HOUSTON – Remember Celebration Station in Houston – that massive funplex with a myriad of arcade games, bumper boats, and quirky, albeit borderline creepy, animatronic characters? You’re not alone. Sadly, the wonderland of fun has gone the way of other Houston institutions of yesteryear like Astroworld and Exhilarama.
Though Celebration Station and its fellow fun centers are irreplaceable in their own special ways, several new Houston entertainment venues offer nostalgia-tripping locals an opportunity to relive some of the fun of their childhood.
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(Just to be clear -- Celebration Station locations still exist in five cities: Baton Rouge, La., Clearwater, Fla., Greensboro, N.C., Mesquite, Texas and Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Skip down memory lane at these Houston hotspots offering putt-putt, pinball, and family fun.
MORE: Ask 2: Is Celebration Station still around?
🕹️ High scores and good pours
Have a nostalgic hankering to flick joysticks on decades-old machines? Grown-up gamers can relive a retro childhood pastime at Cidercade, a massive arcade bar housing hundreds of new and vintage arcade games.
For a flat fee of $10, enjoy all the low-res video games of yesteryear – Centipede, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug – alongside modern marvels like Guitar Hero and Fruit Ninja. When you visit, expect a cacophony of dinging, bumping and rolling – Cidercade boasts numerous pinball machines, foosball tables and skee ball lanes.
Patrons 21 and up can imbibe the establishment’s namesake cider (it’s hard and house-made). In the parking lot, rotating food trucks serve a selection of snacks. Kids are welcome until 8 p.m.
⛳ Putt the rainbow
Puttshack, an “upscale, tech-infused” mini golf chain will open its first Texas outpost in The Highlight at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney Street in downtown Houston on April 26.
There, the company’s “Trackball” technology will keep score and display players’ progress on a digital scoreboard.
The venue will feature four nine-hole miniature golf courses, an event space, two bars serving handcrafted cocktails, and a dining area with a sizable menu featuring shareables, flatbreads, salads and sandwiches.
Kids are welcome until 8 p.m.
âšľ Brews and batting practice
Home Run Dugout, a sports bar, restaurant, and entertainment venue in Katy features indoor soft-toss baseball and offers an immersive, gamified batting cage experience suitable for sluggers of all ages and skill levels.
The 46,000-square-foot venue has 12 indoor batting bays featuring augmented reality and pitching technology that allows players to simulate their hit in any MLB stadium, including Houston’s Minute Maid Park, and digitally track the ball’s exit velocity, distance and location. Each batting bay can fit groups of up to 12 people.
Beyond the baseball experience, the venue features a full-service restaurant, concert stage, and three bars. A massive patio and biergarten wrap around the mini-field, with shaded seating, fire pits, and seating for nearly 500 guests.
The restaurant’s menu features ballpark-inspired fare, with shareables like crispy chicken sliders, smoked chicken wings, and buttermilk onion rings. A hot dog grill offers four different types of dogs, including a Chicago dog, ballpark classic, dugout dog with chili, spicy slaw, and crispy onions, and the NY classic with sauerkraut and mustard.
🏌️‍♀️Putt like a pro
PopStroke is a popular new miniature golf and casual dining concept in Katy.
Tiger Woods co-owns the chain of mini-golf courses. Each of Woods’ Popstroke locations feature two 18-hole putting courses that incorporate the undulations, fairways, bunkers, and roughs seen on traditional golf courses.
The entertainment venues also offer food, craft beer, wine, cocktails and ice cream that can be delivered during play.
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