Crystal Lake, IL (4725 Northwest Hwy), Store #053, is a Chuck E. Cheese's that opened on October 16, 2000 with a Studio C Alpha, and is still open to this day.
History[]
Succeeding the tearing-down of the Happy Family Inn in 1998, a Chuck E. Cheese's was constructed on the left of the former site of the motel.[1]
Upon opening to the public on October 16, 2000, the location had the SPT 1992 remodel with the "C" Cap logo. As for the store's stage, it featured a Studio C Alpha with 32-movement Chuck E., Bird, and Pizza Phone animatronics.
The location received the 2013 remodel update in summer 2014.
On August 25, 2024, the location started receiving the 2.0 remodel. That night, the animatronics and the Studio C Alpha stage were removed. The logo and signage on the outside of the location from the 2013 remodel update were removed in early September before the Grand Reopening in early September. At the Grand Reopening, Chuck E. (in his Rockstar outfit) and Helen (in her Avenger outfit from the Skokie, IL location) were in attendance.
Stages[]
The location originally had the Studio C Alpha when it opened in 2000, which was the standard stage to be installed in stores at the time.
Cosmetically, Chuck himself was only changed twice while the stage was still in the store. The former of which was when Chuck received his Cool Chuck clothes in the mid-2000s, with the latter being when Chuck was given his Avenger attire in 2010 (with his hat coming in 2011).
The rest of the stage was changed a few times throughout the years. The blue screen was taken out in 2014, presumably during the 2013 remodel, and the interactive console was removed in early 2015. The stage's curtains were turned off in late 2016. Probably the most noticeable difference was when the green Apple TV was removed in 2018. The reason for this is that the CRT-TV didn't work. A panel painted with the same colors of the backdrop was put in its place succeeding the removal. The last change to the stage before its removal was when the Gemini was pulled out, with a different light being put in its place.
A 2019 Chuck E. Live Stage and Dance Floor would later replace the Studio C Alpha in 2024.
| Stage | Installed | Removed |
|---|---|---|
| Studio C Alpha | October 16, 2000 | August 25, 2024 |
| Chuck E. Live Stage (2019 Model) | Between August 25-29, 2024 | Still in Use |
| Video Wall | Early September | Still in Use |
Animatronics[]
| Animatronic | Manufacturing Date | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|
| Chuck E. Cheese (32-Movement) | 2000 | Destroyed and taken to a nearby junkyard. Serial #105. |
| Bird | 2000 | Destroyed and taken to a nearby junkyard. |
| Pizza Phone | 2000 | Destroyed and taken to a nearby junkyard. |
Trivia[]
- Crystal Lake's Studio C Alpha was the last in Illinois and the 7th-to-last Alpha in existence.
Gallery[]
References[]
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| Current Locations (USA) |
 Lowell, MA (199 Plain St)  Palm Desert, CA (72513 Hwy 111)  Blaine, MN (8943 University Ave)  Lubbock, TX (5612 W Loop 289)  Maple Grove, MN (12945 Elm Creek Blvd)  Manassas, VA (7730 Stream Walk Ln)  Methuen, MA (90 Pleasant Valley Rd)  Crystal Lake, IL (4725 Northwest Hwy)  Bowling Green, KY (2625 Scottsville Rd)  Asheville, NC (104 River Hills Rd)  Olympia, WA (625 Black Lake Blvd)  Avon, IN (9931 E US Hwy 36)  Port Orange, FL (5539 S Williamson Blvd)  Woodbury, MN (445 Commerce Dr) |
| Legacy Stores (USA) |
 Northridge, CA (8425 Reseda Blvd)  Nanuet, NY (250 NY-59)  Hicksville, NY (Delco Plaza 11-15 Hanover Place)  Springfield, IL (2369 S MacArthur Blvd)  Charlotte, NC (7701 Pineville-Matthews Rd) |
| Former Locations (USA) |
 San Jose, CA (370 S Winchester Blvd)  San Jose, CA (1371 Kooser Rd)  Pleasanton, CA (5572 Springdale Ave)  Redding, CA (2167 Hilltop Dr)  Wyomissing, PA (2721 N Meridian Blvd)  Danbury, CT (20 Backus Ave) |
| Current Locations (International) |
 Mississauga, ON (4141 Dixie Rd)  South Edmonton, AB (9863 19 Ave NW)  Mississauga, ON (2945 Argentia Rd) |
| Legacy Stores (International) |
 Willowdale, ON (2452 Sheppard Ave) |
| Former Locations (International) |
 Surfers Paradise, QLD (2 Cavill Avenue) |