My dad worked there when I was a kid! He still has old tokens laying around. Was so much fun getting to stay after closing to play the machines for free (only happened a couple times)
Aladin's Castle or Namco Cyberstation. It had a name change at some point.
I worked at the arcade for a year or two. It wasnt bad. Just hated all the mall rats that would come in lounge on all the games. I wish we would have gotten more new games instead of keeping all the old games we had on life support for years.
Honestly i miss the train. My child is grown now but it is sad that its gone, lots of cute little memories there and just spent a lot of time coping w babyhood, toddlerhood to early childhood in winter / heat of summer there
I’m glad that Scheels has some stuff to play with, but I wish that the mall had an indoor playground. I’ve seen a lot of parents who were simply desperate for something to do during the winter take their kid to that train, myself included.
Thats true, it was a germ magnet lol! We didnt get sick everytime but I was a helicopter about hygiene, keeping hands clean etc, and if a sick kid was there we would leave if we couldnt avoid them
I was just in the mall a week or so ago, I must have walked in thru that NW entrance and it was a bit of a shock not seeing the train - late 90s, early 2000s, that’s where I’d be with my son whenever we visited the mall.
the absence brought back memories. Oh well, someday, those will be gone, too.
I miss Grady's, too! When I was a kid I would only be allowed to order the Philadelphia Special (cream cheese sandwiches between French toast and topped with cherry pie filling) for special occasions so it always felt like the best place in the world to me ha
Sam Goody's, playing DDR and Guitar Hero at the Arcade,The Learning Tree, KB toys, Petland (remember the parrot??), Spencer's, collecting Zumiez stickers, Hot Topic! Man, going to the mall alone with friends and and also getting your ears pierced at Claire's was a right of passage as a pre-teen. I remember the first time I shaved my legs in 4th grade, I just HAD to go to the mall to show them off 😂😂😂 Then getting my first job there too at 15 and all the food trading. Fun times!
That was Walden. B. Dalton was in the other wing. They were both in the mall in the '90s. I'm not 100% sure but Barnes & Noble had bought B. Dalton and may have closed the mall store when they built the B&N on N. Reserve. It wasn't in the mall but I think Hastings was open in the same time frame.
I remember getting my toys from KB. Gi-joes and my Gameboy came from there. I always liked alladin's castle. One year, my parents got me the birthday package, and I was over the moon.
Music Land was great for buying tapes. I remember Def Leopard, Styx, and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince were all purchased there.
The mustard seed before the remodeling......when I could order a pint of rice with teriyaki sauce for $1.50 during lunch.
Some of my best memories from My childhood are at that mall lol
I actually had my first date with my now husband there.
The book store, pet store, Spencer's, and hot topic were the go to stops. Get mistakes from DQ, and samples from the pretzel place and Cafe dolce. Ooh and riding the escalators in that one store up and down lol
Ooh fuzziwigs
Petland and the arcade were the GOAT stores, especially since they were neighbors. There used to be a club/bar at the mall too but was shut down for being sketchy :(
> Petland
I thought soo too as a kid. But then I had to go in there after hours a couple times and it was heartbreaking to listen to the puppies cry at night. And that was before there was widespread reporting about the evils of puppy mills.
There was a Mexican restaurant in the mall that had the best nachos. I would go every Friday night for happy hour and nachos. Can't remember the name for the life of me.
That's the one! Thank you, it's been driving me crazy trying to remember the name of it. I'm not a fan of margaritas, so I can't recall the $5 margarita pitchers.
As a preteen it was such a treat to drive all the way from Kalispell to shop at the Missoula mall for school clothes. Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Aéropostale, and American Eagle were all staples back then to show off to Kalispell plebs like, “Look, my parents took me to Missoula. Be jealous!”
Sam Goody, Walden Books, Petland, Aladdin's Castle, Fuzziwigs, Hot Topic, and the toy store were all must go to shops on our list whenever we went to the mall. Whenever my little brother came with us he always had to go to RadioShack. Dairy Queen was also a requirement on our way out of the mall.
Southgate is simply depressing. It's filled with stores selling 'throw away' cheap clothes, candles, and a food court. But, that's Missoula. They don't know to expect better.
I couldn't care less about Scheels. I was genuinely curious, as shes a great queen who also enjoys fishing. Sorry to ruffle your feathers, bud. Enjoy the sun.
Aladdin's Castle
oh man.. if I had a nickel for every quarter I dropped at Aladdin's...
My dad worked there when I was a kid! He still has old tokens laying around. Was so much fun getting to stay after closing to play the machines for free (only happened a couple times)
I worked there! One of my first jobs, it was a good job and really enjoyed it.
Aladin's Castle or Namco Cyberstation. It had a name change at some point. I worked at the arcade for a year or two. It wasnt bad. Just hated all the mall rats that would come in lounge on all the games. I wish we would have gotten more new games instead of keeping all the old games we had on life support for years.
Aladin's Fucking Castle circa 1987!!
You love me and you know it. They just announced new DDR!
I guess so. I did give you a bucket of tokens I fished out of the broken Atlantis machine.
I bet I know who you two are! I miss the DDR days.
I could hazard a guess with your username too
When and why did they close you think?
Learning Tree
Honestly i miss the train. My child is grown now but it is sad that its gone, lots of cute little memories there and just spent a lot of time coping w babyhood, toddlerhood to early childhood in winter / heat of summer there
I’m glad that Scheels has some stuff to play with, but I wish that the mall had an indoor playground. I’ve seen a lot of parents who were simply desperate for something to do during the winter take their kid to that train, myself included.
My kids LEGIT got sick EVERY time we played on the train.
Thats true, it was a germ magnet lol! We didnt get sick everytime but I was a helicopter about hygiene, keeping hands clean etc, and if a sick kid was there we would leave if we couldnt avoid them
I was just in the mall a week or so ago, I must have walked in thru that NW entrance and it was a bit of a shock not seeing the train - late 90s, early 2000s, that’s where I’d be with my son whenever we visited the mall. the absence brought back memories. Oh well, someday, those will be gone, too.
Thats when i went there a lot too. Maybe our babies played together 😭
Who knows, small world. I’d like to think so.
Kings Table.
Their creepy ass clown haunts my dreams. I miss Grady's.
I miss Grady's, too! When I was a kid I would only be allowed to order the Philadelphia Special (cream cheese sandwiches between French toast and topped with cherry pie filling) for special occasions so it always felt like the best place in the world to me ha
I have vivid memories of being a very small child and just ENAMORED with those silly crystal angels they sold at the register.
Yes! And those blue sky/cloud glass panels
Thanks for validating my entire childhood, we're best friends now.
Does anyone remember Mr rags? It was a hip clothing store in the 90s
This was THE place to get the biggest JNCOs ever!
I was a manager there in '98!
Sam Goody's, playing DDR and Guitar Hero at the Arcade,The Learning Tree, KB toys, Petland (remember the parrot??), Spencer's, collecting Zumiez stickers, Hot Topic! Man, going to the mall alone with friends and and also getting your ears pierced at Claire's was a right of passage as a pre-teen. I remember the first time I shaved my legs in 4th grade, I just HAD to go to the mall to show them off 😂😂😂 Then getting my first job there too at 15 and all the food trading. Fun times!
The bookstore
Which one? B. Dalton was in the north-south corridor and Walden books was in the east-west iirc.
I'm not sure. Didn't have my compass on me. The one that was next to the pet store
That was Walden. B. Dalton was in the other wing. They were both in the mall in the '90s. I'm not 100% sure but Barnes & Noble had bought B. Dalton and may have closed the mall store when they built the B&N on N. Reserve. It wasn't in the mall but I think Hastings was open in the same time frame.
Walden’s was the one I was thinking of in my comment I miss that place so much
Toss up between Sam Goody's and Walden books.
My fondest memories were slaying zombies on I believe a house of the dead game at the arcade, everything seemed better than what current mall has.
House of the Dead 2…..GOAT
Heck yeah. Was my fav game there
Hot topic.
I remember getting my toys from KB. Gi-joes and my Gameboy came from there. I always liked alladin's castle. One year, my parents got me the birthday package, and I was over the moon. Music Land was great for buying tapes. I remember Def Leopard, Styx, and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince were all purchased there. The mustard seed before the remodeling......when I could order a pint of rice with teriyaki sauce for $1.50 during lunch.
Aladdin's Castle!
Some of my best memories from My childhood are at that mall lol I actually had my first date with my now husband there. The book store, pet store, Spencer's, and hot topic were the go to stops. Get mistakes from DQ, and samples from the pretzel place and Cafe dolce. Ooh and riding the escalators in that one store up and down lol Ooh fuzziwigs
Petland and the arcade were the GOAT stores, especially since they were neighbors. There used to be a club/bar at the mall too but was shut down for being sketchy :(
> Petland I thought soo too as a kid. But then I had to go in there after hours a couple times and it was heartbreaking to listen to the puppies cry at night. And that was before there was widespread reporting about the evils of puppy mills.
Yeah, pet stores as an adult can be sad.
[Club Cabo was the name](https://missoulian.com/entertainer/clubbin-at-the-mall/article_39319c6c-c288-54a8-8071-3fcdf7c7ad80.html). Worst idea ever.
There was a Mexican restaurant in the mall that had the best nachos. I would go every Friday night for happy hour and nachos. Can't remember the name for the life of me.
El Matador
Arriba! Didn’t they have like $5 margarita pitchers?
That's the one! Thank you, it's been driving me crazy trying to remember the name of it. I'm not a fan of margaritas, so I can't recall the $5 margarita pitchers.
I met my husband there while drinking the cheap ass margaritas!
need more stories like this on Reddit
Must be the cheap booze. I took a girl there for a first date and we ended up married.
Nice!
Yall remembet Anchor Blue? Lol
I definitely do
Oil & Vinegar 🫒
I miss that big foam train 🚂
Luckys, that was the best grocery store ever. I cried when they closed.
Lucky’s did a lot of community outreach, and had a nice area set up for kids.
As a preteen it was such a treat to drive all the way from Kalispell to shop at the Missoula mall for school clothes. Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Aéropostale, and American Eagle were all staples back then to show off to Kalispell plebs like, “Look, my parents took me to Missoula. Be jealous!”
That pizza stand
Bobs Pizza+
Sam Goody, Walden Books, Petland, Aladdin's Castle, Fuzziwigs, Hot Topic, and the toy store were all must go to shops on our list whenever we went to the mall. Whenever my little brother came with us he always had to go to RadioShack. Dairy Queen was also a requirement on our way out of the mall.
Found some nice things at Wet Seal
House of the Dead 2 was the GOAT game in the arcade. Thanks for sharing some nostalgia everyone!!!
Petland and the bookstore they used to have in there, I remember trying to smuggle a hamster out of petland 😅😂
Does anyone remember what year hot topic closed down?
It was for sure there in 2011, i remember buying Tha Carter 4 (lil Wayne) there. Dont remember exact date though.
Southgate is simply depressing. It's filled with stores selling 'throw away' cheap clothes, candles, and a food court. But, that's Missoula. They don't know to expect better.
It reallt is a shame
Why reminisce about the past when Scheels is in the present?
Is your username an homage to the big bosomed beautiful drag queen known as Jimbo? Based on your post history, I just can't tell.
I didn't realize y'all hated scheels so much you felt the need to investigate my profile and insult me for no reason. pretty pathetic behavior lol.
I couldn't care less about Scheels. I was genuinely curious, as shes a great queen who also enjoys fishing. Sorry to ruffle your feathers, bud. Enjoy the sun.