Laser Tag Comes to the Maridell Center
Visitors to Hells Canyon Scenic Byway country and residents looking for entertainment and a way to burn energy need look no further than the heart of La Grande. The Maridell Center now features “Laser Pirates,” along with pool, ping-pong and arcades for the whole family. If you’ve never played laser tag, you might be surprised to discover that it’s not just for kids. Although kids enjoy it immensely, adults often find it’s a blast as well. The 2,500 square foot Pirate-themed arena rivals those of much larger cities. Utilizing their years of experience building haunted house attractions, Maridell Center owners Jay and Jeri Mackley put their heart and talent into designing an excellent set and course, resulting in challenging, dynamic, unique and fun play. Laser Pirates offers two different kinds of guns to choose from– regular and shocking! The shock guns deliver a mild shock through the handle of the gun when you get hit, which really adds to the competitive nature of the game. Shocking guns are limited to players 14 years of age and over but the regular guns are great for all ages.
“People are loving it!” reports Jeri Mackley. “We’ve had people tell us that this is the best Laser Tag arena they have ever seen. Soon we will be adding games set up for more than just point-and-shoot, but also including the option for objective and team-based game play.” Games are 15 minutes long and the cost is $5.50 per person. Laser Tag is open Tuesday through Saturday 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Also new at the Maridell Center is “Little Ochy’s”, located inside the Maridell Center and offering a variety of Mexican and American foods including tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, Monterey jack cheese steak sandwiches, chicken wings and lots more. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, Little Ochy’s uses all fresh and homemade ingredients. Little Ochy’s is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Purchased in 2010 by Jay and Jeri Mackley, Maridell Center was formerly the Elks Lodge and the original portion of the building dates back to 1914. When the Elks Club disbanded a few years ago, the empty building at first seemed a challenge for city officials working on downtown revitalization. During the past year the Mackleys have been renovating and building attractions in much of the space while holding events in other areas of the building. “We have had concerts, dances, reunions, dinner theater, birthdays and you name it here,” says Jeri Mackley. The Maridell Center has a large banquet hall with dance floor, a party room for birthdays and smaller groups and the game room, as well as the Laser Tag arena and Little Ochy’s restaurant.
The Maridell Center it is located at 1124 Washington Avenue, on the corner of Washington and Depot in downtown La Grande, Oregon. For more information, visit www.maridellcenter.com, call 541-963-2023, or like Maridell Center on Facebook.
