October 2026: The Arcade Archivist
Player 6 has entered the game. AtariNights.com now covers Oregon: 34 retro arcades, barcades, pinball lounges, and playable museums across 5 regions and 15 cities, from a Hillsboro museum with more than 600 games to a pinball arcade on the coast highway.
Washington’s neighbor to the south plays just as hard. Every one of the 34 venues we’re launching with has pinball on the floor, and more than half of them are in the Portland metro.
Oregon by the Numbers
- 34 venues across 5 regions and 15 cities
- 34 with pinball, every single one
- 19 in the Portland metro
- The biggest single collection: 600+ pinball and arcade games under one roof in Hillsboro
Portland Metro (19 venues)
Start with the landmark: Ground Kontrol in Old Town packs more than 120 classic arcade titles and a rotating pinball lineup into two floors. Out in Hillsboro, Next Level Pinball Museum is one of the largest free-play collections in the world: one admission, all day, hundreds of machines. Special When Lit in King City runs around 44 pins, and Public House Pinball in Happy Valley adds 25 more.
Inside the city, Hawthorne is a crawl all its own: QuarterWorld Arcade and the space-age Space Room Lounge sit across the street from each other, with Gift further west on the same street. Wedgehead on Sandy Boulevard is a pinball bar with around 24 machines, The Fixin’ To anchors St. Johns, and My Father’s Place runs a dozen machines on Grand Avenue. Also worth a quarter: C-Bar, Steeplejack Pizza and Beer, The Back Patio, Bare Bones Bar, and The Callback.
The Willamette Valley (8 venues)
Eugene and Springfield are the valley’s arcade capital. Electric Hippo Arcade in downtown Springfield runs around 31 pinball machines, and Level Up Arcade pours drinks next to 19 more in downtown Eugene. Up the valley, The Coin Jam holds down downtown Salem, Arcade Club brings all-ages retro gaming to Newberg, and Quarterdrop Arcade in Cottage Grove is an all-ages, alcohol-free coin-op room made for families.
The Coast, Central Oregon, and Southern Oregon (7 venues)
Road trip time. North Coast Pinball sits right on Highway 101 in Nehalem with around 24 machines. In Astoria, Merry Time on Marine Drive and the sci-fi themed Galactix make a two-stop night. Over the Cascades in Bend, The Capitol and Vector Volcano Classic Arcade are steps apart on Oregon Avenue.
The Archivist’s Note: Free Play, All Day
Key Take: The classic arcade ran on quarters. Every game was a transaction, and every Game Over was a decision about whether to drop another coin. Next Level Pinball Museum flips that model: one flat admission buys unlimited play on more than 600 pinball and arcade games, from vintage cabinets to the newest tables. It’s the museum model applied to machines that were built to be played, not looked at, and it means you can finally learn that one table you could never afford to practice on in 1983.
Know Before You Go
- Watch the clock at mixed-age venues. Ground Kontrol goes 21+ at 5pm, and QuarterWorld opens to all ages only on weekend afternoons. Each listing says when.
- Many Portland pinball spots are bars. For families, head to Next Level, Arcade Club, or Quarterdrop.
- Call ahead before a long drive. Hours are listed as “Check venue” for most spots, so confirm before heading to the coast or Bend.
How We Built the Oregon Directory
Every venue was researched and cross-checked against multiple sources, including venue websites and community pinball databases, before it went live. No venue pays to be included. If we got something wrong, or missed your favorite spot, submit a venue and we’ll review it.
What’s Next
Six states down, and the whole West Coast is on the board. Next stop: Nevada. Or browse every Oregon venue, pick a city, and go chase a high score.
The Arcade Archivist
AtariNights.com