Medieval Times

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting. Medieval Times Entertainment, the holding company, is headquartered in Irving, Texas.[1]

This article is about the medieval-themed dinner theater. For the historical time period, see Middle Ages.

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament
TypePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedDecember 20, 1983 (1983-12-20)
Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
Headquarters
Irving, Texas
,
U.S.
Number of locations
10
Area served
United States and Canada
ServicesDinner theater
Websitewww.medievaltimes.com

There are ten locations: the nine in the United States are built as replica 11th-century castles;[2] the tenth, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is located inside the CNE Government Building.[3]

History

In April 1997, the company's owners sought bankruptcy protection after losing a court battle to the IRS that required the Buena Park location to pay US$7.5 million and the Orlando location to pay $2.5 million in back taxes (equivalent to about $12.7 and $4.2M in 2021). According to the IRS, Medieval Times improperly deducted royalties, loan interest, and management fees in the 1987 and 1989 tax years. When asked why the company was filing for bankruptcy the company's bankruptcy lawyer, Alan Friedman, said, "one of the primary reasons for filing was to prevent the IRS from beginning to seize any assets."[4]

The chain was featured in the 1996 film The Cable Guy,[5] and the 2004 feature film Garden State. It has been featured in episodes of TV shows such as Friends,[6] Cake Boss,[7] Hell's Kitchen,[8] The Celebrity Apprentice,[9] and Close Enough.[10]

The shows change about every six years.[11] A new show premiered in late 2017; and, for the first time, the lead role was filled by a queen rather than a king.[12]

Synopsis
The introduction of the knights, pictured in 2008.

Locations
Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois
Medieval Times at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

United States

Canada

See also

References
  1. ""Castle Locations". Medieval Times Entertainment. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  2. Duncan, Kimberly Allyson; Rentz, Lisa Tomer (2008). Insiders' guide to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand (9th ed.). Guilford, CT: Insiders' Guide. ISBN 978-0-7627-4407-7.
  3. Reynolds, Christopher (August 7, 2016). "How Medieval Times survives in the digital age (paper version headline: "All in a knight's work")". Toronto Star. pp. B1–B3.
  4. James, Granelli (April 26, 1997). "Medieval Times Owners File for Bankruptcy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  5. Ramey, Lynn T. (2007). Race, class, and gender in "medieval" cinema. pp. 111. ISBN 9781403974273.
  6. ""Friends" The One with the Soap Opera Party (TV Episode 2003)". IMDb. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  7. "Tournament of Knights and a Tasty Tiramisu" Cake Boss, TLC, June 14, 2010
  8. "15 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen episode 3. Season 9. July 25, 2011. Fox.
  9. "Getting Medieval". The Apprentice. Season 12. Episode 2. February 26, 2012. NBC.
  10. "The Canine Guy" Close Enough, HBO Max, July 9, 2020. Warner Bros.
  11. Palisin, Steve (May 31, 2012). "Medieval Times ready to roll out new show". The Sun News. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  12. "Queen Takes The Reigns at Medieval Times Castles Starting October 19". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
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