Rockford, IL (3600 E State St)
A photo of Rockford IL's 2.0 exterior. (August 2022)
History
Celebration Station (June 1982 - late '80s)
Before opening in 1988, this location was originally a Celebration Station that opened in June 1982. Not much is known about Rockford's Celebration Station, other than it closed in the late '80s. In 1988, McBiz Corp purchased the space, and conversion into a CEC began.Chuck E. Cheese's (October 30, 1988 - present)
By the Fall of 1988, the conversion was completed, and was ready to open. The store finally opened on October 30, 1988 with a Rocker Stage and the 1988 remodel, and the restaurant was named 'ShowBiz Pizza'. The location received its first remodel in the mid-late '90s, which involved renaming the space to just 'Chuck E. Cheese's', refurbishing the showroom, received either Phase 1 or Phase 2, removed the checkers around the store, removing some early '90s artwork for mid-late '90s artwork, and changed and redid the counters. The Rocker Stage was left behind and repainted. On September 16, 1996, the store was acquired by Corporate. Sometime in the late 90s, Rockford would receive Must C TV posters. In 2008/2009, the location received the 2005 update to the 2003 'Cool Chuck' Reconfiguration / Major Remodel Initiative, which involved removing all 1990s artwork for 'CEC 2005 Remodel Program' artwork, removing the balcony seating and the showroom walls, replacing the dim lighting with bright lighting, and generally making the space more open. The Rocker Stage was repainted once again, but was still left behind. In May 2008, the Simi Valley, CA location closed down, marking Rockford as the last Chuck E.'s House in a store. In mid-2022, the location began the 2017 2.0 Remodel Program|2.0 remodel, removing the last Chuck E.'s House/Rocker Stage on June 12, 2022, marking it's extinction, repainting a ton of walls, and replaced all CEC 2005 Remodel Program artwork with 2.0 artwork. The location reopened in August 2022, and is still open today.Stages
Originally, the store opened with Chuck E.'s House, they would have the last PTT vest until 2009, when they replaced it with the Avenger outfit. Chuck E.'s House was finally removed on June 12, 2022, as a part of the 2.0 remodel. The show was dismantled and was collected by the SPT Distribution. The bots still reside there today.| Stage | Installed | Removed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck E.'s House/Rocker Stage | October 1988 | June 2022 | First of 3 Rocker Stages in Illinois. Last Rocker to be removed. |
| Dance Floor + Video Wall | June 2022 | Still in use | 2021 model. |
Animatronics
| Animatronic | Manufacturing Date | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Munch (Cyberamic) | 1981 | Taken to Showbiz Pizza Time Distribution Center (Topeka, KS). Originally from Loves Park, IL (6505 N 2nd St). |
| Jasper T. Jowls (Cyberamic) | 1981 | Taken to Showbiz Pizza Time Distribution Center (Topeka, KS). Originally from Loves Park, IL (6505 N 2nd St). |
| Helen Henny (Cyberamic) | 1981 | Taken to Showbiz Pizza Time Distribution Center (Topeka, KS). Originally from Loves Park, IL (6505 N 2nd St). |
| Chuck E Cheese (Cyberamic)|Chuck E. Cheese (Cyberamic) | 1981 | Taken to Showbiz Pizza Time Distribution Center (Topeka, KS). Originally from Loves Park, IL (6505 N 2nd St). |
| Pasqually (Cyberamic) | 1981 | Taken to Showbiz Pizza Time Distribution Center (Topeka, KS). Originally from Loves Park, IL (6505 N 2nd St). |
| Singing Flowers (Cyberamic) | 1988 | Unknown. |
Videos
| Link | Description | Filming Date | Published Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link | A video showcasing the Store, Games, and Chuck E.'s House in August 2001. | August 30, 2001 | June 4, 2012 |
| Link | A quick tour of the store followed by footage of its stage performing various segments from Chuck E’s Variety Show | December 2006 | September 25, 2023 |
| Link | Birthday Star Extravaganza (2008) being performed on Rockford's Chuck E.'s House. | January 2009 | January 10, 2009 |
| Link | Segment 1 of the April 2012 Show being performed on Rockford's Chuck E.'s House. | May 24, 2012 | June 4, 2012 |
| Link | 'Chuck E.'s Place 2017' from Show 3 2017 being performed on Rockford's Chuck E.'s House. | March 13, 2020 | April 1, 2020 |
| Link | Last Store Tour from before the COVID-19 Pandemic. | March 14, 2020 | April 4, 2020 |
| Link | Tribute to Rockford in wake of the 2.0 remodel. | June 12, 2022 | June 13, 2022 |
Chuck E.'s House in 2007 (PC: showbizpizza.com)
A photo of Rockford IL's 2.0 exterior. (August 2022)
Chuck E.'s House (removed in June 2022)
Rockford IL exterior in 2007 (PC: showbizpizza.com)
Rockford IL road sign in 2007 (PC: showbizpizza.com)