20 Things Worcester Kids Born in the 80s Grew Up With That No Longer Exist
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Sunday, July 23, 2017
GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team
If you were born in Worcester in the 1980s, you've witnessed some serious changes over the last thirty-plus years. You've seen multiple closings of small movie theaters and the openings of multi-screen movieplex-type theaters, neighborhood branch libraries be absorbed into one Worcester Public Library, the closing of several popular department stores, and the slow demise of video stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video in favor of Netflix and On Demand.
SEE SLIDES BELOW: 20 Things Worcester Kids Born in the '80s Grew Up With That No Longer Exist
On the plus side, you're from Worcester and people from Worcester tend to be nostalgic about the good ol' days. GoLocalWorcester has put together a list of 20 things that were cornerstones of Worcester kids born in the 80s. From amusement parks, family restaurants, and clothing stores to arcades, malls and other hangouts, GoLocal is hoping to give you a blast of the past.
Here are the 20 things Worcester kids born in the 1980s grew up with that no longer exist:
Related Slideshow: 20 Things ‘80s Worcester Kids Grew Up With That No Longer Exist
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#20
Pizza Hut at South Plaza on Grafton Street
Calling all bookworms!
Back in the 80s, at elementary schools throughout the city, the Worcester Public School system had a reading program called Bookworms. Every book a student read would go towards earning that student a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut.
The one that doesn't exist now, where Building #19 used to be on Grafton Street, was quite the place. If you lived on Grafton Hill, you saw all your friends there drinking soda from the same red plastic cup you were.
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#19
Little Theater
The sign still hangs outside and the City Council has recently made a push to look into salvaging and restoring it.
A haven for field trips and Saturday afternoon performances, the Little Theater held 500 people.
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#18
Webster Square Cinema
A twin-cinema (or two screens), Webster Square Cinema is now home to Sun N' Sound. How it existed with such a small amount of parking available is baffling.
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#17
Caldor
Caldor screams retail nostalgia.
Worcester kids born in the 80s also witnessed it become Ames...and then close again.
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#16
Showcase Cinema Downtown
Before Showcase North Cinemas opened, this place was the epi-center of movie going in Worcester. Compared to Webster Square and White City, this place was luxurious. It was an old theater with an enormous screen and its lobby was pristine...for a while.
It's now home to the highly successful Hanover Theatre.
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#15
Zayre
Thanks to T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, Zayre came and went rather quickly in Worcester. It made its home at Beaver Brook.
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#14
ShBoom's
No we are not talking about that ShBoom's they put under a parking garage (which is now home to Mezcal). We are talking about the Shbooms that used be on Main Street (now where the new Worcester courthouse is).
This is the Shboom's where women danced on top of a car that was a DJ booth, and the Shboom's where every Sweet 16 ever thrown in Worcester was held.
And where 21 and under nights was an actual thing.
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#13
McDonald's Playland on Grafton Street
Your timeouts were in the jail of the Hamburglar. And you had two options with your Happy Meal: Hamburger or Cheeseburger.
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#12
Ricky's Putt Stop
An indoor mini-golf course on James Street was the host of many birthday parties. Stop the fun.
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#11
Abdow's Big Boy
What kid could resist the Grilled Cheese and Fries? It was $1.99 so the parents loved it too.
Slosh it all down with a giant chocolate milk and call it a day.
Hit up the gumball machine on the way out.
Now it's home to Moe's.
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#10
White City Cinemas
Red shag carpet as far as the eye can see. And two floors!
The blue and white striped building across the bridge in Shrewsbury was the second largest movie theater in the area for a long time.
However, like the others, Showcase North opened up and took them all down. This one lasted the longest and closed in the late 1990s.
They knocked it down and put a Jimmy's Tavern in and a Thai place.
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#9
The Ground Round
This place didn't close too long ago. And it was a great 1-2 punch with White City Cinemas across the street.
On your birthday, your meal cost your height in inches.
Watch out for the clowns though.
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#8
Dream Machine at Worcester Galleria
What kid from the 80s didn't go to school with at least one Dream Machine token? The place was addicting.
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#7
Millbury Amusements
Now home to Rt 146, MIllbury Amusements had batting cages, bumper cars and a driving range.
You can leave your car there overnight now to carpool with co-workers.
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#6
Worcester Galleria/Common Outlets
A street runs through where the Fashion Outlets used to be. This was the best hang out place in the city. And that's what probably led to its downfall. All the kids were there, but none of them had any money on them.
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#5
Playland on Stafford Street
Formerly located on Stafford Street, this was the place to have your birthday party in elementary school. It was like Chuck E Cheese, but without the rules...and the giant mouse.
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#4
Whalom Park
That roller coaster was a little wobbly, but it was totally worth it to have an amusement park so close.
Just shoot up I-190 North and you'll be there in 45 or less.
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#3
Discovery Zone
Thanks a lot, Trader Joe's. DZ was better than Chuck E Cheese and Playland combined.
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#2
Spag's
Spag's invented discounted pricing. And for the longest time, they didn't even give you bags for what you bought. But they had literally everything you could possibly need all under a few roofs.
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#1
Maurice the Pants Man
Maurcie the Pants Man...he's got more pants. Much more! Clothes for guys, clothes for girls...and kids stuff too!
The sidewalk sales were absolutely amazing. And if you didn't get your Starter jacket here, you were getting ripped off elsewhere.
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