The Penny Arcade
in Manitou Springs
6/24/2016
Do you love retro arcade games (like me)? How about skeeball? What about something even older, like penny machines from the 1930s and 40s? Then you need to visit the Penny Arcade in Manitou Springs, CO! The Penny Arcade (officially known as Arcade Amusements Inc.) has been around since 1972, making it one of the oldest arcades in the west, and they have the collection to prove it.
This vintage sign greets you as you approach the first of many buildings that make up the arcade.
The biggest draw for fans of retro games like me is the rooms full of arcade games. At the Penny Arcade I found all sorts of classic games: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Joust, Rampage, and Dig Dug, just to name a few. They even have some of the rarer games such as Tron, Space Invaders, Frogger and Tetris. If you're looking for classic arcade games, you'll definitely find them here.
Left: My old man playing the legendary Tron. He always loses on the tanks...
Right: Me enjoying a round of the Namco classic Dig Dug.
There are also quite a few modern arcade games and non-video games if that's your preference. Guitar Hero, Pinball, Skeeball, even shooting toothy clowns; they have it all. I had a lot of fun with a new Pac-Man Battle Royale game that pits four players against each other. Players have to survive the ghosts while attempting to grab power pellets allowing them to defeat their foes.
Left: Big Mouth, a game where you shoot balls in an attempt to knock out the clowns teeth. Right: Pac-Man Battle Royale. In this shot, Yellow just ended the final round by chomping down on Blue.
One of the coolest things is why it's called The Penny Arcade. Along with all of the awesome games, there are also actual machines that cost only a penny! I had a lot of fun sticking pennies in the English Football (soccer) and basketball games, controlled by a simple lever that moves an arm or leg of the athletes. There are also plenty of other amusements that don't cost a penny (usually a dime), but are still really cool and vintage. In the same area I found an old fashioned shooter with actual enemies and backgrounds moving on tracks instead of a computer screen! Love testers, sports games, even a dancing clown; they have every kind of vintage amusement here.
From left to right: Love Pilot (1938): Place your palm on the pad, and for just 5 cents, this machine will tell you your personality. (Not really, it's random).
English Football (?, but it's definitely old): For only 1 cent, you get to control a round of "English Football" (soccer). Pulling the levers on either side causes the athletes to kick out their legs at the ball.
Bimbo 3 Ring Circus (1981): Designed for children, Bimbo the clown will sing a song when a quarter is inserted into the machine. You can push the four buttons to move his arms and legs.
The largest (and possibly most fun) attraction in the whole place is the Horse Derby. Bascially, up to 12 people sit down in front of miniature skeeball-like machines connected to a giant horse race. You all try to roll the balls into the holes (marked 1, 2, or 3) to make your horse move forward that many steps. It's surprisingly difficult as, if you miss, your horse doesn't move at all. It's a great game to play with a large group, and you should definitely try it at least once if you're there.
The horse derby in action. #8's ball is about to get a 2, but it won't be enough to win the race.
Overall, I'd say The Penny Arcade in Manitou Springs is one of the best arcades I've ever seen. There's something for everyone, from Frogger to skeeball to penny arcade machines. If you're ever in Manitou Springs, or even close (such as Colorado Springs or Denver), I highly recommend visiting this awesome arcade.
The Author
I'm the guy who programmed this whole website from scratch and I'm responsible for most of the content you see here (including these cool author profiles!). I've been a huge fan of Nintendo since I picked up my first NES controller when I was 3. When I'm not writing articles or filming a new video, I enjoy playing and composing music, reading, math, art, and computer programming.