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Town & Country Mall Ice Haus Skating Rink At 12850 Memorial Dr.


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I was recently sent a blooper clip of a commercial being recorded for a place called the Ice House (possibly Haus) that was open during the 70's when we had the WHA Houston Aeros.

It would have been in the Town & Country Village.

It sounded like an indoor ice-themed amusement and activity park.

Does anyone remember this place or have any info on it?

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I was recently sent a blooper clip of a commercial being recorded for a place called the Ice House (possibly Haus) that was open during the 70's when we had the WHA Houston Aeros.

It would have been in the Town & Country Village.

It sounded like an indoor ice-themed amusement and activity park.

Does anyone remember this place or have any info on it?

Can you put the clip on here for us ?

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  • 6 years later...

Does anyone remember the Ice Haus Skating Rink in Town & Country in the mid to late seventies?

I was a big Aeros fan when I was a kid and played hockey there, as well as seeing the Aeros practice there occasionally, and at Sharpstown Ice Center.

I have googled everything I can think of, but can find no info, history or photos of The Ice Haus, which is strange because usually one can find something at least?

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I took lessons there from 1972 to 1974. In the summer of 74, a tornado took off part of the roof. After it was repaired and the rink re-opened, it had new management. I resumed my lessons, but the atmosphere was entirely different. They combined my adult ice dancing class with one full of teenagers. It was not fun any more, so I quit soon after. It stayed open for a few more years, but I think they closed it down before they tore down the building to build Town & Country mall.

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I remember that there was also an antique/flea market mall, with vendors having stalls within, on the south side of this building. We would stroll around, looking at all the stuff for sale. The site where the building stood is now where townhomes have been built, to the west of the post office.

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  • 6 months later...

I used to work at the Ice Haus in Town and Country Village back in the seventies. I also played junior hockey and later in a men's league. I have many memories of the Ice Haus and a lot of wonderful people who worked and visited there. Not only do I remember the tornado that came through the area, but I was in the rink getting ready for a game when it hit. I could see the roof trusses rise up and settle back down as the tornado passed overhead. It eventually went across the parking lot to the hotel across the way and sucked all the windows out of the back of the building. I still have the newspaper clipping from the Houston Chronicle discussing the incident which included a picture of the entry to the Ice Haus. All the information about the farmers market next door is correct. They used to open the doors between the market and the rink to allow shoppers to come in and watch the skaters. The building was not torn down, but converted into a Post Office. If you're interested I can post the picture I mentioned.

 

To great memories.

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  • 2 months later...

The Ice Haus was started by two friends of mine, Paul Brust and Bill Lund. They had the idea and got a couple of investors, W Howell III, I think, and E.Z. Jones to put up the funds. I worked for them as an assistant, and then for Peter Luffred when he took it over. I have many fond memories of working and playing hockey there. For a Canadian like myself, what a thrill it was to skate with the Aeros after their practices! I even got to be on the ice with Gordie Howe! Ranger 13, I probably know you, so get in touch!

Edited by Lauberge49
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  • 2 years later...

Glad I found this thread.  I too was there for the tornado, in the dressing room.  Don't recall if we were getting ready or had just finished, but I do recall a young lady who was standing by the front door got showered in glass when it blew out and they rushed her to the dressing room, stripped her down and put her in the shower to try to wash off what they could.  Conflicting emotions for a hormone-ravaged teenager, to be sure.

 

I too played hockey there from the day it opened till I went off to college in 1976.  Worked there off and on also.  I'm betting some of us here know each other.  Met some of my heroes from childhood up north... Gordie, Bobby Hull and others.  Had some interesting experiences when they practiced there, such as the time I was sweeping behind the bench and goalie Don McCleod skated over in a panic and says "hey kid, I need Bobby, go find him, quick".  Bobby was Bobby Brown the trainer.  I track him down and say Don's in trouble, so he runs over to the bench and McCleod tells Bobby to get him a cigarette RIGHT NOW!  I thought that was hilarious; different times for sure.  

 

One thing I know is that it was torn down for the post office.  I remember being around when they built that as it struck me as a really cool building for a PO.  It was situated slightly east of IH and probably overlapped it's footprint a little bit. 

 

What I was searching for when I landed here was someplace I can purchase a copy of that photo from the Post/Chron archives or elsewhere.  Reason being that I am in that photo and still have an old copy plucked from the paper.  Found it recently when searching for something else, and it's getting pretty brown now almost 42 years later.  If anybody had any leads on that, I would be most appreciative.

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  • 1 year later...
On 8/28/2013 at 0:33 AM, ranger13 said:

I used to work at the Ice Haus in Town and Country Village back in the seventies. I also played junior hockey and later in a men's league. I have many memories of the Ice Haus and a lot of wonderful people who worked and visited there. Not only do I remember the tornado that came through the area, but I was in the rink getting ready for a game when it hit. I could see the roof trusses rise up and settle back down as the tornado passed overhead. It eventually went across the parking lot to the hotel across the way and sucked all the windows out of the back of the building. I still have the newspaper clipping from the Houston Chronicle discussing the incident which included a picture of the entry to the Ice Haus. All the information about the farmers market next door is correct. They used to open the doors between the market and the rink to allow shoppers to come in and watch the skaters. The building was not torn down, but converted into a Post Office. If you're interested I can post the picture I mentioned.

 

To great memories.

Very nice info! I did double check historicaerials.com and the post office was, indeed, a new build (I believe in time for the 1976 Bicentennial - I also believe that building has its same red and blue paint job from 1976, much deteriorated), just to the east of the ice rink/antique mall building. The area where the old ice rink building was became redeveloped into the glitzy Town & Country Mall of the 1980's. I looks like a parking garage took over most of the space. You can see it all on historicaerials.com

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On 1/15/2016 at 7:56 AM, TwainMark said:

Glad I found this thread.  I too was there for the tornado, in the dressing room.  Don't recall if we were getting ready or had just finished, but I do recall a young lady who was standing by the front door got showered in glass when it blew out and they rushed her to the dressing room, stripped her down and put her in the shower to try to wash off what they could.  Conflicting emotions for a hormone-ravaged teenager, to be sure.

 

I too played hockey there from the day it opened till I went off to college in 1976.  Worked there off and on also.  I'm betting some of us here know each other.  Met some of my heroes from childhood up north... Gordie, Bobby Hull and others.  Had some interesting experiences when they practiced there, such as the time I was sweeping behind the bench and goalie Don McCleod skated over in a panic and says "hey kid, I need Bobby, go find him, quick".  Bobby was Bobby Brown the trainer.  I track him down and say Don's in trouble, so he runs over to the bench and McCleod tells Bobby to get him a cigarette RIGHT NOW!  I thought that was hilarious; different times for sure.  

 

One thing I know is that it was torn down for the post office.  I remember being around when they built that as it struck me as a really cool building for a PO.  It was situated slightly east of IH and probably overlapped it's footprint a little bit. 

 

What I was searching for when I landed here was someplace I can purchase a copy of that photo from the Post/Chron archives or elsewhere.  Reason being that I am in that photo and still have an old copy plucked from the paper.  Found it recently when searching for something else, and it's getting pretty brown now almost 42 years later.  If anybody had any leads on that, I would be most appreciative.

I have an original, promotional Houston Aeros hockey puck from the 1970's :)

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12 hours ago, detached said:

Very nice info! I did double check historicaerials.com and the post office was, indeed, a new build (I believe in time for the 1976 Bicentennial - I also believe that building has its same red and blue paint job from 1976, much deteriorated), just to the east of the ice rink/antique mall building. The area where the old ice rink building was became redeveloped into the glitzy Town & Country Mall of the 1980's. I looks like a parking garage took over most of the space. You can see it all on historicaerials.com

Where the ice rink was (a long narrow building) is now the Rosastone Trail townhomes. A parking garage WAS on the space, but during the construction of CityCentre's first phase, part of it was torn down.

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  • The title was changed to Town & Country Mall Ice Haus Skating Rink
  • 2 months later...

When I moved with my family up that way to Sherwood Oaks from Clear Lake CityI, I  took a job at the old Ice Haus in 1976 or '77, I think it was, as a skateguard---they hired me even though I didn't know how to skate! Anyway, I met ALL of my buds there---hockey players---and even my girl, Elaine. What a great hang-out for us guys and there was always a party to head over to. Great days.

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  • The title was changed to 2

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