There are some things about Cleveland in the 1980s and 1990s that anyone who was a kid during that time just can’t forget.

Take, for example, the feeling of walking into the Grog Shop for the first time. Or the joyous feeling of watching Omar Vizquel field grounders. Or looking out through the Chagrin Valley while on a coaster at Geauga Lake.

If you want to remember all of the things that you’d thought you’d forgotten, take a spin through this collection of weird and wild things that ’80s and ’90s kids remember about Cleveland.

Getting a Trick Toy and some Cards at Big Fun A trip to Big Fun in Cleveland Heights was the pinnacle of any childhood in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Whether you were getting a gag gift, a couple wrestling figures, some candy cigarettes or some other cool toy or collectible, nothing was cooler and more specific to the era than this novelty toy shop. Credit: Big Fun/Facebook
Hanging at Westgate or Beachwood Mall Strolling through the mall at a leisurely pace with a group of friends was such a thing of the ‘80s and ‘90s that Kevin Smith made a film about it. Whether it was getting Chick-Fil-A or Beverly Hills Cafe at Beachwood Place, going to Foot Locker at Southgate, or simply just hangin’ with friends, mall kids are now a thing of the past. Credit: Mike Kalasnik/Flickr CC
Dialing into 107.9 The End Talk to any music lover that grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s and they’re sure to remember the heyday of 107.9 The End. Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Replacements, Nirvana. It was all on The End. The station ended in 1996 with a legendary closing by playing R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ for 24 hours straight. Credit: Blink+/Flickr CC
First Flats Bar Night After hearing all of your uncle’s stories from the heyday of the Flats, you and your friends gather together for that first night out at Shooters. It doesn’t quite live up to the hype but is still exciting nonetheless, especially when you smoke that cigarette out on the water with the barge coming in. Credit: Erik Drost/Flickr CC
Getting a Hemp Necklace at Spencer Gifts Spencer Gifts was like the forbidden fruit at the local malls in the ‘80s and ‘90s. They had sick band tees, lava lamps and other fun decor from the time and of course those rad hemp necklaces. Far out, dude. Credit: Sarah/Flickr CC
Tuning in to hear Joe Tait Call a Cavs’ Game ”Wham, with the right hand!” and all the other phrases Joe Tait was known for will go down in Cavaliers’ lore. Tait, who is mostly connected with those great Price/Daugherty/Nance teams coached by Lenny Wilkins, called Cavaliers’ games for 27 years total. Credit: NBA.com
Celebrating a Big Moment With Dinner at The New York Spaghetti House or Frank and Pauly’s There was nothing like heading downtown and heading to a special restaurant like the New York Spaghetti House or Frank and Pauly’s. This was the pinnacle of fine dining in Cleveland during the ‘80s and ‘90s, but was the food actually good? We’d like to think so. Credit: Cleveland Memory Project
Seeing a cheap movie at the Parma Theater Discount films at the Parma Theater was a perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends, especially if you were watching a great ‘80s or ‘90s comedy like ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ or ‘Dumb and Dumber’. Credit: Screenshot
Using a Payphone to Call Your Parents to Pick You Up Yes, a payphone really was needed because how else would you get ahold of your parents for a ride? And in the later part of the ‘90s, they could page you if they needed you. *Please leave your name after the beep… BEEEP “Mom, come pick me up!” Credit: Mike Mozart/Flickr CC
Your First Peabody’s or Grog Shop Concert Going to see some band only you and your friends had heard of at the Grog Shop or Peabodys truly just made you feel cool. You and the 20 people there swear this is the band that should’ve made it big. Credit: Scene Archives
Roller Rink Parties There’s very little that brings back the nostalgia of the 1980s and ‘90s like roller rink parties. There was United Skates of America of course, Chagrin Roller Rink, Redwood roller rink and many others that were popular back in the day. Reverse skate, partner skate, free skate, the chicken dance. Bring it all back. Credit: IronyPoisoning/Flickr CC
Heading to Geauga Lake and Sea World Yes, Cedar Point is an hour away. But having a great amusement park in our backyard was almost as cool. Geauga Lake, with SeaWorld right next to it, was a staple of Cleveland childhood in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The Big Dipper, the Demon Drop, it was all happening in Aurora, Ohio. Credit: Retroland U.S.A./Flickr CC
Getting Your First Weed Piece at Sunshine Shop or Puff N’ Stuff Walking into Puff N’ Stuff in Mayfield or Sunshine Shop in Coventry to get your first one hitter, ‘piece’ or bowl for smoking weed was a right of passage in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Then, you can work your way up to a bubbler or even a bong. Credit: Sunshine Shop/Facebook
Getting a Late Night Meal at Steve’s Diner or Chuck’s Diner If you were on the East Side it was Chuck’s Diner on Lee Road. Steve’s Diner was the late night food for West Siders. Luckily, Steve’s is still open and doing its thing on Biddulph. Chuck’s closed in the early 2000s. Credit: Scene Archives
The Big Egg 5107 Detroit Ave., Cleveland The Big Egg, the legendary once-24/7 diner at West 52nd and Detroit, permanently closed this October. Enjoying two distinct lives — one as the original, beloved greasy spoon with as many devotees as health code violations that closed in 2002, and the second iteration, opened some seven years later with a fresh interior redo and little carried over from its first life other than the name and egg-shaped menu — the Big Egg had been a part of the near west side since at least the early 1950s. Credit: Scene Archives
Buying a CD from Record Exchange or Record Town Walking into a Record Exchange or Record Town in their heyday was like a kid walking into a candy store. The CD selections were perfect, lending to hours of browsing. Credit: The Exchange/Facebook
Feeling Like You Won the Lottery and Heading to a Sold Out Jacobs’ Field to see The Tribe There was nothing like going to the Jake during the heyday of ‘90s Tribe baseball. The 455 game sellout streak is a thing of Cleveland lore, but the actual feeling of going to a game, seeing the 20 game lead in the division and a lineup filled with starting with Kenny Lofton and then see Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and all the other stars, there was truly nothing like it. “We’re talkin’ baseball, Indians baseball, we’re talkin’ Tribe…” Credit: Erik Drost/Flickr CC
Warped Tour at the Tower City Amphitheater Every year, when Vans Warped Tour rolled through town, it was A Thing. Put the wallet chain on, spike the hair and get ready to see 311, the Deftones, the Dropkick Murphys, Guttermouth, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, NoFX, Pennywise, Reel Big Fish and all the other awesome bands. Credit: David Kemp/Scene Archives
Renting Videos at Vidstar Video Vidstar was where all the cool kids rented videos, Blockbuster be damned. Renting ‘Top Gun’ or ‘Singles’ or ‘Metropolitan’ from the store that outlasted most Blockbusters was the most ‘80s or ‘90s thing you could do. Credit: Vidstar Video/Facebook
Getting your your Starter Jacket at MC Sports Starter jackets were all the rage back in the ‘80s and ‘90s thanks to rap videos and NBA teams. The Charlotte Hornets and the Phoenix Suns were the cream of the crop, but really any Starter jacket made you cool. Credit: M01229/Flickr CC