Best Seaside Arcades in the UK

Whether it’s spending your ‘millions’ on 2p machines or patiently attempting to grab that cuddly toy with the claw machine, seaside amusements conjure up great memories for so many of us. If you’re looking for somewhere fun to take the kids or simply want to relive your old holidays, these are the best seaside arcades in the UK.

Bournemouth Pier Amusements

Bournemouth Pier Amusements is an entertainment centre packed to the rafters with good old-fashioned fun. Surrounded by colourful lights and nostalgic sound effects, you won’t know whether to start with the air hockey or the pinball machines. There are lots of video games suitable for families here, as well as those based on your favourite blockbuster movies and ones that take you back to your childhood. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon at the seaside.

Bournemouth Pier also offers lots of other attractions, including a climbing wall, a vertical slide, and the world’s first pier-to-shore zipline! To get there, catch a train to Bournemouth station with CrossCountry, then it’s a twenty-five-minute walk. Alternatively, you can catch a bus to Westover Road, and it’s a five-minute walk from there.

Coney Island, Scarborough

Coney Island in Scarborough is the perfect combination of modernised pizzazz and 1950s nostalgia. It’s a dazzling addition to Foreshore Road, with its circus-style sign and bright lights. Inside, every modicum of space is occupied by some form of stimulation, resulting in a carnival of neon and noise. You can spend hours in here, spending pennies, winning prizes, and reliving your childhood.

Coney Island is a five-minute walk from Scarborough station. If you’re travelling from Midlands hubs like Birmingham New Street and Derby, you can catch a CrossCountry train to York and then a connecting train with an alternate provider from there.

Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare

Sometimes the best arcade experiences come from the latest high-tech games, and Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare has over 500 of them with new additions being introduced all the time - now that’s an exciting afternoon of gaming! Whether you’re unleashing your dance moves, racing in adrenaline-pumping driving simulators, or testing your axe-throwing prowess, there’s non-stop action at this famous arcade.

Beyond the arcade, Grand Pier also boasts fairground rides, a go-karting track, mini golf, and a house of horrors! Go to Weston-super-Mare for the beach and stay for the boredom-busters.

Grand Pier is a seventeen-minute walk from Weston-super-Mare station, which can be reached with CrossCountry from various stations, including Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids.

Williamson’s Old Penny Arcade, Great Yarmouth

Williamson’s Old Penny Arcade is not your average amusement arcade. While the local Gold Rush Amusement Arcade reminds some people of their holidays growing up, Williamson’s will take you back even further. Part of the Great Yarmouth Merrivale Model Village, it features nearly 100 vintage arcade machines that date from the 1920s to the 1970s. To get started, just purchase some old penny tokens, your ticket to a fascinating ride back in time.

Grand Casino Amusements, Penzance

Offering entertainment for all the family, you can’t beat a visit to Grand Casino Amusements when visiting Penzance. Keeping the legacy of seaside adventures alive, Grand Casino was built in the early 1900s as The Pavilion and has a storied history hosting music, plays, and more. Now it is the home to an arcade and amusement park, with penny machines, dance games, car racers, and carnival classics for all to enjoy! Be sure to try their bowling alley too.

Grand Casino is a fifteen-minute walk from Penzance station. To reach Penzance by train, just hop on a CrossCountry service from one of our convenient locations, including Plymouth and as far as Edinburgh Waverley.

Nobles Amusements, Portobello

Nobles Amusements has been a mainstay on the Portobello Promenade since 1984, promising a thrilling mix of classic British nostalgia and the latest games. Nobles is perfect for all ages; the only condition is that you come ready to win! Whether that be a handful of pennies, a Mario Kart grand prix, or a cuddly toy.

Once you’ve finished enjoying the amusements, head to Crumbs for a well-deserved treat. Choose from ice creams, bacon rolls, and the café’s famous Crumbs Liver Cake for dogs. Nobles is located beside Portobello Beach, just a 30-minute bus ride from Edinburgh Waverley.

If you’re planning to visit a seaside arcade, don’t forget to book Advance rail tickets via our website or the CrossCountry app. Before you travel, make sure to check scheduled train times to find the best journey for you. If you need more information, you can contact us here.

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At the time of publishing, all information given is correct. Details of events, businesses, and locations included may be subject to change by third parties. Please make sure to check any details with organisers before you travel.