In Asheville, NC you’ll find the Asheville Retrocade, a fantastic place to spend a few hours during rainy, cold, or hot weather. You can play all day for one price and it’s great for the whole family.
Need someplace in Asheville, NC to spend a few hours indoors during a rainy, cold, or hot day? We’ve got just the place: Asheville Retrocade, an old-school arcade that features two floors of games and is family-friendly.
Playing at Asheville Retrocade
I am always looking for fun, indoor things to do when the weather isn’t cooperating and found just the spot at Asheville Retrocade. For this trip, I was visiting with a friend and her young daughter staying in the area and thanks to Google, found this indoor mecca of Pac-Man and race car driving. Now you don’t even need Google to find cool places like this since you have this story!
So at Asheville Retrocade, you pay a flat fee of $10/person (kids under 5 are free) and that gives you access to two floors of pinball, Pac-Man, dance-off games, race car games, air hockey, skeeball, and tons more games. No quarters are needed here.
They claim to have more than 5,000 games at the arcade. They do have a lot but I’m not sure it equals 5,000. That said, I totally lost track of time there and ended up spending about two-and-a-half hours at the arcade, which was such a fun way to spend time with my own kids and my friend.
Play All Day with Retro Games
When you get to Asheville Retrocade, you pay $10/person and get a wristband, which allows you to come and go all day. The arcade is truly like taking a step back in time. I didn’t play a lot of video games as a kid but the ones I did play, like Pac-Man, are ingrained in my childhood and I love them. It was a lot of fun to play those nostalgic games I did as a kid.
We went during Christmas Break and there was actually a line to get in. I was nervous that we wouldn’t be able to play many games because there were too many people. But I shouldn’t have been worried. We only ever had to wait maybe five minutes for a game and there were always spots open at other games that we could play.
The kids we had with us were ages 3, 9, and 12 and all of us had a blast. The place is truly family-friendly and welcoming. There were a lot of families when we went and it was so much fun to enjoy that time together and see other families doing the same.
Food and Drinks at Asheville Retrocade
The arcade has several options for drinks, including local craft beer, wine, and fountain drinks. They have free water available also.
They also have snack food available for purchase.
Things to Know When Visiting Asheville Retrocade
Here are a few tips when you visit:
- There is free street parking, which is awesome.
- After 9 pm, guests need to be ages 21+
- If a game is occupied that you want, just be patient and wait or play something else. It will open up!
- There are bathrooms and hand sanitizer available but still wash your hands during and after your visit.
- Expect heavier crowds during school breaks, holidays, and rainy days.
- You can book a private party at the arcade.
Heading to the Asheville Retrocade
The arcade is open daily Noon-2 am. After 9 pm, patrons need to be 21+. You can purchase your wristband when you get there.
Need more ideas for Asheville fun? Visit our Asheville Guide for ideas on how to enjoy the city with your family.
Asheville Retrocade
800 Haywood Road , West Asheville, NC
828.575.9488
Asheville Retrocade Facebook | Asheville Retrocade Website