Old School Gaming At Neon Retro Arcade With Younger Kids

While we were adventuring around Pasenda, we stopped by the Neon Retro Arcade for some old-school gaming fun.  Having recently celebrated eight years in operation, their Arcade offers a rotating list of over 40 classic gaming cabinets & pinball machines from the ’80s and ’90s. Neon Retro has also done a great job modernizing the old Arcade hall experience of the past by simply setting their games to free play and offering a much easier flat hourly or full-day admission rate.  

See The Full Detailed Video Below

Neon Retro Arcade Visiting Information

• Website:
  • http://neonretroarcade.com/ 
• Address:
  • 28 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
• Phone:
  • 626-568-2924
• Email:
  • [email protected]
• Dates & Hours:
  • Open daily from 12 pm to 10 pm
  • Dates and hours of operations may change. We recommend calling them or checking their website beforehand to confirm their business hours. 
• Price/Cost:
  • $15/person for 1 hour
  • $25/person all day
  • $20/person for group reservations of 10+ guests for 2 hours 
  • Kids age 5 and under are free. 
• Booking/Reservations:
  • You can do walk-ins or make reservations online
    • http://neonretroarcade.com/index.html 
• How much we spent during our visit:
  • Total: $30
    • 2 tickets for the adults. The kids were free. 
• Parking:
  • $1 for 2 hours at the parking structure at the corner of Raymond and Green. 
• Activities:
  • Playing classic old-school arcade games
• Time spent:
  • 1 hour
• Places to eat:
  • Dog Haus (93 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91105) – 397 ft away
  • Wanderlust Creamery (59 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105) – 302 ft away
  • There are lots of walkable restaurants in the area
    • https://www.oldpasadena.org/visit/directory/dine/ 
• Pet allowed:
  • No
• Stroller friendly:
  • Yes but space is limited. 
• Restrooms:
  • Yes, flushable toilet. 

Extra info

• What we observed:
  • All games are set to “free play” during your visit. Play as much as you want until your time is up. 
  • When we arrived, the owners let us walk around the arcade to check out their games before purchasing our admission tickets. 
  • Since our girls (age 3 and 6) would need assistance playing the games, the owners did not charge admissions for them. 
  • We only did the hour admission because we weren’t sure if our kids would enjoy the arcade games. The hour went by quickly and our girls could easily play there for 2 hours.
  • They do allow you to upgrade your pass if you decide you want to stay longer. 
  • You are welcome to leave and come back with your same day paid admission. 
  • The place isn’t large but they have over 40 classic games that include video games and pinball machines from the 80s and 90s and a few newer consoles to play. You can view their current game list here:
    • http://www.neonretroarcade.com/games-pasadena.html 
  • This place is great for all ages. Our kids enjoyed playing Tetris, Super Mario Bros, Puzzle Bobble, Pac-Man Battle Royale, Ms, Pac-Man, MarioKart 2, Marble Madness, Puzzle Fighter II, Fix it Felix Jr, and Q Bert. It was great to show our girls some classic games that we played as a kid. 
  • They have chips, candy and drinks for purchase. 

things to bring

• What we packed:
  • Light jacket, water, snack, veggies, fruits, lunch, and hand sanitizer. 
  • You can get the links to all our travel essentials here: Travel Essentials | Califoreigners
• Ways to save money:
  • Come with a group of 10 or more to purchase the all day pass and take breaks walking around Old Pasadena. 
  • Pack your own food. 
• Event party rentals:
  • No, but you can make a group reservation for 10-25 guests for 2 hours and the arcade remains open to the public. They do not allow food, cake or table seating. 
• Gift Certificates:
  • Yes, can be purchased online or on-site.
    • https://neonretroarcade.bigcartel.com/ 
• Other places to visit in the county:
  • https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw2BDTbZEPMWSY__mzV1F1L9e67FN6AjJ 
• Recommended itinerary:
  • 12 pm Neon Retro Arcade 
  • 1 pm Have lunch and walk around Old Pasadena
• Follow us on Instagram @thecaliforeigners, Youtube @Califoreigners, TikTok @Califoreigners

What We Said In Our Neon Retro Arcade Video

Having little ones, we got there right when they opened, and the owners even recommended we make a quick tour of the place to ensure we were okay with the games, and after paying, we grabbed a couple of stools for the girls, and the hour flew by in the flash.  At 6 and 3, our girls aren’t ready for the full arcade scene, but friends and reviews said Neon Retro can still be fun for younger kids, and after our visit, we agree.  While most of the arcade games are geared toward older kids, at least ten fall into a more kid-friendly category.  Games like Mario Kart, Pac-Man, Puzzle fighter, booble, and Tetris.  We definitely don’t recommend putting your kids on Mortal Kombat 3 so just be present, and help guide them.

Kairi loved playing four-player Pac-Man with us, while our youngest liked stacking in Tetris in a way that would be painful if it was coin-operated.  During the hour, we got a play a little bit of everything, introducing the girls to their first pinball machines, and I even showed them my all-time favorite arcade machine Joast before totally forgetting about them to try going for its high score.

With the hour up, we considered upgrading to the full day, but with all the great food spots around, we agreed to revisit Neon Retro Arcade in the future, and think you’re kiddos might like it as well if you’re shopping around downtown.

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