Apparently this place has been operating in the small Route 66 town of McLean, Ill., for several years, and I never knew about it until this video popped up on YouTube a few days ago.
This clip is a bit long, but there’s not much fat. It’s amazing how many 1980s video arcade machines are at Arcadia: America’s Playable Arcade Museum, in downtown McLean. Best of all, nearly all of them actually work:
The Arcadia, as it’s called by its short name, is owned by John Yates. The museum is open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. Yates will also open the museum by appointment if you call 309-287-1725. Arcadia is located at 107 S. Hamilton St. in downtown McLean (map here).
The museum doesn’t sit on Route 66, but is just a few blocks away. In an email, Yates said he would absolutely welcome Route 66 travelers:
It frustrates me that Route 66 goes through McLean, but not through our downtown. So my museum misses all of that traffic despite the fact that most Route 66 travelers would probably find the museum to be an interesting and worthwhile stop.
So I can still play Space Invaders and Asteroids!
There is a similar video arcade in Springfield, Missouri. It is called “1984 Video Arcade” and is at 400 E. Walnut St., Suite 108. This is at the intersection of Jefferson and Walnut, about a block, block and a half, south of St. Louis Street (aka City Rt. 66) and Jefferson. (Jefferson is the last street you cross on 66 before heading into the square here in Springfield.)
1984 has been open about 5 years, I think. I know my kid cousin has been to several parties there, and it is quite the place to book for kid’s birthday parties — more popular than Chuck E. Cheese!! Blows my mind that these kids wanna play PacMan … a flash from my youth … but it is so!!
I’m sure there are vintage arcade places scattered about. But I never expected one this extensive, in such a dinky town like McLean.