Aladdin’s Castle: Old Capitol Center

Old Capitol Center (formerly Old Capitol Mall) opened in 1981 at 205 S. Clinton Street, Iowa City. By the mid-’80s its ground floor hosted an Aladdin’s Castle arcade, a popular stop for University of Iowa students between classes.

Little Village magazine’s 2014 nostalgia piece lists “Aladdin’s Castle token challenges” among the mall’s defining memories, while local blogs recount Street Fighter II tournaments echoing beneath the skylight atrium.