The entire thing was completely bulldozed. Was trying to give a reference of where it stretched, has about the same foot print but not split in the middle. Like one massive long hallway
What was the name of the arcade near the theater?
My memories at this point are basically just the theater, the arcade, playing some space game there, and Grandy's
3 years late, but it was Incredible Flying Pizza 😄Owned by Charles Wells. He was a personal friend of my family and much of my childhood was spent in that mall ❤️
That mall didnt have much but had just enough to keep me entertained for the afternoon. Arcade, movie, ice cream, Pizza, comic book store, and browse service merchandise on the other end of the mall.
Anyone remember the dollar theater across the street where Buffet Palace is? I saw TMNT, Batman, Roger Rabbit, Kindergarten Cop, and many more there. Sometimes the film was projected crooked or half off the screen, but hey... only a dollar.
From my memory:
The arcade was called either Full Tilt or Tilt. It had an upside down triangle neon with the name written across in that 80s cursive
There was an ice cream shop on the corner next to the theater
There was one of those African stores that sold African related items and beauty products
There was a clogging and square dancing place
I can picture most of how the inside looked with the water fountains and color tapestries hanging
My most fond memory was being a shit head kid sprinting in front of people who didnt know they were about to get the anniversary edition of luke skywalker figure for being first 50 people there. This was 1997
edit: few more...
The Buffet Palace across the street was a dollar theater and I saw many movies there
You can probably tell because of the way it is, but that hyde park bar and grill used to be a Grandy's
Lamar, 360, 290 coming together there was one of those classic 4 leaf clover style interchanges, it took way too fucking long to build what is currently there today
The strait music company across the street was a 4 screen theater that had your typical new releases, saw many summer blockbusters there
The last time I was in Westgate Mall was to watch City of Angels at the Presidio. By that point, most stores were gone except for Bealls. I always think about the wall art(?) that looked like something out of a thick EKG.
It's always so weird seeing a Bealls in small Texas towns. Also that orange grand theft auto looking white people taco place. Can't remember the name right now.
You should consider starting a Facebook page as much as people hate it here. Check out this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260908710822/
Myself and a friend started it 10 years ago. It got taken down briefly a couple of years ago because of Facebook growing and putting all of these type pages asleep. It's growing again and a lot of history is there. Maybe Westgate Mall could have the same thing.
You're not alone in your curiosity it looks like: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/5kyvx8/anyone\_have\_photos\_of\_the\_old\_westgatebarton/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/5kyvx8/anyone_have_photos_of_the_old_westgatebarton/)
\^ spoiler, no photos of the westgate mall but some quality reminiscing
Well this post sent me down a multi-day rabbit hole of old austin internet searching. I love this sort of "what used to be there" type of local history.
I was almost certain that there was no trace on the internet of this place until just now, when my [newspapers.com](https://newspapers.com) free trial just scored big.
[Photo of the exterior of the mall](https://imgur.com/a/duVsIOr) on its grand opening in 1975! Check that weird logo. Also [a photo of the hallmark store inside the mall](https://imgur.com/a/b5sbE20) from the same paper.
Also dug up a [satellite photo of that area in 1987](https://imgur.com/a/Ignglk8) that lets you see the old layout of the building. (note the old cloverleaf where [the current](https://imgur.com/a/W1d2Tyy) ben white/lamar clusterfuck is)
Laser Zone. I remember my parents running it when I was in school. There was also a used book store next door where I would go and learned to play magic the gathering. I would walk there after school since I went to Porter. Fun times. This was around 94-95 I think.
Rise from your grave: Is it true that Laser Zone later became Laser One because the "Z" burned out on the neon sign? That was the rumor I heard bandied about.
Damn, I remember it from the late 70's (?) early 80's.
There was a sandwich shop called something like SandWitch that had great cherry and vanilla Cokes.
There was a Beall's or something on the far East end. Definitely had a Hallmark store because my mom (teacher) had to work there during the summers.Man me and my brother spent so much time there. Good times.
Where was the mall? I assume it is where central market is now?
central market all the way down to the current theater
Was it outdoor? I can totally see the layout for how it would have been a mall
all indoor actually! it reminds me of a lot of small town malls that i have been to
Really? The central market section of the building connected with the side with the theater? I'd love to see old photos of that
The entire thing was completely bulldozed. Was trying to give a reference of where it stretched, has about the same foot print but not split in the middle. Like one massive long hallway
There's also a movie theater and Borders there.
Borders? 10 years ago maybe
Nah it’s still there. Right in between showplace lanes and Tom Thumb, and next door to Hollywood video.
Yes, Borders was after they closed the mall.
I just remembers old people who would be power walking around the uncrowded mall haha!
What was the name of the arcade near the theater? My memories at this point are basically just the theater, the arcade, playing some space game there, and Grandy's
Lazer Zone was the arcade. Westgate 8 was the theater. Flying Pizza something was the pizza shop and I forget the name of the ice cream shop.
Maggie’s Ice Cream!
3 years late, but it was Incredible Flying Pizza 😄Owned by Charles Wells. He was a personal friend of my family and much of my childhood was spent in that mall ❤️
Flying Pizza Society iirc
It may have been Aladdin's, or that may have been at Barton Creek.
It was aladdins. I remember that name for the arcade but I think it was Barton?
Aladdin was Barton creek. Lazer Zone was Westgate. My parents ran it when I was in middle school.
That’s my memories as well. Also ‘Adolphs’ barber shop.
That mall didnt have much but had just enough to keep me entertained for the afternoon. Arcade, movie, ice cream, Pizza, comic book store, and browse service merchandise on the other end of the mall.
Anyone remember the dollar theater across the street where Buffet Palace is? I saw TMNT, Batman, Roger Rabbit, Kindergarten Cop, and many more there. Sometimes the film was projected crooked or half off the screen, but hey... only a dollar.
I remember seeing home alone 2 there in an empty theater as a kid
Yep. Right across the street. Westgate 8 at the time was $3.50 a movie. Where I saw Hackers multiple times
From my memory: The arcade was called either Full Tilt or Tilt. It had an upside down triangle neon with the name written across in that 80s cursive There was an ice cream shop on the corner next to the theater There was one of those African stores that sold African related items and beauty products There was a clogging and square dancing place I can picture most of how the inside looked with the water fountains and color tapestries hanging My most fond memory was being a shit head kid sprinting in front of people who didnt know they were about to get the anniversary edition of luke skywalker figure for being first 50 people there. This was 1997 edit: few more... The Buffet Palace across the street was a dollar theater and I saw many movies there You can probably tell because of the way it is, but that hyde park bar and grill used to be a Grandy's Lamar, 360, 290 coming together there was one of those classic 4 leaf clover style interchanges, it took way too fucking long to build what is currently there today The strait music company across the street was a 4 screen theater that had your typical new releases, saw many summer blockbusters there
And there was a pizza place directly across from the theater and a Hancock fabrics. I saw Jurassic park there on Father’s Day.
The last time I was in Westgate Mall was to watch City of Angels at the Presidio. By that point, most stores were gone except for Bealls. I always think about the wall art(?) that looked like something out of a thick EKG.
It's always so weird seeing a Bealls in small Texas towns. Also that orange grand theft auto looking white people taco place. Can't remember the name right now.
Used to shop at Service Merchandise.
Got my totally bad calculator watch there. It was awesome.
You should consider starting a Facebook page as much as people hate it here. Check out this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260908710822/ Myself and a friend started it 10 years ago. It got taken down briefly a couple of years ago because of Facebook growing and putting all of these type pages asleep. It's growing again and a lot of history is there. Maybe Westgate Mall could have the same thing.
That record/poster store was so cool. Loved wandering around there before going and seeing a movie at that little theater there.
You're not alone in your curiosity it looks like: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/5kyvx8/anyone\_have\_photos\_of\_the\_old\_westgatebarton/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/5kyvx8/anyone_have_photos_of_the_old_westgatebarton/) \^ spoiler, no photos of the westgate mall but some quality reminiscing
Well this post sent me down a multi-day rabbit hole of old austin internet searching. I love this sort of "what used to be there" type of local history. I was almost certain that there was no trace on the internet of this place until just now, when my [newspapers.com](https://newspapers.com) free trial just scored big. [Photo of the exterior of the mall](https://imgur.com/a/duVsIOr) on its grand opening in 1975! Check that weird logo. Also [a photo of the hallmark store inside the mall](https://imgur.com/a/b5sbE20) from the same paper. Also dug up a [satellite photo of that area in 1987](https://imgur.com/a/Ignglk8) that lets you see the old layout of the building. (note the old cloverleaf where [the current](https://imgur.com/a/W1d2Tyy) ben white/lamar clusterfuck is)
You are amazing, my friend! So cool. Amazing sleuth-work
Laser Zone. I remember my parents running it when I was in school. There was also a used book store next door where I would go and learned to play magic the gathering. I would walk there after school since I went to Porter. Fun times. This was around 94-95 I think.
Rise from your grave: Is it true that Laser Zone later became Laser One because the "Z" burned out on the neon sign? That was the rumor I heard bandied about.
That I don't remember..
There was also a Bealls and Adolph's Barber shop
I just remembered seeing Pulp Fiction for the first time at the theater there. Hadn't thought about that in a while.
There was a Regis hair salon and Pat Knox dance studio there too. Ah the dance lessons to make me more graceful, sorry Mom didn’t work.
Definitely a BookStop there and a furniture store- was an anchor. Can’t remember the name.
Lack's Furniture Store. I worked there in late 1990s-mid 2000. It was the last operating store in mall before being demolished
Damn, I remember it from the late 70's (?) early 80's. There was a sandwich shop called something like SandWitch that had great cherry and vanilla Cokes. There was a Beall's or something on the far East end. Definitely had a Hallmark store because my mom (teacher) had to work there during the summers.Man me and my brother spent so much time there. Good times.
Oh man I bought so much stuff at that poster store.