I grew up during the Golden Age of Arcades, from about 1978 to 1984. I delivered newspapers daily so I always had extra quarters, going to the arcade at the mall and just being taken away by the sounds and lights. Told these stories before but during the summer of 82, a local pizza shop/arcade opened up in my town about a 2 mile walk (uphill both ways) in western Pennsylvania. The arcade owner gave free 16 inch pizzas to each week's winner of 8 or 10 games, and I ended up winning about 45 pizzas that summer. Had a single mom, disabled brother, older sister, and we were poor, so my mom was stoked by this pizza windfall.
From 82 to about 85, my 2 friends and I would go up to Pittsburgh Friday (early during the summer), watch WWF Wrestling on Friday, sleep at my friend's grandmother's house Friday night, and then it was either Pirates or Pens Saturday evening before heading back home. Other than that in the Burgh, all we did was hit the arcades. Food Fight, Wacko, Bagman, Ms. Pac Man, Tempest, Reactor, Arabian, Galaga, all these great great games. During this time, there were about 8-10 arcades in the city. First time I saw Dragon's Lair in June 1984 at Smithfield News, my mouth was agape.
So back to the arcade in Hopewell PA. https://pinballpa.com/
250 arcade games, 150 pinball games from the 50's to now, and get this. NO NO NO NO TICKET GAMES! I REPEAT, NO TICKET GAMES! YOU KNOW THOSE GAMES THAT GIVE TICKETS? YEAH, THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE. Almost all these games are all originals! And these things are beautifully restored, games from the 50's to the 90's in pristine condition. They even had a 60's mechanical game where you shot actual water at "flames" at the back, and it actually worked!
You pay 20 bucks for 2 hours of unlimited games, and when my friend (who I went to Pittsburgh with as kids) and my two sons qualified for the family pass (up to 4) for $40, 2 hours. Or you can pay for a day pass. You will absolutely lose yourself in the number of games and the 2 hours goes by like that. And the quality of the games will also knock your socks off. I had the chance to talk to the owners, and the one dude is a black-belt in restoring these old games. In 2013 my same friend and I went to Funspot Arcade in New Hampshire (world famous) and the games at the arcade in Hopewell, PA, are in SOOOO much better shape. Every time my wife, 2 sons and I go back, we always try to hit this arcade at least twice, while my wife takes my mom out shopping. Win win! Also, there's a great ice-cream shop right across the street, Brewster's Ice Cream.
For all of my VGC friends here, if you loved classic arcades growing up, or if you've never experienced arcades but would love to in all their glory, go here now. My kids, 17 and 10, said this Pinball PA is better than Disneyland.
