Comments on: Gasoline Alley: Blaine, MN

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:20:13 +0000

I want to buy the place and turn it into a skate park (with wii and tons of other fun stuff)

By: chris

chris — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:29:08 +0000

So many great elementary school birthday party memories were made at GA! I remember one specific birthday party that my friend had, and he invited some girl from his daycare…we all went on the bumper boats and somehow her boat malfunctioned and just started spinning in circles uncontrollably. The 15 year old worker was unsure what to do, but eventually mustered up the courage to take another boat out and shut off the engine, what a brave soul. However, the girl was crying bloody murder, and we had to leave early because she was so upset. We were all pissed, but the excitement of being at GA, albeit briefly, made up for it

By: Raynette Robinson

Raynette Robinson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:13:19 +0000

I visited gasoline alley during the summer of 1998. I was on vacation in MN. We took the kids there and they had a wonderful time. I thought it was a cool place and I was especially impressed the creative names for the food items on the menu.

Does anyone have a copy of the menu that I can have?

By: Tim Mayer

Tim Mayer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:37:11 +0000

I worked at GA for a summer job in 90 they called me TEX, most the crap on this site is mainly BS! WE had bad-ass go-carts you just had to graduate throught to the shadows which we only ran on sunday! The kiddie carts were 10-12mph midgettes were 15-18mph and the shadows ran 20-25mph and had an 80lb weight in the front to keep it on the track. The reason you didn’t like the track is becuase it was designed for the midgettes & shadows. The track broke down in sections to make a full oval which we pieced together every saturday night and when we got done we raced around on the midgettes that track had a line you could kep your foot down all the way around if you knew how to hold it. Garry & Dick were my bosses and they treated us like their own. As for the dude that got his arm ripped off that is bull-shit, I didn’t get my arm ripped off I got ran over by one of the shadows those mf are heavy, hot, and fast as hell. All I know is I heard run and the next was seeing the shadow jump therail and slam me after that i threw a fit. The next summer I broke my neck befor I started back work.
Tim Mayer
Oscar Mayer
Tex

By: Jill

Jill — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:18:40 +0000

I moved to this area in 2002, and I’m pretty sure this place was closed back then. I just watch the weeds and trees grow higher and thicker every year. Thanks for elaborating on its history. Did it have anything to do with the comic strip?

By: slp alum

slp alum — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:19:10 +0000

I grew up wasting all my allowance at Spring Lake Park Amusemant. I had friends get their bmx bikes stolen from the bike rack at the far side of the parking lot. Watched kids lose teeth and or split their chin open on the upper water slide of the two. And sometime winning 2 liter bottles of soda trying to guess the speed of our throws destroying our arms by throwing waterlogged baseballs. Good times!

By: Dennis VanDenBerg

Dennis VanDenBerg — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:08:22 +0000

The place has been shut down since at least 2004, and possibly a few years earlier than that. Although I remember it was still in operation in the summer of 2001. When it was shut down, there was a notice posted on the door (since covered over with plywood) that the owners decided to shut it down because the cost of fuel and insurance had risen too high.

By: J

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:58:54 +0000

Don’t know why it really closed. I always wondered myself! I worked there when I was in HS in the 90′
s! The owner just died this past week- Marvin Bloom. His wife is still alive so that was not the reason it closed. Who knows!

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:32:20 +0000

Does anyone know the actual story of why GA closed? I’ve heard a number of rumors through the years (The owners wife died, there where gambling debts, could no longer afford the insurance and, my favorite, “a guy had his arm ripped off after crashing his gocart and sued the owners) but I’ve never heard the definative reason. I loved GA too! I hate to see it in its delapitated state.

By: chris a

chris a — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:25:17 +0000

I remember those days… i drive by the place alot (johns auto parts is down the block) and everytime i see it i remember standing in line hoping i could pass the height requirement… as for the go- carts being a part of sonic. i work for border foods (the company that owns the sonic restaraunts in minnesota and also owns every pizza hut and taco bell in the state) and i couldnt see them affording any… but it would be sweet if they did