13 Responses to “Zack Periwinkle's”

1. Jester, said:

   This place closed closer to 1990...I remember having my 8th birthday there in 1988.

2. Morpheus, said:

   Yeah, this place closed in the late 1980's.

3. Jeff, said:

   Zack Periwinkle's was located in Dickson City, Lackawanna County, PA. I was told by someone recently that it was located in the current United Artisits cinema building in the Kmart Plaza on Route 6, the Scranton/Carbondale Highway.

   All the replies above are correct. I was still going to parties there at age 6, which would be 1988-89.

   Anyone have any photos? Do you remember:
   -the singing bears on stage
   -the carpeted tunnels under the stage with the boat windows
   -the ball pit
   -the roller-scooter rink
   -the cieling mounted swing seats that traced around the perimeter of the playroom
   -the rope bridge
   -make-your-own-sundae bar
   -the pizza??

   Submitted 6/29/09

4. Ikedog, said:

   I definitlly remember the urban legends about kids breaking bones on the awing ride.

5. NT3, said:

   I still have a few of these tokens, I have no idea how or why.

   But yes, I remember going there for the pizza and my dad having to chase me through the tunnels to get me to eat. I also remember the singing bears.

   I was supposed to have my 5th birthday party there but when we got there the parking lot was empty and the doors chained shut. We went to the Ponderosa. Worst birthday ever.

6. Kate, said:

   Hello all. Does anyone have any pictures? I would love to see some! This may sound crazy but the past couple weeks I have been dreaming about this place. That is how I got started researching it. This is actually the ONLY thing I found online! Where is everything?? Thanks in advance!

7. bekah, said:

   I remember having my 5th birthday party there...and I remember my mom taking me there from time to time with my sister and brothers whom are a few years older...I remember the rumor that went around when it closed was that they found a little kid who sufforcated in the play balls....which I think is false...but I asked my mom what happened today when I took my 4 year old to chucke cheese and she said that there was lice in the balls...haha...

   But I remember being so scared to go in the black room with the flashing lights and it leaves imprints on the walls of your hands....hated that thing...and the swing that went all around the play area and the steps that seemed to go up forever that overlooked everything....and how at the time I thought the place was absolutley huge!

   To this day, everytime I drive by kmart I wish it was still open...so my son can see what a true play center is really like!!

8. Jim, said:

   I was just talking about this place to a co worker if mine this morning..i loved it when i went there..ashame the place closed

9. Morpheus, said:

   My uncle used to own this place. I spent a good amount of time there as a kid. It was actually located on the left side of the current Kmart building. Kmart expanded and took over this place. The place closed due to financial reasons and no kid died there. I do have some photos around.

10. megan, said:

    just talking to friends about this this place. loved it!! i was probably only 5 when it closed but i remember the red carpeted tubes, the bears, and i actually still have a coin! i'd love to see pics, great place!!!

11. Andrea, said:

    Yes Zack Periwinkles opened up shortly after Chuck E Cheese closed down. All of the slides and the stage was from Chuck E Cheese they just kept everything there when they went out of business. They were carpeted tunnels under the stage and there were seats you could sit on that moved up and down. The swing that went around the play area rocked.. Unless you didn't get a good run for take off... then you got stuck and crashed into the next person. I loved the room where you went in, it was dark, the lights started to flash, and then you image was on the wall of the room. The Ball pit was awesome too when you ran out of tokens you just went into the balls and dug around on the bottom... LOL Man those were the days.

12. Kevin, said:

    Is anyone willing to part with a token - I know the family that used to own Zack's and would love to surprise my friend with a token.

    kdevers@hotmail.com

13. brian, said:

    I was around 5-7 yrs old(born 83) or maybe younger and I remember the singing bears and some type of maze. Everyone I ever ask never heard of this place. I guess we're special people. Lol

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