Galloping Ghost Arcade

If you dream in 8-bit and the sound of flapping pinball paddles is your mating call, look no further than the town of Brookfield, Illinois to find the pinnacle of fulfillment.  At the Galloping Ghost Arcade, visitors pay a $25 entry fee, after which all 690+plus classic games are at their disposal from open ‘til close. 

Each and every one of the games is set to free, eliminating the need for tokens, or discovering the nature of the terror lurking beneath one’s couch cushions in a desperate search for quarters. The titles at Galloping Ghost are packed together so tightly inside the arcade’s modestly-sized building that players will sometimes find themselves back-to-back, or clambering over one another in order to reach the game of their dreams. The game selection includes classics such as Donkey Kong, Pac Man, and Q*Bert, as well as newer titles which are being added all of the time, and a wide range of pinball machines. The venue also regularly holds tournaments, and boasts numerous world records set on their machines.  

Players eager to get the most bang for their buck(hunter) are welcome to stay into the early hours. With a closing time of 2 a.m. every day of the week, this has the added effect of separating the proverbial and literal men from the boys, leaving plenty of time for the grown-ups to have their go at the machines without all those disruptive whippersnappers causing a ruckus.