41 years of Blockbuster Video

The first Blockbuster Video store opened on the 19th October 1985.

A sign at the former Blockbuster Video shop at Fallowfield Retail Park Manchester, England in 2020

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on this day in 1985.

The former Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton, England in 2021

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500-plus of those were in the UK.

The former Blockbuster Video Express store in Billingham, England in 2021

From 9,000 to 1.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

There has been a boom in nostalgia for the brand in recent years. The Bend store is now a destination for people wanting to rekindle some of that 90's spirit.

Blockbuster in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The last stores closed on the 16th December.

Even now, there are still some clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks. And we've been to most of them on our travels!

Related blog posts:

• Blockbuster Video
• Video Stores
• Video Shops

Videos:

• Blockbuster Video in the UK YouTube Playlist

Minigolf on Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public Radio

Check out the latest episode of Audacious with Chion Wolf.

The new episode of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public Radio is about minigolf!

Listen at "Discover a hole lot of life lessons hiding within a mini golf course".

It was brilliant to be a part of the episode, along with several other minigolf enthusiasts.

Connecticut Public is Connecticut’s only state-wide, community-supported public media service.

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.

Find out more:

• Connecticut Public
• Audacious with Chion Wolf
• Discover a hole lot of life lessons hiding within a mini golf course

Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

A look at the Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA.

It's been brilliant to see different minigolf courses around the world thanks to the photos and information sent to us from friends from their travels.

Back in 2015 our friend and minigolf rival Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain visited the USA and very kindly brought us back scorecards from the mini golf courses he visited out there.

One of the places he got to visit was Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells where he found five minigolf courses!

At the Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center you can play Black Beard's 18, Captain Kidd's 18, Pirate's Lookout 18, Pirate's Challenge 18 or Captain Hook's 19.

The big minigolf scorecard from Pirate's Cove

There are three more courses on the other side

Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells is on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'to visit' list.

Find out more.

Check out the Pirates Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center website for more information.

Related blog posts:

• 20 for 20 - Minigolf guest blog posts from around the world
• Minigolf guest blog posts
• Guest blog posts

Vitense Golfland in Madison, Wisconsin, USA

A look at Vitense Golfland in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

It's been brilliant to see different minigolf courses around the world thanks to the photos and information sent to us from friends from their travels.

Back in 2015 our friend and minigolf rival Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain visited the USA and very kindly brought us back scorecards from the mini golf courses he visited out there.

One of the places he got to visit was Vitense Golfland in Madison, Wisconsin.

A pair of scorecards from Vitense Golfland

Vitense Golfland is on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'to visit' list.

Find out more.

Vitense Golfland is home to one indoor, and two outdoor 18-hole miniature golf courses.

Check out the Vitense Golfland website for more information on the venue.

Related blog posts:

• 20 for 20 - Minigolf guest blog posts from around the world
• Minigolf guest blog posts
• Guest blog posts

Parlor Golf - a minigolf game from 1930

A look at the Parlor Golf game from 1930.

The Crazy Golf Museum is home to a number of interesting, fun and old items from the world of miniature golf.

One such item that ticks all three boxes is this, Parlor Golf from 1930. The game was made by Parlor Golf MFGR. Co. of La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA.

The set instructs players on how to create an 18-hole course by using the four wooden base plates and five obstacles.

By making the holes shorter and varying the placement of the obstacles you can create even more combinations.

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more minigolf toys and games.

Holey Moley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas, USA

A look at the Holey Moley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Many thanks to our friend and fellow minigolf fan PJ Goedhals for sending over these photos from his very recent stop in San Antonio, Texas where he briefly swung by the Holey Moley Golf Club.

The official scorecard of Holey Moley Golf Club

Visiting the Holey Moley Golf Club in San Antonio.

Emily was able to swing by the venue on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour during a trip to San Antonio in 2025.

Holey Moley Golf Club in San Antonio.

The Holey Moley Golf Club in San Antonio is home to three 9-hole indoor mini golf courses.

Holey Moley Golf Clubs in the USA.

You can find Holey Moley Golf clubs in California (Irvine Spectrum, San Francisco & Santa Monica), Colorado (Denver) and Texas (Austin, Houston & San Antonio).

Holey Moley in Australia.

The Holey Moley brand began in Australia and you can find several locations there.

Find out more.

Visit the Holey Moley Golf Club USA and Holey Moely Australia websites for more information.

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, USA

A look at the mini golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Emily swung by the City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago back in 2019.

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

Find out more.

Check out the City Mini Golf course website for more information.

Playing Miniature Golf in the Boondocks

A look back at my visit to the Miniature Golf course at Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado, USA in 2009.

I played the two outdoor miniature golf courses at Boondocks Fun Center in the town of Northglenn, Colorado in March 2009.

My visit came during a trip to Denver to attend the week-long SportAccord conference in the city. During some downtime I travelled outside the city limits to play miniature golf in the Boondocks!

At the two courses at Boondocks Fun Center

As it was '$12 Tuesday' I had unlimited play on the minigolf courses - the 'Caverns Mill' and 'Hillbilly Hallow' - that sit next to Interstate-25. I managed to fit in three rounds on the two layouts.

The courses were the 82nd and 83rd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A token from Boondocks

Find out more.

Check out the Boondocks Fun Center website for more information, opening times and prices.