Game Galaxy Arcade in Smyrna, Tennessee

I loved pinball growing up. I remember having a huge stack of quarters at a hotel arcade one time. My parents were at a conference and I had unlimited time to flick the ball back and forth and rack up points. It was such a fond memory. For Brent’s birthday this year, he chose to hit up an arcade (which happened to have a ton of pinball machines)!

Brent celebrated his birthday with a cool arcade back in 2019 but that one was hit by a tornado in 2020 and sadly no longer exists. We heard good things about Game Galaxy in Smyrna, Tennessee (around 20 miles outside of Nashville) so we decided to try it out.

Upon arrival it looks like an old bar or furniture store in a tiny downtown area but once you step inside the magic happens. I have never seen so many arcade games in my life! They boast over 400 games. They have free-standing individual games, pinball machines (over 160) plus television and computer game consoles set up all for free play with an entry fee. New games, old games, crazy games I’ve never heard of, you name it they most likely have it.

Some of Brent’s favorite games were Golden Axe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Transformers plus the pinball machines. There were so many he didn’t even see or get to try!

We stayed almost 3 hours which seemed to be a great timeframe. I know there were many games we didn’t even get to touch in that timeframe. We went on a Saturday in March and it was not too busy, although there was a snowstorm the night before which may have kept some away. Honestly, there are so many games to play even if it was crowded I’m sure you could find something that interested you.

Cost

The entry fee is currently $10 for one hour or $12 for all day. Ages 5 and under are $5 and ages 3 and under are free. Be sure to ask if they are running a family discount if you bring the whole crew.

Free parking is available. They have a few snacks and canned drinks for purchase. There’s also a public bathroom.

Although it was a video gamers’ dreamland it did lack in design. A few painted pixilated characters and posters here or there, but a fresh paint job and a color scheme would go a long way.

We would most definitely go back. I was good with one hour of gameplay but I know that was not enough for my boys. I would recommend it for the video game lovers in your life. By the way, I had fun too!

Do you have a favorite arcade memory?

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