Atari History Timelines by Michael Current

A History of
Adventure Properties
(Atari Adventure operator)

http://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/adventure_properties.html
Compiled and Copyright (c) 2008-2022 by Michael D. Current

Additions/suggestions/comments/corrections to:
michael@mcurrent.name

Information presented here is derived as directly as possible from sources published or produced in the original time period.  While also consulted extensively, modern historical retrospectives (including books, oral histories, and especially websites) are utilized chiefly as pathways to primary sources.

Jump to: 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | Links

1985
March 26: KCB Ventures, Inc. was established by investor Harvey G. Knell, for the purpose of investing in the assets of Atari Adventure Corp.

April 6: Certificate of Limited Partnership for Adventure Properties, Ltd., a California Limited Partnership was executed by Robert Nahodil, president of Nahodil Management Associates, Inc.  Nahodil had been working for Warner Communications as a general management consultant.  The location for Adventure Properties was the address for Nahodil Management Associates: 2178 Madrona Drive, Palm Springs CA

April 9: Date of Limited Partnership Agreement of Adventure Properties, Ltd., a California Limited Partnership, by and between Nahodil Management Associates, Inc. (Robert L. Nahodil, president) as general partner and KCB Ventures, Inc. (Harvey G. Knell, president) as limited partner.  Initially, the general partner was to contribute $200,000 to the partnership, and the limited partner was to contribute $2,500,000 to the partnership.

April 10: Adventure Properties, Ltd., A California Limited Partnership was established by general partner Nahodil Management Associates and limited partner KCB Ventures, Inc., for the purpose of acquiring the assets of Atari Adventure Corp. from Atari Holdings, Inc., the subsidiary of Warner Communications Inc.

Adventure Properties, Ltd., A California Limited Partnership

June 6: Adventure Properties was registered for business in Florida (Atari Adventure at 208 Duval St., Key West FL)

July 12: Adventure Properties Ltd., a group of New York and California investors, had bought the Space Port video-arcade chain, which included 44 video arcades, from Atari Holdings Inc., the division of Warner Communications Inc., for an undisclosed price. The arcade chain, which had its headquarters in Huntingdon Valley, was an independent company called Magna/Fun Corp. before its acquisition by Atari in 1983.  (The Philadelphia Inquirer p13-D) 

     Adventure Properties, Ltd., A California Limited Partnership    Atari Adventure logo
Space Port

The former operational headquarters for Atari Adventure Corp. would remain the operational headquarters for Adventure Properties: 501 Masons Mill Business Park, Huntingdon Valley PA (borough of Bryn Athyn).  Robert L. Nahodil would be Adventure Properties president; Steve Wolfson, previously director of Atari Adventure Corp., would be Adventure Properties director of operations.

All known Atari Adventure locations opened by Atari, Inc. or Atari Games, Inc. (some may not have been acquired by Adventure Properties):

  1. Atari Video Adventure at Marriott's Great America, Santa Clara CA.  Opened July 1982.  Closed in 1984?
  2. Atari Adventure Amusement Center in Seaports of the Pacific at Disneyland Hotel, 1150 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim CA.  Opened December 1982.  Distant view of the entrance
  3. Atari Adventure at the San Francisco Airport North Terminal.  Opened June 6, 1983.
  4. Atari Adventure at 208 Duval St., Key West FL.  Opened around June 7, 1983??
  5. Atari Adventure in the Olympic section at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas NV.  Opened June 30, 1983.
  6. Atari Adventure at the San Francisco Airport Central Terminal.  Opened July 14, 1983.
  7. Atari Adventure at Northwest Plaza, St. Ann, MO (St. Louis area).  Opened November 19, 1983; closed in 1984.
  8. Atari Adventure at Crestwood Plaza #240, St. Louis MO.  Family entertainment center including Atari 800XL computers.  Opened January 1984. (1986 picture)
  9. Atari Adventure at the Riviera Casino & Resort, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas NV.  Opened spring 1984.
  10. Atari Adventure at Gwinnett Place Mall, 2100 Pleasant Hill Rd., Duluth GA (near Atlanta).  Opened May 1984?  (The mall opened February 1984.)
  11. Atari Adventure at Northpark Mall, 1200 County Line Rd. E., Ridgeland MS (near Jackson).  Opened fall 1984?  (The mall opened approximately September 1984.)

August 29: There was an opening for an attendant at Atari Adventure, North Park Mall, Ridgeland MS (near Jackson)

December 24: Adventure Properties executed a registration of the name "Atari Adventure", business to be located at Blue Ridge Mall, 4200 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City MO. (would instead open as a Space Port?)

1986
Month?: Photo found on Flickr of Atari Adventure at 208 Duval St., Key West FL.

September 14: "Inside the Riviera [NV] ... an Atari Adventure video arcade is nestled in a corner of the casino." (UPI)

September 26: There was an opening for a position at Atari Adventure at Gwinnett Place Mall, Duluth GA (near Atlanta). (source)

October 20: Adventure Properties corporate headquarters was offically changed to: 117 E. Coloado Blvd., #500 Pasadena CA

1987
August: Newspaper wire story on Las Vegas attractions: Atari Adventure Center, Caesars Palace and Riviera Hotels.  "Designed for the hotels by Atari and featuring more than 50 games...charge for most games.  Atari 800 computers may be played at no charge for those who want to test geography and spelling skills."

December 6: Steve Wolfson, previously Adventure Properties director of operations, had been promoted to VP of the company.  Wolfson had been with the company since 1983.  Adventure Properties had 50 locations and had diversified by developing a new division specializing in amusement rides in regional shopping center common areas.  (Doylestown Intelligencer p39)

1988
January 17: Adventure Properties was responsible for 50 family game rooms, and had recently begun installing freestanding children's rides in mall open spaces as well as in Space Ports.  They were also actively looking to expand the amusement area and build large amusement centers within malls.  The largest Space Port was in Florida at 6,000 ft2; the average Space Port was 2,000 ft2.  Robert L. Nahodil remained Adventure Properties president; Steve Wolfson remained Adventure Properties VP. (Sunday Intelligencer/Montgomery County Record)

January 21: The Walt Disney Company acquired the Wrather Corporation, the assets of which included the Disneyland Hotel.  At the Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim CA, the Atari Adventure Amusement Center would be re-branded to the new name, Video Adventure Amusement Center. (source; source)

March 7: Adventure Properties was registered to do business in Nevada.

1989
Adventure Properties' sales were about $12 million for the year. (April 3, 1990 EBS press release)

1990
March 22: Adventure Properties executed a registration, effective May 8, 1990, to do business in Mississippi as Space Port.

March 23: Edison Brothers Stores, Inc. established the new subsidiary, Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment, Inc., with the intent to acquire the assets of Adventure Properties.

March 26: Adventure Properties was registered for business in Georgia as Atari Adventure.

April 3: Edison Brothers Stores, Inc., announced it had begun the expansion of the Edison Brothers Entertainment division with the purchase of Adventure Properties, Ltd.  Adventure operated 48 game rooms, mostly under the name Space Port, and one larger family entertainment center.  These units were located principally in shopping malls.  Adventure Properties' sales were about $12 million in 1989.  Andrew E. Newman was EBS chairman.  (EBS press release)  According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) (4/4/90), Adventure operated 48 video game rooms, primarily in shopping malls in 24 states, including Atari Adventure at Crestwood Plaza, St. Louis MO.  Other sites included Caesars Palace in Las Vegas NV and Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim CA.

April 6: Adventure Properties executed a registration of the name "Atari Adventure", business to be located at Crestwood Shopping Plaza, Crestwood MO.

April 6: Adventure Properties executed a registration of the name "Space Port L.P.", business to be located at Blue Ridge Mall, Kansas City MO.

May 15: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) report reprised that in April Edison Brothers Stores had agreed to buy 48 video rooms from Adventure Properties Ltd.  Most of the video rooms operated in malls under the Space Port name.  One of the rooms being acquired was in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and another was at Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim CA.

June 8: Edison Brothers Stores completed its purchase of Adventure Properties, Ltd., which operated 48 amusement game centers, located principally in shopping malls, and 1 larger mall-based family entertainment center. (6/11 EBS press release)  See: A History of Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment

Links

last updated: 2022.04.23