Arcade City

Why go: Walking in costs nothing, the doors stay open until midnight every night of the year, and the floor is stocked with oversized cabinets, a wall sized Pac-Man, six player coin pushers, and a prize counter that reaches well past plush toys.

About Arcade City

Arcade City is the indoor arcade anchoring the retail side of The Island in Pigeon Forge, operated by FACE Amusement, which runs sister locations in Gatlinburg and Branson. There is no cover charge and no admission ticket. You walk in off the open air promenade, and the only money you spend is on the games you actually play.

The room runs on a rechargeable play card rather than quarters. Credits and the tickets you win both live on the same card, so there are no coin cups and no paper ticket strips trailing behind you. Load it at a kiosk, tap it at a machine, and cash out at the prize counter whenever you are finished.

What fills the floor is a deliberate mix. Classic cabinets sit next to oversized novelty machines, sports and racing rigs, pinball, shooting games, claw machines, coin pushers, and newer interactive and virtual reality titles. The redemption wall runs from small keepsakes up to game consoles and headphones, which is a higher ceiling than most arcades on the Parkway carry.

Getting to Arcade City

The Island sits on the Parkway between traffic lights 3 and 4, at the turn onto The Island Drive heading toward the LeConte Center. Parking in the marked lots is free, and the City of Pigeon Forge runs complimentary trams from the main lot to the entrance during operating hours. Arcade City is a ground floor storefront in the retail building, Suite 1105, a short flat walk from the show fountain and the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel.

Why Choose Arcade City

Pigeon Forge has several arcades, and most of them are attached to a go kart track or a mini golf course you are also paying for. This one is a standalone room on a property that charges nothing to enter, which changes the math on a rainy afternoon or a restless evening.

• Nothing to pay at the door. Admission is free, The Island charges nothing for general access, and parking is free, so a family can walk in, look around, and leave without spending a cent.
• Open until midnight, every day of the year. That is later than the other arcades in town and makes it a workable stop after a dinner show lets out.
• Cashless and ticketless. One card carries your credits and your winnings, so nobody is counting quarters or hauling around a fistful of paper tickets.
• Oversized and novelty machines. Wall sized and giant format versions of games most people have only played on a standard cabinet are the reason repeat visitors come back.
• Better value buying card credit online. Loading a card through the website carries more play value than buying at the kiosk, which is worth doing before you arrive.
• It is part of a bigger stop. Because it sits inside The Island, one free parking spot also gets you dinner, the observation wheel, and the show fountain.

Must Do

The floor rewards wandering, but a handful of machines are the reason people talk about this place rather than the arcade attached to their hotel.

• Giant Pac-Man. A wall sized version of the maze that plays completely differently from the cabinet you grew up with.
• Giant Galaga. Same idea applied to the shooter, with enemy ships blown up to absurd scale.
• The Wizard of Oz Coin Pusher. Up to six players work the same machine at once, which turns it into the loudest and most social spot in the room.
• Life Size Connect 4. The board game rebuilt at human scale, and the easiest thing in the building to talk a reluctant teenager into.
• Super Bikes 3 and MotoGP. Sit down motorcycle rigs that lean when you lean, the best of the racing bank.
• The Claw Machines. Consistently the most praised part of the floor, and where the high end prizes actually live.

What to Expect

This is a spend as you go room, so the experience is shaped less by opening hours than by how you manage the card. A little planning keeps it from getting away from you.

• Set a budget before you load. Prices vary machine to machine, and a card fee is applied when you buy a new card, so decide on a number at the kiosk rather than at the third top up.
• Redeem before you walk out. Tickets accrue on the card automatically, but they still have to be cashed in at the prize counter, so leave a few minutes for it.
• Cards do not travel. A balance loaded here will not work at the Gatlinburg or Branson locations, so spend it down before you leave town.
• Under 16 needs an adult. The Island requires guests under 16 to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone who is at least 21, and that applies inside the arcade.
• It is loud and bright. Neon, cabinet audio, and coin pusher noise all layer, which is fun for most kids and genuinely difficult for anyone sensitive to noise or flashing light.
• Best rainy day option on the property. Nearly everything else at The Island is open air, so this is where families end up when the weather turns.
• Plan on 45 to 90 minutes. That is a comfortable stretch for one card. Larger loads easily turn it into a couple of hours.
• Food is steps away. The Island carries more than a dozen restaurants and snack counters, so this fits neatly before or after a meal.
• Laser tag and the ropes course are separate. Those are other Island businesses with their own tickets, and they are not covered by anything on your play card.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• SkyFly: Soar America. A flying theater ride in the same complex that lifts the whole seating deck off the floor.
• 7D Dark Ride Adventure. An interactive shooting ride where the car spins toward whatever you hit.
• MagiQuest. A live action wand quest that turns themed rooms into a treasure hunt for kids.
• Alcatraz East Crime Museum. Two floors of authentic crime artifacts and hands on forensics across the Parkway.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Pigeon Forge is a great resource for finding things to do and places to eat.

• Pigeon Forge Food & Beverage Guide. Restaurants, dinner shows, breweries, distilleries, and eateries throughout Pigeon Forge, from sit-down meals to grab-and-go stops.
• Pigeon Forge Outdoor Adventure. Mountain coasters, UTV rentals, rafting, helicopter tours, and other ways to experience the Smokies from outdoors.
• Pigeon Forge Attractions. Museums, escape rooms, mini-golf, arcades, and other family-friendly stops across the city.
• Pigeon Forge Entertainment. Dinner shows, live music, comedy, magic, and theater experiences throughout Pigeon Forge.