Toys R Us at Macy's in Chicago, USA

A look at a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Chicago, Illinois.

Emily visited this Toys R Us within a Macy's in Chicago last month.

It's one of over 450 Toys R Us stores you can find within Macy's in the USA.

Emily also went to a Macy's Toys R Us store while on a trip to Texas earlier this year.

Visit the Toys R Us at Macy's website for more information.

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Toys R Us concessions in the UK

There are currently 39 Toys R Us concessions in WH Smith shops, with more planned to open through 2024. Visit the Toys R Us UK website for more information.

The old Toys R Us

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited several of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've been to on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Trafford Centre in Manchester
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of those shops closed. It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK. The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, USA

There's a Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

A sign for the Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park

Emily was recently back in Chicago and walked through Maggie Daley Park

A look at the City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago (May 2019)

Emily was on holiday in Chicago, USA back in May 2019 and visited the Chicago-themed City Mini Golf layout at Maggie Daley Park.

The course was the 884th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

  

Check out the City Mini Golf course website for more information, opening times and prices.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,064 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Türkiye, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,111 courses visited!

FTW in Chicago, USA

A blog post about FTW in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Emily was back in Chicago in August 2024 and passed by FTW

The Mini Golf course at FTW Chicago was the 807th course visited (in 2018) and 504th played (in 2019) on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The course is a 6-hole layout themed on the Windy City.

Game cards, token and scorecard from FTW Chicago

Visit the FTW Chicago website for more information, opening times and prices.

Look at all those lovely game tokens!

 

The FTW Mini Golf course was designed and built by the team at Creative Works.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,064 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Türkiye, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,111 courses visited!

Playing Mini Golf at FTW in Chicago

A revisit to the indoor minigolf course at FTW in Chicago, USA.

Emily returned to Chicago last month and while there had a game on the indoor minigolf course at FTW.

Last year the Mini Golf course at FTW Chicago at 322 East Illinois Street became the 807th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. This time Emily was able to play the layout so it became the 504th played on our travels.

The course is a 6-hole layout themed on the Windy City.

In Emily's game against Luke Moseley and Jennifer Wallner she came up short, shooting a 21 to Luke's winning round of 16 and Jennifer's 18.

Game cards, token and scorecard from FTW Chicago

Visit the FTW Chicago website for more information, opening times and prices.

FTW Chicago is also home to a darts area - as well as an arcade, bar, restaurant, ping pong, billiards and more

The darts set-up at FTW Chicago

Look at all those lovely game tokens!

The FTW Mini Golf course was designed and built by the team at Creative Works.

Link:
- FTW Chicago

Related blog posts:
- USA
- Mini Golf at FTW in Chicago
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Mini Golf at FTW in Chicago

Checking out the indoor minigolf course at FTW in Chicago.

The Water Tower first hole at FTW in Chicago

While in Chicago Emily made course visit #807 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when she swung by FTW Chicago at 322 East Illinois Street.

The indoor minigolf course at FTW - known as City Golf - is a 6-hole course themed on the Windy City.

Hole 1 - Water Tower

Hole 2 - Lake Shore Drive

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 3 - the Legendary Chicago Theatre

Hole 4

Hole 4 - Museum Campus

Hole 4

Hole 4

Hole 5 - Comiskey Park

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 6 - The Willis Tower

Hole 6

As well as the miniature golf course FTW aka For The Win is home to over 130 arcade and prize games, four private party rooms, a 104 sq ft HD LED wall, a full bar and gastropub.

Check out the FTW website for more information, opening times and prices.

There are also For The Win locations in Albany, New York and Denver, Colorado. Back in 2009 I actually played tenpin bowling at FTW's Lucky Strike Lanes!

We've now visited 807 minigolf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, 38 of them have been overseas.

Link:
- FTW Chicago

Related blog posts:
- USA
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour