Altoona, PA (3415 Pleasant Valley Blvd)

Altoona, PA (3415 Pleasant Valley Blvd) Store #3165/449 was a Showbiz Pizza Place that opened on November 23, 1983, with a Rock-Afire Explosion, and is still open to this day with the 2.0 remodel. Altoona is also the second last store to have 'Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza' on the building, although it is on a small sign under the main façade of the building.

Stages

Stage	Installed	Removed	Notes
Rock-Afire Explosion	November 1983	1991/1992	5th SPP to open in Pennsylvania.
3-Stage	1991/1992	May 13, 2024	Last 3-Stage in Pennsylvania and the Northeast United States before removal. Second-to-last 3 stage to be removed (the last being Billings, MT). Stage was in decent condition.
Dance Floor + Video Wall	May 2024	Still in use

History

1982-2000

On January 6, 1983, Tom Gibb of Altoona Mirror confirmed that in late September 1982, Michael Phenix, president of Family Restaurant Concepts Inc, met the Showbiz Pizza Place|Showbiz Pizza press in Altoona and signed a lease with Pleasant Valley Shopping Center owner, PVSC Company. The location was originally going to open in February 1983, but never occurred due to the lease not being signed. At the time, there was an 80% chance of Showbiz Pizza being in the location, and Altoona Enterprises and the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority agreed Family Restaurant Concepts Inc. to issue $1 million in tax-free, low-interest bonds to finance the project.⁽¹⁾ On March 2, 1983, it was confirmed that Family Restaurant Concepts Inc. proposed to build Showbiz Pizza Place in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center.⁽²⁾ The original opening date was scheduled to be in October 1983, but was delayed by a month for unknown reasons.⁽³⁾ The location opened on November 23, 1983, as the fifth Showbiz Pizza Place in Pennsylvania.⁽⁴⁾ The location performed really well, becoming a popular location with kids, as well as teenagers and adults.⁽⁵⁾⁽⁶⁾ Billy Bob also made outside appearances in the Altoona area, such as the Logan Valley Mall Christmas Parade in 1985.⁽⁷⁾ Evidence shown that in July 1987, due to Showbiz Pizza's merge with Chuck E. Cheese's, the location would be renamed to Chuck E. Cheese's.⁽⁸⁾ Around between September and October 1st, 1987, Showbiz Pizza Place was officially renamed to Chuck E. Cheese's,⁽⁹⁾⁽¹⁰⁾ though it presumably kept the Showbiz Pizza Place sign until the early '90s. It received Concept Unification sometime in 1991 (date unknown), replacing Rock-Afire Explosion with Munch's Make Believe Band. The SPT 1992 Remodel Program happened sometime after Concept Unification. Circa. 1996, the Scott Wilson latex mask of the Chuck E. Cheese animatronic was replaced by the Duncan Brannan latex mask. Sometime in the 2000s (officially unknown year: 2000), it became the first animatronic in which its latex mask was replaced by a plastic mask.

2001-2011

The location's entertainment package was updated to Phase 3 in the early 2000s (officially unknown year: 2001), which included the installations of the Toddler Zone and the Ticket Muncher. Minor changes occurred after the upgrade. In circa. 2002, Mr. Munch's latex mask was replaced by a plastic mask. Between July 22, 2003, and December 11, 2006, the 'Pizza' logo besides the 'Chuck E. Cheese's' logo was removed at the exterior side of the building. Circa. late 2000s, the circular owning above the entrance door was replaced by a triangular owning. In 2010, the Ticket Blaster was installed into the location.

2011-2024

In mid-2011, the location went through a 2010 'Cool Chuck' Major Remodel Initiative, which included replacing older decor with newer decor, removing the Toddler Zone, applying purple paint to walls, and remodeling the exterior. The grand opening after the remodel initially included a white sign of the Open sign with the Avenger Chuck logo beside it. It was eventually replaced by the then-official Avenger Chuck logo. Sometime in 2011, Pasqually's latex mask was replaced by a plastic mask. Between 2011 and 2012, Helen and Jasper's latex masks were replaced by their plastic masks, and Pizzacam was removed. Prior to the changes, it was the last worldwide location to keep Helen's latex mask and the last US location to keep Jasper and Pasqually's latex masks. Munch Jr., Moon, and Building animatronics were later removed sometime after 2011. The Chuck E animatronic gets to keep the Cool Chuck clothes until being replaced by the Avenger Chuck clothes. Between October 2016 and May 2017, the Avenger Chuck shorts was replaced by Rockstar Chuck jeans. Between February and October 2012, the curtains on the stage were removed. After the 2011 remodel, the In Pizza We Trust wink was still there, until it was replaced by a Cyberamic wink sometime after that. Around 2016, the Concept Unification board on the TV beside Chuck E. got removed. Around late 2017, the Munch's Make Believe Band sign got moved to the former TV spot, and a TV was added on the middle of the 3 Stage above center stage, similar to York, PA. Around the late 2010s, the rolling disco ball got replaced with a plastic one. During COVID-19, the huge sidewalk at the exterior of the building was removed for parking, and the Skytubes were removed on October 13, 2020. Sometime in 2023, the stage was put into random movements due to CEC Entertainment not programming any new songs (though existing songs are still performed). The animatronics were turned back on in early 2024. The 2.0 remodel started on May 12, 2024, and a day later, the 3 Stage was removed. This would mean no more MMBB Animatronic Stages in Pennsylvania.

2024-present

Currently, as of August 2024, the location still has the 2.0 Remodel and the Dance Floor. The grand reopening event of this location happened on August 6, 2024.⁽¹¹⁾

Videos

Link	Description	Date Filmed	Date Published
Link	A video titled 'A visit to Chuck E. Cheese's in Altoona, PA'	2009	Mar 26, 2009
Link	A video titled 'Chuck E Cheese Band - Golgotha (the characters shown with latex masks)'	2011	Aug 16, 2012
Link	A tour of the store a month prior to remodeling.	April 2024	Apr 28, 2024
Link	Final Performance of the 3-Stage before removal	May 12, 2024	May 13, 2024

Animatronics

Animatronic	Serial Number	Whereabouts
Chuck E. Cheese / Rolfe DeWolfe	1-83 1-2	Sent to corporate
Pasqually / Dook Larue	1-83 2-2	Sent to corporate
Mr. Munch / Fatz Geronimo	1-83 3-2	Sent to corporate
Jasper T. Jowls / Beach Bear	1-83 4-2	Sent to corporate
Helen Henny / Mitzi Mozzarella	1-83 5-2	Sent to corporate
Billy Bob	1-83 6-2	Unknown
Pizzacam / Looney Bird	1-83 7-2	Unknown
Munch Jr. / Choo Choo	1-83 8-2	Unknown
Building / Sun	1-83 10-2	Unknown
Moon	1-83 11-2	Unknown
Antioch	N/A	Unknown
Wink	N/A	Sent to corporate

The Creative Engineering label on the back of Mr. Munch's organ. (1-1983)

Close-up of Pasqually

The store's exterior as a Showbiz Pizza Place.

The store's exterior (left) in 2006.

Chuck E Cheese's 1998 sign in 2009.

Part of the store's exterior before it's <a href="{{< ref "wiki/CEC 2005 Remodel Program" >}}">CEC 2005 Remodel Program</a> remodel.

Avenger Cheerleader Helen, Rockstar Chuck, Rockstar Mr. Munch, and Rockstar Jasper in the grand reopening event of the Altoona, PA location on August 6, 2024.