Pocket Change/At The Pier Arcade

Pocket Change/At The Pier Arcade

Reviews Summary

Most reviews praise this arcade as a great family-friendly spot with helpful staff, clean facilities, and fun games for kids. Many highlight the convenience of reloadable cards and weekday specials. While some appreciate nostalgic elements, others criticize outdated or rigged games. Negative reviews mention poor maintenance, high prices, or missing favorite machines. Overall, it’s a hit with families but may disappoint hardcore arcade fans.

About This Listing

Has Retro Games
Has Arcade Cabinets
Has Food
Good for kids
Has Prizes
Wheelchair Accessible

Who Can Play?

Most arcades welcome all ages (some may have age restrictions for certain games)
Minors may need parent/guardian supervision (policies vary by location)
No gaming experience required - games range from beginner to expert level
Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes recommended for safety
Valid ID may be required for certain attractions or age verification
Groups and parties welcome (advance booking may be required)

*Note: Age restrictions and policies may vary by arcade. Check with your local facility for specifics.*

First-Time Visitors

First-time visitors may need to sign a waiver or register for a game card. Staff are typically available to help explain games and provide tutorials. Some arcades offer newcomer specials or free play sessions to help you get started.

Common Restrictions:

Age-Based Some games may have height or age requirements for safety reasons
Capacity Popular games may have wait times during peak hours

*Note: Policies vary by arcade. Confirm with your local facility.*

What to Bring

Cash or card for tokens/credits (some arcades are cashless)
Valid ID for age verification or membership signup
Phone to capture high scores and memories (check photo policies)

*Note: Payment methods and requirements may differ by arcade.*

Preparing for Your Visit

Check arcade hours and peak times online before visiting
Eat beforehand or check if the arcade has food options
Bring friends for multiplayer games and competitions
Wear comfortable clothes you can move freely in
Avoid bringing valuable items that could be lost or damaged
Check for special events, tournaments, or discount days
Set a budget for games and stick to it
Stay hydrated, especially during long gaming sessions

*Note: Tips may vary by arcade type and location.*

How to Get Started

Most arcades accept walk-ins, but call ahead during busy periods or for large groups. Check for membership deals!

Other Helpful Info

Most visits last 1-3 hours depending on games and group size
Popular games may have longer wait times during weekends and evenings
Many arcades offer unlimited play packages or time-based pricing
Some locations host tournaments and special events regularly
Prize redemption available at many arcades - save your tickets!

*Note: Policies, pricing, and features differ by arcade. Contact your local facility for details.*

What to Expect from Retro Games in Arcades

Step into the glow of retro arcade games and expect a nostalgic rush! Classics like Galaga, Donkey Kong, or Mortal Kombat await, housed in vibrant cabinets with joysticks, buttons, or trackballs. You’ll dodge enemies, chase high scores, or battle opponents in fast-paced, pixel-perfect gameplay. Modern restorations include sharp CRT or LED screens and authentic controls, preserving the 80s/90s vibe. Games are easy to learn but tough to master, offering quick sessions or deep challenges. With leaderboards and arcade crowds cheering, retro games deliver timeless fun in 2025.

How Arcade Prize Games Work

Dive into the excitement of arcade prize games! Expect claw machines, skee-ball, whack-a-mole, or basketball challenges where you test your skills or luck to win tickets or prizes directly. Claw games require precise joystick control to grab toys, while redemption games reward accuracy with tickets to trade for plushies, gadgets, or trinkets at prize counters. Modern setups boast colorful displays and smooth mechanics, blending nostalgia with fresh fun. The thrill of winning and the vibrant arcade vibe make prize games a captivating draw in 2025.

Features

Has Retro Games
Has Arcade Cabinets
Has Food
Good for kids
Has Prizes
Wheelchair Accessible

Contact Information

Address

1208 Park City Center Space K0208

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601

Hours

Monday 10AM-7PM
Tuesday 10AM-7PM
Wednesday 10AM-7PM
Thursday 10AM-7PM
Friday 10AM-8PM
Saturday 10AM-8PM
Sunday 11AM-6PM

Customer Reviews

a cute little arcade, much more sensory friendly than round one. they have some old games from the chuck e. cheese that closed down, so that's really cool to see!

Kids love it. They have been raised next door in the kids play area. Love the carousal. Have been trying other games as they mature. The area has been kept clean and maintained well. Has a spot for hosting parties too. Will be back and highly recommended.

Had a blast here with the kids. This arcade has a DDR machine (Extreme, IIRC) that only costs 50 cents per play, Single or Versus mode!

The crappiest, saddest arcade around. All redemption games and Star Trek: Voyager. It used to be the Crown Jewel arcade of Park City, but now it is a sad reminder that good things cannot last.

Great arcade for younger kids. Small, well lit, clean, and not too noisy. Great weekday specials on certain days. One $25 card lasts our 5 year old multiple visits, and he gets a small prize each time, while saving most of his points for something larger. We also had a birthday party here and really enjoyed it!

The crane machines were awful, they barely even moved anything when you went to close which was highly disappointing. It's also not very "toddler" friendly, most games were for older kids being as my son is 5 and couldnt quite understand most of the games. We liked the fact you could purchase a game card to keep tickets and money for the games on.

Not a huge arcade, but they only have so much space to work with. It is pretty overpriced, but they do half off on Wednesdays. Our son likes it, and we mainly go for the Mario Kart racing, basketball and new Time Crisis. There have also been machines out of order a decent amount. A decent little place to go.. .What you would expect from a mall arcade.

Monday afternoon meeting up with extended family, kids had a blast and the gentleman cashing in their tickets had the patience of a saint! He even took a great photo of all of us which was much appreciated.

Spend a little time here, and you'll have fun. Doesn't cost much, and all games are 25 cents - $1. Plenty of prizes to chose from. No need to have tokens or quarters, either, or carry tickets around. Your reloadable card keeps track of all your tickets. Convenient and easy to get to from the lower level food court.

Very chill place to go and have fun for lunch or a entire afternoon. Go thy ere for birthday partie or after dinner. They give you a reload card and all of your tickets are accumulated n the card so it makes it very convenient when going to cash in for your prizes after playing so hard.

Appears to have been recently renovated. Definitely needed it. Nice selection of interactive games for younger kids (+3yo) and older. Prizes seemed typical, but wasn't there for them.

Pocket Change has the latest games and VR style entertainment. All games use a loaded gift card style payment system. It is even air conditioned. Pocket Change is also conveniently located near a delicious food court. Get a slice of pizza and play some amazing games, just remember to wash your hands first. They don't like greasy joysticks.

Who hasn't had a good time at the arcade at some point in their life. Now, if you are over 30 and you're there alone you have issues. But, as a parent I love taking the little boogers here. One thing I don't like how difficult it is to redeem the prizes. Most of the time you end up consoling the kids on how bad you suck at the games and how the prizes arent worth it anyway. The kids play so hard to get disappointed and you could easily drop $40 to walk out of there with a couple ring pops and a constipated

You can't ask for anything better. You have the food court for the adults, this arcade for teens + and then the toddler play area right next to each other. You can literally sit at the food court, watch your teen and your toddlers.... Definitely the "hang out" in the mall!

A nice smaller arcade with great prices. My kids had plenty of fun and we didn't have to spend nearly as much as D&B or round 1.

Arcades were such a big thing when I was really young, but as I got older, they seemed to be around less and less. It's great to see an arcade that's not only full of working games, but attracts a large crowd of people even in 2018. Definitely enjoy coming here over and over.

I've been coming to this arcade ever since I was a kid, and they've done an impressive job of staying afloat all these years. Most arcades fell out of style with the rise of in home video games, so arcades needed to innovate to dominate. The games range from fast paced racing games to pulse pounding first person shooters, among the classics such as Skeeball and the crane machines. They regularly hold the option to host birthday parties for kids, and have an e-card system in place of tokens. No more lugging

They had very nice staff. The games were decently priced and was half off due to half off Wednesday. Took my kids and they had a blast . THANKS GUYS ;)

Great place. My son and I always have such fun here, But the prices are a little high. A dollar a game adds up quick.

Hours posted as opening at 10 AM.10:45 and still not open but the employee was in the arcade with the gates down. I guess you do not want our money.

A high percentage of the machines were in good working order, a rarity now a days. The kids enjoyed it.

Wonderful arcade run by a very passionate individual! Always love my visits to Pocket Change, though I'm sad to see some of my favorite machines disappear like the Wangan machines. They've been replaced by Cruis'n Blast machines, which are fun but do not offer anything to returning players and are more of a cheap one-time thrill than a game you'll keep coming back to. I'd love to see them introduce some new Daytona: USA or Wangan machines-- anything that really keeps you coming back to fight for your place

Always take my daughter here for the little rides!

This arcade has been here FORVER!!!! The awesome thing is they have continued to update, change policy, and grow with the mall. Need a little break from the busy mall come play a couple quick games.

The guy was nice enough to let my daughter pick out to Paw Patrol items even know we were a little low on tickets

Went there with 3 grandkids. We had a great time. Manager on duty was superb! Food court was right nearby.

Had our granddaughter's birthday party there everything was great the employee was great wouldn't hesitate doing it again

I took my niece there, we had a good time, we'll be back again. Thanks for the fun!

There's not much thing to play here. I was expecting to see some childhood one but no.

Nice place for little ones. More kid friendly games. Helpful staff.

Its fun but you better buy a $40 card if you want to have a good time.

Small arcade, but the staff was nice and helpful. Had fun with the kids and we all had a great time

It's okay, it's a little smaller than usual Arcades. Overall my family and I had a great experience.

Great place to have fun with family or friends! Been there quite a few times

Good, but overpriced for many things. The Stacer is already rigged (proven) and cost $2 to play

They have good games n a must for ur kid's

They took out their dance games like ITG and DDR. They also took out their max tune machines when they were just to lazy to fix them.

Not a lot in here. A good place to stop for a little fun for maybe 30 minutes.

Kids had fun, but wasn't much for little kids

I didn't play, but gave cash and credits to a mother and kids whose husband is currently deployed.

The games are reasonably priced and very kid friendly

My son loves it, but they need more games..

My kids loved it staff was. Very helpful

Great place to spend some time with the little ones.

Well priced. And clean. Good time killer waiting for wife...

Great experience friendly staff tons of prizes to win

Great fun for small or large groups..??

Expensive, but fun! Maintenance could be better in the gaming machines.

So expensive to earn next to no tickets and end up with something worth 5cents after spending $20+

Great place friendly environment good prizes

It's an arcade center with a wide variety of video games: driving games, shooting/hunting games, a basketball dunk game, skee ball games, etc.

Some decent games. A lot of it is outdated, used to be such a different experience when I was younger.

Fun to play at won 3 claw machines it was great ??

It was kind of busy. Not many games for kids.

We always have a great time at pocket change!

Got a squishy little pacman ghost aw yee

Loved my grandsons birthday party

It was ok. Not a big variety of games.

Cool place the kids loved it .

Buy cards bit prizes not great

The kids had a lot of fun

I remember this place as a kid still looks the same

Small arcade place at Park City Mall the kids like it.

You'll love Mario kart!

Called pocket change- can't use pocket change. Silly.

Nice little place. Friendly

Pretty Epic not gonna lie

They did have some new games

Fun place for the whole family!

A fun place to play games.

Typical arcade. Seems to be on its way out.

Fun games and nice people

Lots of new machines

Place needs refurbished.

How much are the cards?

Great arcade to play at

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s it like visiting an arcade today?

It’s a mix of nostalgia and high-energy fun! Many arcades blend retro classics like Pac-Man and pinball with modern VR games, racing simulators, and rhythm challenges — often with music, lights, and a social vibe.

Is it better to go alone or with friends?

Both can be great! Solo visits let you focus on your favorite games, while going with friends adds competition, teamwork, and laughs. Many people plan arcade meetups as a casual hangout or even date spot.

What should I bring to an arcade?

Usually just yourself and a way to pay (some arcades still use coins, others use cards or apps). If you're competitive, bring your A-game. If you're social, bring friends or meet new ones over multiplayer games.

What’s the best time to visit an arcade?

Weekdays or early afternoons are usually less crowded — perfect for focused play. Evenings and weekends bring the buzz, especially at barcades or venues with DJs, tournaments, or themed nights.

Can I meet new people at arcades?

Absolutely! Arcades attract a mix of casual players and serious gamers. Whether you're jumping into a four-player co-op or chatting between rounds, it's a fun, low-pressure way to connect over shared interests.

Are arcades still just for kids?

Not at all. While many arcades are family-friendly, there are also adult-oriented ones with full bars, 18+ nights, or vintage nostalgia themes. Arcades today cater to everyone — from first-timers to lifelong gamers.

Are there events or tournaments I can join?

Yes! Many arcades host regular competitions, retro nights, cosplay parties, and more. Whether you're into high scores or just want to watch and vibe, events add an extra layer to the experience.

What if I’m not great at arcade games?

No worries — arcades are about having fun, not being perfect. Try a variety of games, ask others for tips, and remember: the vibe is more “let’s play” than “let’s win.”

Are retro games in arcades still good in this modern age?

Absolutely, retro games in arcades remain a thrilling draw in 2025! Classics like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Street Fighter II offer simple yet addictive gameplay, blending nostalgia with timeless challenge. Modern arcade cabinets often feature crisp displays and restored controls, enhancing the experience. These games thrive on quick reflexes and strategy, with vibrant pixel art and iconic soundtracks that spark joy. Arcades host tournaments and leaderboards, fostering a lively community. While modern games dominate, retro titles provide a unique, accessible thrill that keeps arcades buzzing.

Why are arcade prize games so exciting to play?

Arcade prize games are a thrilling highlight in 2025! Claw machines, skee-ball, and ticket-redemption games like basketball offer a rush of skill and chance, with rewards like plushies, toys, or electronics up for grabs. Modern machines feature vibrant lights, digital scoreboards, and responsive controls, amplifying the fun. The lively arcade atmosphere, with cheering crowds and buzzing energy, makes every win feel epic.