matt24

Fame City was a very nice place to go the first few years it was open. I grew up in Katy and we often frequented Fame City in the mid to late 80's. (I definitely remember being there in late '86, but not sure how long before that it was opened.) People from all over went there the first few years and it was a clean, fun safe place for at least the first few years. It was always crowded when I was there in the 80's - don't know much after that. We went back in the mid 90's and it was a completely different place - run-down, dirty, shops closed, etc... I know it still functions some as some high schools still hold their Project Graduations there.

In its heyday, I remember the following things:

-a large bowling alley

-3 movie screens showing 1st run movies

-a roller rink

-bumper car basketball

-2 really nice indoor putt-putt courses

-laser tag

-a huge 2 story playscape with climbing towers, ball pits, slides, etc... (think fast food indoor playgrounds

on a much bigger scale

-recording studio - those that were everywhere in the 80's where you sing along to a favorite song and get a copy to keep

-teen dance club on weekends

-lots of video games/ air hockey/ small child rides/etc

-restaurants/ food vendors/ a few small shops

As you can see, there was alot to do and it was a really fun place for kids to go (this was when I was in junior high mainly). We went for birthday parties alot and for long days in the summer when it was too hot to be outside. We didn't go much in high school (don't really remember why - probably too far for a Friday night trip/ other interests then/ spent more time at Astroworld instead), so it was a long time before I went back. By then (1996-7 ish), it was run down and only had the main stuff open - roller rink, putt-putt, and bowling alley. The movie theatre then showed foreign films instead (think Bollywood) and it was all run down. We haven't been back since.

Fame City Water Works/ Adventure Bay was a nice little water park for a 4-5 hour visit back in the day. I always had a good time, but haven't been there in probably 12 years or more. The clientele at both went way down over the years and I didn't always feel safe there anymore. It's a shame b/c I have great memories of hanging out there with friends. Kids these days are different - it's all about personal video game systems, computers, etc... They don't get out and play (in the truest sense of the word) these days. It saddens me when I see another amusement place close (RIP...Astroworld, Malibu Castle Golf and Games, Waterworld/ Adventure Bay, Games People Play, Mountasia, etc...). I think kids are missing out on some great memories and lots of fun with friends. We were always on the go... dollar movies, sand volleyball games, poker nights, putt-putt, bowling, amusement parks, zoo, beach, Malibu grand prix, etc... The kids I know now spend much of their time playing video games at home, IM, on My Space, etc.... I know they hang out, but it's so different. I hope when our son is older the cycle has changed and his friends enjoy being outside and being kids.

I'm sorry I got off topic at the end, but it feels good to rant and let it out -lol. Have a great weekend all!

Thanks for the update. Good point on todays kids and video games. I agree. That's interesting!! I used to frequent the Games People Play on 1960 back in the early 80's. I have fond memories of that place. I;d love to find some pictures.

Does anyone at all remember Scooby Doo's Pipe Organ Pizza? It was located in the Greenspoint area of town from the late 1970's through the early 80's. The shut it down and a Biraperetti's occupied the space for a few years. Every time I go by there now the space is empty.

Pipe Organ Pizza was a wonderland when I was a child. The pipe organ was centered in the front of the building but a string of mechanical things winded around the walls and you could see them operate through a glass window. Drum sets, trumpets etc could be controlled via the pipe organ as well. Unfortunately, it got to the point where the costumed characters would only appear on the weekends. During the week a screen would come down and run cartoons and 3-stooges films during the organists break.

They did have a great video arcade for the time. This was the first place I ever say a Pac-Man game machine...probably around 1981 or so.

The one thing I really remember is a giant, purple "Dino" (front the Flintstones) head and neck the was attached to the wall. It was mechanical and moved back and forth.

I've searched Google, yahoo, eBay for years looking for any memorabilia or information on this place and have come up empty. Most people I talk to don't even thing it ever existed. I'm not sure if this was a chain or a single place...but I would guess a chain due to the licensing and everything.

Anyways, any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I think there was one off of 1960 sometime between 1978-1983. I used to love to play the "Excite Bike" arcade game there. I think it lost alot of business when a Showbiz opened a block or two over.

I remember Games People Play out on F.M. 1960. Awesome 80's hangout! It had a killer arcade... I can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of all those arcade machines and the smell of hotdogs and nachos. They had bowling type games with small hard balls (I got into trouble a few times for running up the thing and throwing my ball in the big point slot,,, so I could get those tickets to trade for crappy junk). The best thing at Games People Play were the waterslides. Three of them. You had to walk (I ran) up this wood staircase that winded upward to what seemd to me (a kid at the time) to go WAY up and it was slippery and damn I fell and busted my ass a lot. At the top of this thing you waited in line (or if you were lucky and no line was present you could run and jump right in) on a platform with wood walls and no roof. Man I remember the LEGEND of the kid who cut his back on the pipe and had to get alot of stiches. I was scared going down, sometimes wondering where it happened. If it ever did lol. Those slides were a blast. After being out in the hot (and bright) sun you walked into the arcade/food area inside and it was kinda cave like, dark but lit by golden/yellow lights and arcade screens. I remember it was real cold in the arcade from the A/C after coming in from the slides. Dude the bumper boats were round and there was a cement island with grass in the middle (I think), and coins in the nasty water. I actually saw a life guard go in there and swim after something some girl had dropped out of her boat lol. Go-Carts with a pretty cool track, Putt-Putt golf, and some batting cages out back. Yeah that place rocked. Nothing left now but a skeleton. The slides are sort-of still there and parts/pices of the putt-putt area. Very overgrown. The sign was still there (old and faded) until this last year. They took the sign down and put up a for-sale sign in it's metal frame (on the tall steel post). I'm sad to think they just threw it in the trash. R.I.P. Games People Play. Anyway, if anyone has pics please share them! I may build a small (permanent) tribute site dedicated to this awesome 80's hangout. "Stay Gold" and keep those memories alive!

Glad to see your post. You brought back some great memories. I posted earlier about GPP. GPP "was" an awesome 80's hangout - straight out of something like "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"! I remember all those sounds too in that arcade - FUNNY. Let us know if you do a site or find some pics - I'd love to see them.

Great Tex Mex:

1. Cyclone Anayas!!!

2. Lupe Tortillas - Fajitas!! Salsa is different, but good!

3. Original Ninfas

4. Cafe Adobe

5. Tin Star is really good and really fresh!! Highly reccommend this place!

6. Escalantes - pretty good

Berryhill - not a huge fan of this chain.

Chillis sucks!

Chipotle - sick of it. I prefer Freebirds

I remember "Texas Tumbleweeds". I ate there alot with my parents back in the early 80's. There was one off 1960 close to the old North Oaks Mall. As I can remember, great steaks, rolls, and homemade ranch dressing.

Used to eat at Strack Farms close to Spring. That is still there and pretty much the same. Still has the Miss Pac Man video game I used to always play.

Also remember JoJo's of 1960 - awesome desserts!!

What abour Biaperrettis(?) great itallian place. Not sure if theyare still around or not.

Maybe I am posting this in the wrong section, but I live in Meyerland and I have often wondered why we do not have a Super Walmart in the SW Houston/Meyerland area. We have a normal Walmart off of South Post Oak and 610 (which is always REALLY crowded), but not a Super WM. Anyone else think there needs to be one?

There was a Monterey House off 1960. I used to go there with my family in the early 80's. The candy was kind of like a praline, but without pecans.

I remember a really good steakhouse off of 1960 called "Texas Tumbleweed". My parents used to take us there in the early 80's. I also remember a decent mexican rest. called "Monterey House".

Anyone else remember these?

I remember that place... my cousin had every birthday there for a while.  Personally, I could take it or leave it.  It was like an amusement park inside a warehouse.  There were the bumper cars on the left, some slides it seems in the middle, a big He-Man virtual reality type thing in the middle where you went through these rooms and shot laser guns (ok, that was kind of cool), a putt-putt golf course, some of those bb guns where you try to shoot away the red circle on the target (impossible), a big video arcade on the right, and it seems like a big skating rink in the back.  I think all of that stuff was at Fame City - I might be mixing and matching from other places.  Can't believe I remember all that.

This one is more recent - anyone ever go to Physical Whimsical, at 249 and 1960, in the Mervyn's shopping center?

What about Games People Play?  There were like three water slides, and I remember one time one of them was closed down.  I heard that some kid had cut his back going over one of the seams between the sections of the slide, and from that day on I was terrified to ride down any water slide, anywhere.

Oh, last but not least... did anyone ever go out to the Oil Ranch?  I think it was off of 290, near either Waller or Hempstead.  There was a u-pick-em pumpkin patch, paddleboats, cows you could milk, and a big barn full of hay with rope swings and stuff.  You felt like the Bobbsey Twins after it was all over.  Very cool.

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I remember "Games People Play". I lived in Ponderosa Forest from 75-82 and then off of Champion Forest Drive from 82-86. I had a few birthday parties at GPP. I remember the water slides. They had a "saw mill" theme to them. I remember them being really dirty and I think I remember hearing something about that kid. One of the slides had a huge saw blade hanging over the slide and I remember older teenagers telling us kids that if we rode the slide on Halloween, the blade would come down and cut us!! I don