Time Traveling in Cville’s Retro Arcade
Screens glow throughout Decades Arcade as people play pinball, Mrs. Pacman, and many other games. Customers talk as they go from game to game. After the entry fee of $12, all games are free to play.
There are myriad games. People can compete against each other in Mrs. Pacman as she munches her way across the screen. Cruis’n World is a fast-paced car driving game where the brakes are almost never used. The main room had an assortment of different pinball tables to choose from. Of thirty-five pinball tables, “our eldest table is Silver,” said Josh, the attendant on duty. He enthusiastically explained that Silver has been around since 1957. A bunch of the games are vintage, though the arcade has some new games as well like their Mandalorian Pinball table.
Five rooms were packed with games, laughter, and soft robotic noises. “The blue room is where you will find skeeball, air hockey, a miniature bowling alley, [and] a couple of other games,” said Josh. An upstairs also has more games, a couch, and a jukebox where patrons can pick from a variety of songs. People can plug in the song they want and listen as the lights glow around them. Artist choices include Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, The Cure, Sting, and many more.
Decades Arcade is in Kathy’s Shopping Center on Carlton Road near Beer Run, Belmont Pizza, and the train tracks. It is in a large warehouse, sharing space with Champion Brewery and selling some of the beer themselves as well. It is open to the public Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 1:30-10 p.m., and Sunday 1:30-6 p.m., but people can book events for a single party on Monday through Thursday. For pinball lovers, Tuesday is also open for the Dominion Pinball league at 7 p.m.
Josh said that they have been in business for almost four years, and during that time all high scores are kept on a scoreboard. The high scores on most games are never reset, so you can compete to overthrow real people’s titles on the scoreboard.
Throughout Decades Arcade, many precautions against COVID-19 are in place to keep all the gamers safe. Scattered near games and throughout the different rooms are hand sanitizer stations that ask everyone to use it before and after playing a game. Many fans and air purifiers also get the air moving. All customers are asked to wear masks as they play different games and talk. As one more safety measure, Decades Arcade also has UV germicidal lights perched atop some of the games to act as a disinfectant.
Josh also said, “Probably once a weekend we spray down the games… but these lights do the cleaning for us.” They are trying very hard to keep the space safe for everyone with many precautions in place. Food is not allowed to be brought into the arcade either, but near the back they have a vending machine for drinks and snacks if people get thirsty or hungry. People wear wristbands so they can come and go to get food outside the arcade .
No place in Charlottesville is quite like Decades Arcade. For $12 a person people can spend all day playing games and hanging out with friends. The building is filled to the brim with bright displays, old games, and soft music. It is a place where childhood never dies and games are for all times.
