The Best Arcades in St. Louis: Barcades, Pinball & Family Fun
Revised July 12, 2026
What are the best arcades in St. Louis?
St. Louis arcades split into two camps: 21+ barcades like Up-Down STL (Central West End), Purple Quarters (The Grove), and the pinball-only Silver Ballroom — and all-ages family centers like Dave & Buster’s (Maryland Heights), Main Event (Chesterfield), and Swing-A-Round Fun Town (Fenton). There’s also a deep pinball scene, from the Lazarus Pinball Museum in Fenton to Atomic Pinball across the river.
Keep reading ↓There’s something universal about the pull of an arcade — the beep and clatter, the glow of a hundred screens, the muscle memory of a game you haven’t touched since you were twelve. Maybe you want a date night with a drink in one hand and a joystick in the other, a rainy afternoon that wears the kids out, or a serious pinball session with people who take flippers as seriously as you do.
Whatever your speed, St. Louis has become a genuinely great arcade town. Here’s a local’s guide to the best arcades in St. Louis and across the metro — sorted by the two questions that actually matter: are you bringing kids or a cocktail, and how deep is your pinball obsession?
The Two Kinds of Arcade Night
St. Louis arcades really split into two camps. There are the 21+ barcades — grown-up bars stuffed with retro cabinets and pinball, where the games are cheap and the drinks are the point — and the all-ages family entertainment centers, the big rooms with redemption games, laser tag, and prize counters for a kid’s birthday. Then there’s a passionate third lane running through both: pinball, which has a devoted St. Louis scene all its own. Know which one you want, and the choice gets easy. The good news is you’re rarely far from one: the metro has barcades in its trendy neighborhoods, family centers in the suburbs, pinball bars tucked into corners you’d never expect, and a whole second cluster across the river in the Metro East. Whatever mood and age group you’re working with, there’s a room full of games nearby.
The Barcades: Beer, Nostalgia, and 25-Cent Classics
For adults, the barcade is the perfect low-stakes night out. Up-Down STL in the Central West End is the flagship — more than 60 retro arcade games, pinball, skee-ball, console classics, and a rooftop bar. It’s 21+ in the evenings (with daytime family hours), and it nails the nostalgia-plus-cocktails formula. Over in The Grove, Purple Quarters is a newer cocktail-and-arcade bar from a beloved local team, mixing games with comedy and karaoke nights. And out in St. Charles, Two Plumbers Brewery + Arcade pairs house-brewed beer with free-play cabinets — a genuinely fun combination. A couple of newer St. Charles spots, including Rec Hall and the recently opened Rec Haus, round out a growing west-of-the-river barcade scene.
What makes barcades such an easy win is the low pressure. You don’t need a reservation, you don’t need to be good at anything, and you don’t need to commit to a whole evening — you can drop in for one drink and a round of Mario Kart or stay till close working the pinball. They’re also a rare night-out option that’s genuinely fun sober or not: the games carry the evening either way. For a first date, a small group, or a “we don’t know what we want to do” night, a barcade almost never misses.
The St. Louis Pinball Trail
If pinball is your thing, St. Louis over-delivers. The legendary Silver Ballroom in the Bevo neighborhood — a punk-rock bar in a former bowling alley — keeps dozens of machines and a fierce local following. Murphy’s On 21 in south county and the Benton Parkade in Benton Park are favorites for league players, and Red Fish Blue Fish in St. Charles keeps a solid bank of tables. For an all-ages pinball fix, the Lazarus Pinball Museum in Fenton is a dedicated collection you can play, and there’s even a pinball-and-arcade room tucked inside the City Museum. St. Louis runs real pinball leagues, so if you catch the bug, there’s a whole community waiting. The scene stretches into the Metro East too, where Atomic Pinball Arcade and the Pump House in Wood River keep dozens of machines for Illinois-side players.
What’s great about the pinball trail is how welcoming it is to newcomers. You don’t need to be good — most of these spots keep older, easier tables alongside the brutal modern ones, and the regulars are usually happy to show a first-timer the ropes. Drop a few dollars in, learn to nudge without tilting, and you’ll understand why pinball, of all things, became one of the city’s most durable nightlife hobbies.
Family Game Centers: Bring the Kids
When the point is to wear kids out (and win a plastic prize), the big all-ages centers deliver. Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights is the reliable classic — a wall of games, sports on the screens, and a full menu. Main Event in Chesterfield stacks bowling, multi-story laser tag, and 100-plus arcade games under one roof, and Swing-A-Round Fun Town in Fenton adds go-karts and mini golf to its 80-game arcade. For the youngest kids, Chuck E. Cheese has several metro locations with the tokens-and-tickets formula that never dies. And on the Delmar Loop, Joe Edwards’ Magic Mini Golf mixes indoor mini golf with pinball, a basketball arcade, and a mini Ferris wheel — a fun, all-ages Loop stop.
Don’t Forget the Metro East
Cross the river into Illinois and the arcade options keep coming. Edison’s Entertainment Complex in Edwardsville is a big all-ages spot with a 65-plus-game arcade, bowling, and laser tag; Game Over in Alton packs 200-plus games across three levels; and the pinball crowd has Atomic Pinball Arcade and the Pump House, both in Wood River. If you’re on the Illinois side of the metro, you don’t have to drive back across the river for a great arcade night. Edison’s in particular works well for a mixed-age group or a birthday, since it combines the arcade with bowling and other attractions in one place — the Metro East answer to a Dave & Buster’s night.
Why St. Louis Is Quietly a Great Arcade Town
It wasn’t always like this. Like a lot of cities, St. Louis watched its old mall arcades fade — and then the barcade boom brought the games back for grown-ups, and a passionate pinball community rebuilt the scene from the machines up. Today the metro spans the whole spectrum: slick national chains, indie neighborhood barcades, dedicated pinball museums, and a bunch of bars that keep a few tables in the corner for the regulars. The result is a city where “let’s go play some games” can mean almost anything, at almost any budget, on almost any night of the week.
Part of the fun is how the arcades reflect their neighborhoods. A barcade in the Central West End feels different from a pinball bar in Bevo, which feels different from a brewery-arcade in St. Charles or a big family center out in Chesterfield. Chasing them down is a low-key way to see parts of the metro you might otherwise skip — and to end up somewhere new with a controller in your hand.
St. Louis Arcades at a Glance
| Type | Spots | Ages |
|---|---|---|
| Barcade | Up-Down STL, Purple Quarters, Two Plumbers | 21+ (some family hours) |
| Pinball | Silver Ballroom, Lazarus, Benton Parkade | Mixed |
| Family center | Dave & Buster’s, Main Event, Swing-A-Round | All ages |
| Metro East (IL) | Edison’s, Game Over, Atomic Pinball | All ages / mixed |
Which St. Louis Arcade Is Right for You?
Date night: Up-Down STL or Purple Quarters — games and cocktails. Pinball die-hards: the Silver Ballroom or Lazarus Pinball Museum. Little kids: Chuck E. Cheese or Swing-A-Round Fun Town. Teens and big groups: Dave & Buster’s or Main Event. Retro purists: a barcade with a pocket full of quarters. Metro East: Edison’s or Game Over. There’s a version of the arcade night out for everyone here. The scene also keeps evolving — new barcades open, machines rotate, and pop-up tournaments come and go — so it’s worth checking a venue’s socials for special nights. Half the fun of a good arcade town is that there’s always a new high score to chase or a spot you haven’t tried yet.
Know Before You Go
A couple of quick tips. Check the age policy — barcades like Up-Down and Purple Quarters are 21+ in the evenings, so bring an ID (and plan around it if you’ve got kids). Ask how games are priced; some spots are free-play with a cover or per-game, others still run on cards or quarters. Weeknights are calmer than weekend evenings if you want elbow room at the machines. And for the smaller independent spots, a quick check of hours or Facebook before you go is smart, since game bars sometimes host private events or league nights.
Make a Day (or Date) of It
Arcades pair perfectly with the neighborhoods around them. Hit Up-Down in the Central West End and grab dinner nearby; make a night of The Grove around Purple Quarters; or turn a St. Charles trip into barcade-hopping down historic Main Street. On the Delmar Loop, Magic Mini Golf sits steps from Blueberry Hill and the Walk of Fame. The games are the anchor, but the neighborhood makes it an outing — dinner, drinks, a little friendly competition, and a walk somewhere you don’t usually go.
Find great local spots (and a note for the owners)
An arcade night is better with the right dinner or drinks nearby — and that’s what a local directory is for. You can search St Louis Near Me Directory to find spots near any of these arcades before you go.
And if you run a bar, arcade, or restaurant anywhere in the St. Louis area, getting found by people looking for a night out is the whole game. Listing your business is how locals searching “arcade near me” end up at your door.
More St. Louis things-to-do guides
- Active indoor things to do (escape rooms, climbing, VR)
- Indoor attractions for a rainy day
- Beyond the Arch: unique things to do
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best arcades in St. Louis?
For adults, Up-Down STL (Central West End) and Purple Quarters (The Grove) are the top barcades. For pinball, the Silver Ballroom and Lazarus Pinball Museum lead. For families, Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights, Main Event in Chesterfield, and Swing-A-Round Fun Town in Fenton are the go-tos. The metro also has strong Illinois-side options like Edison’s and Game Over.
Which St. Louis arcade has the best reviews?
There’s no single winner, but a few St. Louis spots earn the most devotion. Up-Down STL is the flagship barcade, and the Silver Ballroom in Bevo keeps a fierce local following. For families, Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights and Main Event in Chesterfield are the reliably popular picks. The best fit depends on whether you want cocktails, pinball, or kids.
What is the most popular arcade?
Up-Down STL in the Central West End is the metro’s flagship arcade, with more than 60 retro games, pinball, skee-ball, and a rooftop bar. Among pinball fans, the legendary Silver Ballroom in Bevo draws the most devoted crowd, while Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights is the go-to family pick. Popularity really depends on your crowd.
What is the best barcade in St. Louis?
Up-Down STL in the Central West End is the flagship barcade, with 60-plus retro games, pinball, skee-ball, and a rooftop bar. It’s 21+ in the evenings, with daytime family hours. Purple Quarters in The Grove and Two Plumbers Brewery + Arcade in St. Charles are excellent alternatives that pair games with a full bar.
Where can you play pinball in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a deep pinball scene. The Silver Ballroom in Bevo is the iconic pinball bar, the Lazarus Pinball Museum in Fenton is an all-ages collection you can play, and Murphy’s On 21, Benton Parkade, and Red Fish Blue Fish keep strong lineups. There’s even a pinball room inside the City Museum, plus more machines across the Metro East.
Are there arcades in St. Louis for kids?
Yes. Dave & Buster’s (Maryland Heights), Main Event (Chesterfield), Swing-A-Round Fun Town (Fenton), and Chuck E. Cheese are all-ages family centers with redemption games, laser tag, and prizes. Magic Mini Golf on the Delmar Loop mixes mini golf with arcade games, and Edison’s in Edwardsville is a big family option on the Illinois side.
Are there arcades on the Illinois side of St. Louis?
Yes, the Metro East has several. Edison’s Entertainment Complex in Edwardsville offers an arcade, bowling, and laser tag; Game Over in Alton packs 200-plus games across three levels; and pinball fans have Atomic Pinball Arcade and the Pump House, both in Wood River. They’re easy options if you’re on the Illinois side of the metro.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.