
Nobody has ever rebuilt in that location. It is all grown back in with forest around that place, but you can still see where the putt putt holes were. Didn't somebody get killed on one of the water slides there and they shut those down about 2 years before they actually shut down the park itself?
Skate Central; it's still there. I haven't been there in years, but I went to several birthday parties there too. Remember the dice game?
malibu grand prix is still there but they changed the name to funwerks a few months back. do y'all remember physical whimsical in sharpstown mall? they used to have this big mirror maze i think.
Yes it was. I have birthday photos from there from when I was a kid. I can remember the rides as if I rode them yesterday. I think I had every birthday parth there until they moved the place. I'll see if I can dig up an old photo and post it. It was eventually taken down and moved its current location on 59 south where it was still peppermint park for a few years. Eventually it became the archer body shop which it has been for at least 20 years.
Good call. As a kid I went to the one at Almeda Mall. Anyone remember Good Time Charlie's???!!! As far as skating rinkin' goes, I was a regular at "Fun Time Skate" in Clear Lake in 1980, - Another One Bites the Dust!!!..... I started a thread about how Putt-Putt has gone to **** a while back...
Remember Good Time Charlie's in Sharpstown Mall? They had that huge pipe organ. I think that was before it changed to physical whimsical.
Yep they had those in NW Mall. I blew all my money in the gold mine high on a sugar rush from ice cream and candy from Farrell's.
That is where I played Pong in 1977. Thank you for confirming it wasn't a dream. (we both posted Good Time Charlies in a 3-minte difference!)
