Monday, March 05, 2007

Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium

Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium exterior

Anyone remember this Groton landmark? All I found online was this memory:

In Groton, CT there used to be Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium. It survived until the mid-80's or so. I remember going there as a kid. The pizza wasn't that good but the enormous pipe-organ sure was cool. They had it set up so that you could walk around it and see all of the mechanisms moving while it was being played.
Apparently the pizzeria/organ music combo was a nationwide phenomenon. And why not? Moreso, why not now?

Update: There's now a Facebook page where people share their memories, including this (somewhat haunting) photo:
Birthday party with clown at Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium

17 comments:

Dave said...

I loved pizza, pipes & pandemonium, but I suspect it was the pandemonium that was its ultimate downfall.

Anonymous said...

Pizza, Pipes & Pandemonium was a fantastic establishment. Where else could you order, sit down with your little token, and listen to the theme of Star Wars being played via pipe organ? The Q-Bert and Pole Position only added to the atmosphere.

I believe it's now a hardware store, presumably for the DIY Pandemoniumers.

Darwy said...

I used to LOVE going to Pizza, Pipes and Pandemonium. The pizza wasn't half bad, and being able to watch all the pieces of the organ playing was just fabulous.

Yeah - it was turned into an NHD hardware store shortly after closing, and that hardware store became a gym I believe.

Stormy said...

PP&P (and subsequent NHD & Powerhouse Gym) have since been knocked down and a 24 hour CVS is now open.

I really miss PP & P. :(

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to that organ???

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to that beautiful organ????

Anonymous said...

I worked at pizz pipes back in the daay and even hearing the same repotoir? night after night I never got tired of it. Yes, the location has been turned into a CVS. I am trying to contact the owners of the business to find out whatever happened to that magnificent organ.

Unknown said...

Yar, I really wish I could find a picture, or old menu from that place.

Though it closed when I was quite young, I still have fond memories of going there.

Anonymous said...

We were a young family with one 3 year old girl. She loved Pizza Pipes and Pandemonium.

We were in Groton only 6 months and she has no memory of those days. Now she is a brain surgeon.

I wish the place was still there. I wish I could take the adult and show her that piece of her childhood.

sam said...

I was there for a couple of years. we would allways enjoy the pizza even though it wasnt that great. kids loved it an the organ was amazing.
here's to PP&P!!

Anonymous said...

The organ was dismantled and sold for parts.

Anonymous said...

I used to go to one when i was a kid, about 25 years ago, in West Virginia. Cpelz's comment about hearing Star Wars really took me back... ha, I'm actually shaking my head right now at how someone else has the exact same, totally random memory. My mom would always give me and my sister a dollar to request the song. Ah, simpler times... I really miss being a kid in the mid 80s :(

Unknown said...

Loved that place

Unknown said...

Loved this place! Was about 15 minutes from our house. I was just a little kid but remember going and having a great time!

Unknown said...

Did you ever find out?

Anonymous said...

And now CVS

Anonymous said...

Was stationed at the submarine base from 81 to 83, stopped and looked at it and looked like a lot of fun. Never did get back there to it. We gave the Pizza eight out of 10. From 82 to 83 I had an apartment in Norwich above the do well package store. Good times. Wild times. Was stationed on the ARDM-4 Groton base.
The Golden Gate Pizza place owned by those Greek Brothers I think. Great food. I was there for that blizzard of 81.