Ever Wonder What Happened To Oakdale Mall’s Aladdin’s Castle?

It seems like every time that I drive by the Oakdale Mall/Oakdale Commons in Johnson City, something new is happening outside. I think it's fantastic that the Mall/Commons is coming back to life after it looked like it would be left for dead.

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Recently, I was at the Mall/Commons for my twice-a-year hair cut and I had a lovely conversation with my hair stylist. She was very excited about the new businesses that are coming and hopes that it will help foot traffic for them.

I know her brush isn't a magic wand but she did a great job with my hair. During the conversation, we got talking about some of the businesses that used to be at the mall including Copperfields, the movie theater and Aladdin's Castle.

Glenn's Haircut From The Oakdale Mall Hair Salon

Apparently she could hear the excitement in my voice when I started talking about Aladdin's Castle. I was talking about how we would make the half hour trip to the mall and play video games and pinball for an hour or two at a time.

I still have a few Aladdin's Castle tokens. They were worth a quarter then, I wonder how much they're worth now? Aladdin's Castle may have left the mall long ago but until last year, it was still around. I had no idea when I was growing up that there were other locations and that any were still open.

Hey kid's, here's your chance to see how your parents and grandparents used to play video games.

Aladdin's Castle Memories

The first Aladdin’s Castle arcade opened in 1969 at the Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL. At it's peak, there were 450 locations throughout the United State. Then like so many other businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and brought an end to an era. when the last Aladdin's Castle closed in May of 2022  in Quincy, Illinois.

I don't know for sure when Aladdin's Castle left the Oakdale Mall. I'm sad that I didn't know before that there were any Aladdin's Castles that were still in existence, I would have enjoyed taking a trip to those locations and a trip down memory lane. It brings a smile to my face, just thinking about it now.

Former Oakdale Mall Stores

So do you remember Aladdin's Castle at the mall? How about Copperfields,, the movie theater or Orange Julius? I'll help to jog your memory, here are some other stores that used to be at the Oakdale Mall. How many of them do you remember?