Displaying History During Laser Storm Nationals
One of my goals for the Laser Tag Museum Collection is to share it and make it viewable and accessible to as many people as possible. While most of this is taking place online via the addition of new virtual curated video exhibits, when I realized Laser Storm Nationals were happening in Pennsylvania it occurred to me that this was an opportunity to bring a few artifacts of laser tag history directly to the players in the laser tag community. So I loaded up my car with bins containing vintage packs, apparel, memorabilia and more from the history of Laser Storm to share with some of the most dedicated players competing on that system for the national tournament.
I was so heartened by the outpouring of memories, nostalgia and appreciation for the history! This was my first time delivering a mobile exhibit of this nature and you can see it for yourself here.
Big thanks to Logan Lockhart who also brought some history to the party as he shared this really cool original concept art (gifted to him by Bob Cooney) that was commissioned to illustrate some of the sci-fi theming Laser Storm incorporated into their system and arenas.
I also want to thank Kevin Caparosa, co-owner with his brother Joe of Family Bowlaway Fun Center in Butler, PA, for generously donating a white button-up Laser Storm shirt to add to the Laser Tag Museum Collection. Big thanks!
Kevin shared with me some of the history of this facility going back to 1995 and you will be able to hear his firsthand account on an upcoming episode of the Laser Unfocused Tag Talk podcast, so stay tuned for the story. He also gave me a tour of his business that includes so much ingenuity! So often we hear about bowling alleys taking out a few lanes in order to make space for an additional attraction (usually laser tag), however we never think about what was done with the hardware that was removed. Well, with a “put it all to good use” mentality, at Family Bowlaway Center that lane space became a banquet/event center with the most creative incorporation of the bowling alley parts into stunning architecture and new elements to enhance the business. For example, pieces of the lanes have been used to create the bar counter and tabletops, accent tables and even a really cool chandelier!
They even won a Bowlers Journal Architecture and Design award for this creativity.
And (speaking of awards) while I was touring the facility, interviewing players and showcasing the collection, let’s not forget that a tournament was in full swing between Friday and Sunday. Congratulations to first place team Legion and all the teams for their placements.
1st: Legion
2nd: Retribution
3rd: Tempest
4th: Collective Punishment
5th: WDDD
5th: Bajaja Blast
7th: 4Q
7th: X-Force
You can view the entire bracket results at
This was such a wonderful first opportunity for me to take pieces of the Laser Tag Museum Collection out for in-person viewing at a laser tag event. I hope to have more opportunities to offer this same kind of exhibit at other laser tag events in the future to spotlight even more systems to their player communities and to anyone who wants to learn more about the history of laser tag. You can view more of the collection and history online at LassrTagMuseum.com and to see the latest virtual curated exhibits please check out our new videos at lasertagmuseum.com/exhibits/virtual/ and watch for more on Museum Collection Mondays!
Comments or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
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