Is the Iconic Meijer ‘Oasis’ Coming Back to Michigan?

If you grew up in Michigan in the 1970s or 80s, chances are you remember the "oasis" — that magical little patch of shag carpet and fiberglass animals smack in the middle of Meijer.

What Was the Meijer Oasis, Anyway?

While our parents shopped for pork chops and Pop-Tarts, we were happily climbing on a giant turtle, flopped on beanbags, or watching cartoons on a fuzzy TV mounted high up on the wall.

READ MORE: Michigan, Before the Internet — 4 Ways Kids Stayed Busy at Meijer

No seat belts. No hand sanitizer. Just pure, unsupervised joy in the middle of a megastore.

Well, something interesting is happening.

Why the Remodel Has People Talking

The Meijer in East Lansing out by I-69 is being remodeled, and right now there's a wide-open space right in the middle of it. And I'm telling you — it's exactly the right size for the return of the old Oasis.

You can almost hear the echoes of kids yelling "Dibs on the lion!" and smell the faint scent of shag carpeting baked under fluorescent lights.

READ MORE: 10 Things Every Lansing Kid Did Growing Up in the 90s

Now, I'm not saying Meijer is bringing the Oasis back. But maybe... they should?

Could the Giraffe Finally Come Home?

Heck, the legendary Meijer giraffe out on Lansing's west side — remember him? He was too tall to fit inside that store's Oasis back in the day, so he ended up chilling on the roof of the gas station. He could finally come down and reclaim his rightful place in the jungle gym kingdom.

Would today's kids even get it? Who knows. But we would.

If you're a Gen X parent, you know there's something poetic about your own kids climbing the same weird plastic walrus you once faceplanted off of.

Get our free mobile app

So Meijer — if you're listening — how 'bout it? One more ride on the rhino for old time's sake?