Sadly, classic arcades are hard to come by these days. So here’s how to find one.
This detailed map seeks to include as many truly classic arcades as it can. While the emphasis is on dedicated, vintage arcades, there’s also scope to include something more contemporary, or a venue that’s not just an arcade, if it at least has a “significant number of classic arcade machines”.
The map probably doesn’t include everything, nor does it include private arcades, so if you see something’s missing, there’s contact info here to get something added.
Complementing the map is this website, which attempts to catalogue which games are available at each arcade. The Scandia Family Fun centre in Fairfield, California, for example, has Joust, Asteroids, Afterburner and even the badass Thunder Blade with the sit-in cockpit.
View U.S. Classic Arcades in a larger map
If you want to plan a trip to a truly classic arcade, you can find the interactive map at the link below. If you’re in Montana, Minnesota, New Mexico or Mississippi, you might also want to consult guides on very long road trips.
U.S. Classic Arcades [Google Maps, via Arcade Nation]
Kermit
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:05 PMIt would be easy to do the equivalent map for Australia. It would be blank.
thorn
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:39 PMyeah its a pitty most arcades are full of mechines that want $5 a go these days at modern arcades
and yeah australia would be blank xD
light487
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:46 PMYer uhm… what’s with the American content on the Australian site?
Grandmaster B-Funk
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 5:36 PMhow i would KILL for a classic arcade in australia…
djmcbell
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 5:38 PM(random UK bit)
Went to Scarborough a few months back. Every arcade there was full of those machines where you stick in 10p and see if it makes any cash fall out.
Doing one of these for the UK would be easy – Blackpool would be the only place on it.
Mancomb Seepgood
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 6:31 PMI’ve not been there myself but apparently Galactic Circus in Melbourne has a pretty decent collection of arcade games?
Planning to take a look next time I’m down there.
MrTaco
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 1:50 PMGalactic Circus is alright, though it’s mostly newer games.
I was just on the Gold Coast though, and Timezone at Surfers is fricken gigantic. It seems to house most of the old machines that used to live at Sega World, and everything is just pristine, I don’t think I saw a single broken machine. Nothing in particular in the way of 80s vintage, but there’s a fair bit of 90s gear there.
Steve
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 9:12 PMWe totally need a California Extreme here.