Author: /u/HtownTouring

Anyone know of any rubber surface running tracks around here that’s open to the public? Basically trying to avoid running on gravel / concrete.

As a native Houstonian born in 1995, it’s shocking to me watching home videos from the past and realizing how much the city has changed in such a short period of time. It’s almost like watching videos of myself from a past life. I wanted to share some sights/sounds of places other Houstonians might remember from not long ago and reminisce about what life was like growing up in Houston circa 2000s.

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• Hermann Park would be hosting their annual Holiday Lights in the park. This was free, unrelated to the zoo, and from what I remember, pretty well done. They legit lit up the entire park. I think they had the old trains back then, the ones that smelt like putrid diesel in that old train station that ran through the dark tunnel with the puppets inside. This was also the time we had the Southern Pacific 982 train displayed next to the old train station (which was subsequently moved to Minute Maid Park). Unfortunately due to budgetary constraints, Hermann Park discontinued this holiday tradition in 2007. Here are the only photos I can find from the web: http://www.texasexplorer.com/HermannParkHolidayLights.htm

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• Six Flags AstroWorld finished up the season with FrightFest last month. Can’t recall if they ever did holiday in the park. If you visited during FrightFest, you’d hear the sounds of laughter and screaming amidst the roar of Texas Cyclone and the creepily faint midi-format music that played throughout the park. Somehow the 70-ish acres felt a heck of a lot bigger back then. The lines, treacherous, and the smell of sweat glazed the seats aboard the Viper and Greezed Lightnin’. Six Flags, nearing bankruptcy in 2005, decided to raze the property and sell the land. It’s last day of operation was October 30, 2005. Since then, it’s been an empty flat parking overflow for the rodeo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXB4wyv9rsE&ab_channel=KennyRyman

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• FunPlex in Alief was the birthday destination. In the late 90s/early 2000s, it felt like an endless oasis for a kid to have fun. In the back of the building you had a large indoor minigolf (although totally not as cool as the glow-in-the-dark minigolf that was where LA Fitness is today at Marq). There were a bunch of rides (I think there still are), but the coolest thing was the eerie two level play port which has now been converted to a bar. In the summer, you’d spend the days at Adventure Bay, the full scale water park next door that had everything you’d ever want in a water park (and it being so close to home was amazing). Master Blaster, several tube slides, a peaceful lazy river, and an amusing wave pool to name a few. FunPlex has exchanged a few hands since then and Adventure Bay was shut down around 2005-2006. It’s now the site of a retirement home. http://www.famecitywaterworks.com/

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• Speaking of birthday destinations, before the likes of Main Event, we had LaserQuest on Westheimer — the only laser tag spot with a giant pumpkin. Or perhaps if Chuck E Cheese was a bit too mainstream as a kid, there was Eatza Pizza on Dairy Ashford with a whole stage where you might get to catch a magic show as you ate and played arcade games. But if you grew up on the west side, you most likely remember Exhilarama at Memorial City Mall. In the food court, before Sultan Pepper and Chipotle took its place, we had Tilt — a small arcade with a shooting gallery. Prior to ~2007 when the mall underwent a massive remodel, behind that shooting gallery (and in what is now JCPenny’s) we had Exhilarama — a slew of indoor attractions, laser tag, carnival games, and inflatables the likes of which you probably haven’t seen inside a mall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga_658FkhVE&ab_channel=MarylynPeklenk

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• Speaking of Memorial City Mall — it’s changed significantly. You might remember the old play area with the sugar plum house and holiday themed props in the center rotunda between Target and (formerly) Sears. Well before this was here, there was a nice water fountain display in this area (which I haven’t been able to find the photos to but really wish I could). In fact, before the massive remodel in 2007, I can’t find any photos from the inside. When I worked security for the mall around 2016, I was explained the pipes from this display are still in place under the ground here. They removed the play area sometime around 2013 and opened a new one (Frolic’s Castle) just next to the old Sears location around 2016. Here’s a fun fact: the mall still keeps the props and displays from the old play area in the old Sun & Ski spot (which is now a large storage room) located just south of Target. Also interesting to see, in some of the mall corridors (particularly the corridor next to the mall doors that lead directly to Frolic’s castle) are tiles and wall accents that were in place before the 2007 remodel. In fact, apparently MetroNational built over all the old tiles/flooring and walls instead of stripping them and starting over.

Getting a bit overwhelmed with all the the memories. What do you remember from this time period?