The Old School Pinball & Arcade

Surely is one of the best kept secrets of the area for fun activities. Pay once, small fee, and the play unlimited arcade and pinball! It was clean, staff is courteous, seems like now an obvious choice for a free afternoon.

Incredible old school arcade with all the classic arcade games and tons of pinball machines too! Prices include unlimited game play: $13.50 for access to 95% of the games and an additional $1.50 for the VIP pinball room which has 5 higher end pinball machines like Jurassic Park, Star Trek, Attack from Mars, Monster Bash, and Iron Maiden. The owner and his son were very friendly, helpful when a machine didn't work, and made excellent shakes! Cherry ?? was my favorite! Highly recommend this place - tons of f

Went there with my wife one evening for date. When we got there, the guy was super cool. Even gave us a heads up before we paid, what time they closed. We walked the place first, and noticed immediately that there was a pretty good selection of pinball machines. The arcade games were ok, though I wish they had more arcade games from the 90s. All in all, I would totally come back again. Cool place

Great place to go with the family!! Great game selection. Lots of fun to be had!! Only complaint is there's no mortal combat Which is a letdown for an arcade but other than that it's a great place.

Great Place! Had a 10 year olds Bday party here and it was a blast. They make some amazing milkshakes here among other things. Loaded with awesome games.

This place really brought out my inner 8th grade nerd. It was so much fun to take my kid. So many of my favorites. Tron, Elevator Action, Dig Dug, Mario Brothers, Rampage, Mortal Combat, etc. Buy a wrist band and it is all free play for as long as they are open. Private party is an option and you can bring your own food. There is a ice cream shop there in case the kids (or adults) need something sweet.

Great selection! Price is good too. Pay about 13$ and you can play pretty much all the games. They have a VIP deal for a few dollars more but I think its worth it. Either way great place

This is a great place to spend the afternoon. Come and relive your childhood and introduce your kids to the way you used to play games. There is everything from old-school pinball machines to a guitar hero game. Well worth the price. Plus the owner is a super friendly and informative. Coolest part is this building has been in the owners family for generations. Go check it out!!

Super cool place. There's a cabinet in the VIP section with a high def screen and dozens of virtual games to choose from. We will definitely be back.

This place is AMAZING! The experience is incredible and the milksakes are out of this world. They host events like birthday parties and corporate outings. 10/10 would recommend reserving your party here!

Good place. Very friendly staff. Lots of arcade games to choose from. Good price!

If you're a fan of pinball and old school games, this is the best way to spend $15. Me and my 9 year old spent 3 hours on a Saturday here and could have easily stayed longer.

Small but super cool lots of games some has worn buttons but all playable loved it

You pay a small fee (less than $20) and play all arcades as much as you wish. Great selection of pinballs and arcades from the 80s and 90s

Very fun nostalgia trip. Great pinball machines, especially the Iron Maiden. It's very cool. The gaming area can be a little tight on space for handicapped people, but my daughter has been in there with both her walker and wheelchair. Everyone is there for a good time, and are pretty willing to make space. So it's absolutely workable for anyone handicapped. Haven't had the ice cream yet, but love the fact that it's there! Malts at the arcade.

My son had alot of fun.

High quality retro video games and pinball. Nice and helpful staff. A bit pricey for the number of games there and not a lot of space; can get crowded very quickly.

Went here with some family and had a great time. It was a little hot in there after awhile, but it wasn't too unpleasant.

First and foremost my 10 year old son and I had a great time. The games are in good working order. The atmosphere is fun, clean and lively. And... they had my childhood favorite game, Burger Time. It is priced very reasonable and workers are very polite. The Ice cream is awesome. I do have a few critiques though. The games are to close together, both side to side, and in rows. When players are on both sides of the aisle it gets very tight to walk thru. Because of the proximity of people and machines, I tho

What a fun place! We held our 10 year olds birthday party here today and could not have been more satisfied with our experience! The staff was more than helpful, the kids had a blast, and it was SUPER CLEAN! Especially with the pandemic, we were nervous about being in a public space but in the 2.5 hours we were there, all machines and surfaces were wiped down with Lysol wipes 2-3 times. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back!

Best babysitter in town - ha! The kids played all sorts of video games for 2.5 hours as I played pinball. It was glorious! The gal who was working there is the owner, I believe, and she is incredibly nice. The ice cream was terrific. Great place to go for affordable fun!

This place is the best.. only wish I could go in on the weekday

Very cool, you pay one price at the door and you get to play old school pinball and arcade games from when you were a kid. Also have ice cream and sodas to enjoy while you play. Took my daughters for an afternoon and will definitely take them again. Try this place out, you'll probably love it as much as we did!

Took my son here for his 9th birthday. We had a blast. Very laid back environment and classy set up. All the games were a hit. The owners are friendly and accommodating at all times. We will be back again for many more years to come. Recommended fun for the whole family.

Picked this for our son's 9th birthday. Didn't have a party reserved, just took him, his brother and a friend. The owner was so nice and welcoming. Offered us the party package even with no reservation. Milkshakes were incredible and everyone had fun.

The milkshakes were the BEST I have ever had!!! Premium ingredients and generous size. The games were fantastic. We went for friend?s birthday and I now want to celebrate my birthday there!

The best valued Arcade I've been to in 10 years. The true old style collections are amazing. This is a true must stop for a real old time arcade fan.

This place was a blast! Rented out the arcade on a Wednesday afternoon for a group of 20 college students and it went great! The staff were very helpful and passionate about their business. The shakes were amazing and the machines worked great. We were able to bring our own food too! I would highly recommend for all ages

The owner was incredibly nice to us. He was very personable. When our friend wanted to purchase one of their Tshirts, they didn't have the size and color she wanted. The owner called and had one made in the correct size. It was nice to have someone go out of the way to see that we got what we wanted. He also came out to make sure our milkshakes were made sufficiently for us. The games are definitely a "blast from the past". After talking with them, it sounds like they go routinely and find different games

Kid friendly arcade. Staff (owner) was super nice and very patient with my daughter. Pay a cover then play games for free. Decent lineup, about 40 arcade games and another 18 pins or so. Line up of pins is decent with newer/higher rated pins in vip room. Some of the machines could use some work but all and all, not bad. Ice cream shakes were great too. I will be back.

Loved having our son?s birthday party here! They were fantastic with our large group. The kids LOVED the milkshakes and love the unlimited play. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Great throw back to the 70's and 80's. Great childhood memories. Awesome to be able to share that with my kids. They loved it. Some of the machines need some up keep and would be nice to have some more food options. Still a great time. They offer a fun night at reasonable price and a unique experience.

My team had a team outing and we decided to go to Old School Pinball...and had an absolute blast! The owner was a fantastic host, the building was clean, and the games were a lot of fun...and the homemade milkshakes were delicious! We'll definitely return for future team outings!

Was definitely fun playing some old school games from my past.

We come here every time we come back to grandma's. Always fun and my two younger sons 6/8 have a blast. We got there 30 minutes before close and he gave us a few dollars off and actually let us keep playing while he was getting ready to close. Very fun!

We did a family party here and everyone had a fantastic time! Everyone got milkshakes as well. On Jason's recommendation, I had the cherry and it was very good. I also tasted the chocolate marshmallow, which was also very tasty. There is something for every age group. Our group's ages were 5 to 65 and everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously. The Star Trek pinball was my favorite. This is a great place to do a special family get-together. They are very easy to schedule. Very accommodating staff that

What a great place to come kick back, play arcades and have a shake!!! This is so much fun for the whole family and very reasonable. Yesterday we had our youngest daughters birthday party there. That was so much fun for the kids and the parents-everyone had a blast playing the games! Plus I didn't hear 20 mins after getting there they were out of tokens and bored like I have had at different kid places. The games are all on free play and the time flew by. Thanks Old School Pinball & Arcade!!!

I met the owner when I walked in the door and he welcomed me in a friendly manner explaining how the place worked and the history of how he got it started. There's some good old school arcade games and several pinball machines to fit your taste like Ghost Busters, Star Trek, and Game of Thrones. It was like stepping back in time to enjoy arcades of the past. The place isn't the biggest like some other arcades in the Des Moines area, but it's nice paying up front so you can play games as much as you want aft

Absolute blast! The grandkids loved the "olden days" games. Very clean, all patrons were very considerate. Staff was amazing, helpful and accommodating. The fact that they had stools for the little ones to stand on to reach the games is an excellent touch! Will definitely be back!!

My family and I went here today. I am a huge fan of the idea, but struggled to enjoy it because so many of the games weren't really operational. Screens were really fuzzy, controls didn't work, and it was super crowded in a cramped space. I get that many of these machines are pretty old, but buttons and joysticks should work if you are paying to play. Played a few games and spent 90 minutes there, but don't think we will be going again.

Visited here 4 times now and I love it! I could spend all day here and not get bored! Love all the game selections. Wish it weren't quite so crowded though, sometimes hard to get around people. But always new games when we come! Family fun

Super fun for adults and kids. Games were in great shape when we visited - plenty of options even when it got crowded. Sundaes and shakes were fabulous. Employees were incredibly friendly and helpful. We will definitely try to get back.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I am an 80's kid (still am at heart!), it was so reminiscent of the old Fun Factory, a dark arcade where you can just lose yourself for a couple hours! The best part about this place is instead of having to move your stack of quarters from game to game, you pay once and get to enjoy all the games! My husband and I enjoyed a break in our busy schedule here and will definitely be back!! They make a WONDERFUL Cherry Milkshake which just topped it off. There are not many places around anymor

Amazing place for old school games and great shakes. He has all the old classics including Pac-man, Galaga and Donkey Kong. He also has a variety of newer games with some great selections of pinball machines. Our whole family had a wonderful time. I've heard his prices for birthday parties are really good, be we have not done that ourselves. Pay for admission, and everything is on free play. No popping quarters. Very friendly and helpful staff. Building is small but the machines are packed in there. As an a

Very nice place Lady was nice and helpful. Almost all the games worked I only found 3 that didn't but BUT most importantly All pinball machines worked great. Only complaint it was very hot the furnace was blowing the whole time we where there. Will be back

We used The Old School Pinball & Arcade for our son's 7th birthday. When i called to inquire about parties, the man who took my call was extremely knowledgeable, and very informative. They reserved us seats, and even had a god fathers pizza delivery option! We did choose to have some pizza, and it was there as soon as we arrived!! They had a nice selection of games, and the staff was great! While my sons 7th birthday turned out to be a dud, and no one showed up, they let us just pay for the time we used, an

This past week I took a group of about 20 high school students here and they absolutely loved it. The service was great and though we weren't able to try them ourselves, the word is they have some of the best shacks in the state. I will likely be back later to confirm that!

Have taken the family here a couple times now. My husband loves it and so do the kids. All the games work, clean atmosphere, and service is awesome. Great place for a birthday party or just to hang out and play!

Fantastic place - both for adults and kids. The old school games really brought back childhood memories for me. We got there right when it opened at 5 and I thought we'd spend an hour or two there. Next thing I know, it's pushing 9 PM and the kids are exhausted. The pizza and breadsticks were good and it's nice that there's a dining area right there so you can order food, and keep playing until it comes out. The entire time we were there, my son found one machine that wasn't working properly - but the owne

Fun afternoon playing video games! Loved talking to the owner about the history of the building and how this business started.

WOW and WOW. This is the first arcade place in Iowa that I was able to bring my 10 year old! The family that runs this place is so welcoming and friendly I felt right at home as if I were playing video arcades in my living room. We will definitely be going back here(this is it new go to) best part of all I finally beat House of Dead 2 without putting $60 into the machine! One fee....unlimited games.

Retro games and pinball and the kids loved all of them. The owner greeted us at the door and gave us the run down of the place , and let us know he would be available if we had questions or needed help. Ice cream was good and would recommend this joint to everybody. We'll be back for sure!

This place is a great place to spend your Friday and Saturday nights! The shakes are nothing less then perfection. The owner is a great guy and very passionate about his games. This place is very clean and not your typically arcade. It is well worth the visit our to Grimes.

The old school arcade is a one of a kind place in the state of Iowa. Everything is on free play. Just have to buy a wristband and you can play any of the machines in the main room. Despite what the 1 star review says every machine works. You just have to push player one of player two and the machine with start. If nothing happens when you do that. You just look down on the front of the machine for the credit button that they tell you about when you buy your wristband. The arcade is never cold! It might be a

We went on Father's Day and enjoyed every minute of it! We are new to the Des Monies area and this was one of the highlights of our time so far. We are 10 days into our journey. If you would like to hear more about our visit here and more about this journey of relocating please check out my blog thebeautifulhomestead.com.

The staff was very nice. They offered food room godfathers pizza or the restaurant next door (sandwiches and burgers). You pay 13.50 or 15 dollars (if you want access to the adult room) for a day pass and you have unlimited access to all of the games. It's sweet because then you don't have to keep plugging handed with coins and you don't have the sad disappointment of running out of coins.

I went to play pinball. The games all functioned but most had issues where an important feature didn't work or balls would get stuck. The tables seemed to be at a smaller slope than they should be so they played really slow. With the slow play and the machines only mostly working it got kind of boring after a while. The VIP room was pretty cool. The owner talked to me a bit and he was a really nice guy. There are a ton of video games but I found with a lot of them the guns would be uncalibrated or a button

Took my 15 year old son there to experience some of the games I grew up playing-mission accomplished!! We spent an hour and half or so and played all we really wanted to. It is pretty small and games are packed right so if there are many others there you might run into the kid playing on the machine next to you.

No school like the old school! This place is fun for all ages, whether you are an old gamer like me that wants to replay the classics from your youth in the 80's, or young kids that love the variety of games available for them. I had my son's 10th birthday party here, and all the kids left with smiles.

Ten bucks to play for unlimited play. If you only want to play for an hour or two you don't get your monies worth. Many of the games won't work until you get the manager to come reset the machine. Very cold in there so bring a jacket or better yet skip the place.

Went in with my brother today. This place really is an old-school arcade but is unlimited play!! Great for kids and adults of all ages and you have to try the chocolate malt or the cherry shake. Both are crazy good.

I absolutely love it here and, more importantly, so does my 10-yr-old son. For the second year in a row, he chose Old School over ChuckECheese for his birthday party. From the very first arcade games to more modern selections - like Guitar Hero - this place has something fun for everyone. As if that's not enough, they have "Old School" sodas and shakes as well!

Fun place, but small and was very crowded. You literally couldn't turn around without having to bump into someone. The owner was very polite. The one bathroom, tho..eeeek. It was dirty and I think another employee might be needed on busy nights

Great place for a night out. I've been trying to take my kids to an arcade so they could experience the fun I had as a kid and this place absolutely nails it. Everything works great and the staff was super kind. Definitely recommend.

The amount of pinball machines here is astounding. It was a little on the expensive side, but the machines are all set to free play. I imagine if I had to pay for a many games as I played, it souks have cost much more. The machines are very well maintained by a person who is very passionate about them. Besides the pinball, there are a plethora of arcade games as well. We will be going back next time we are in town.

Had my sons 11th birthday party here. Owner was very friendly and treated us very well, he was very laid back and always smiling. His staff was super personable as well and you could tell he genuinely loved his job. Had a party of 17 people. He took care of everyone personally like family. Shakes are amazing and the syrup in them is an old fashioned real sugar syrup from 1,000 miles away, I highly recommend the shakes(they come with a wristband for unlimited all day play in the birthday party package.) Very

Oh, man! For a small fee you can play endless video games and pinball machines. Took my 2 kids here and the 3 of us were entertained for hours. If you have a sweet tooth they can help with that, they have yummy milkshakes made to order right in front of you.

Visited this for the first time and I was blown away! All sorts of classic titles. A little tight on space but only because there's so much awesomeness! Also a great price on all you can play wristbands!

Travelled here from Bellevue, Nebraska for my son's birthday. Took him and a few of his friends. We had a blast and there was something for everyone there. When I remember how many quarters I sank into arcade machines and pins when I was a kid... $13.50 for all-you-can-play is a steal! We will definitely be back!

Very little and have hard time getting around. Also they had told my boss that shakes would be $2 and instead for a small and I mean small cup we were charged $4 didn't taste that good. Went with a group from our rec Dept

Very cool. We are heading to California in RV and I made a,surprise detour to this place. My 9 & 11 year Olds loved it. An absolute must if in the area or traveling through. Clean, dark, and PERFECT.

Wonderful place never had so much fun. Grandpa, me two kids 10,8 played for four hours had a blast!! Malts were great too! Will go back!

Awesome place! My husband and sons especially loved it. Great price for unlimited playing time. We will be back often, and we drove an hour to get here!

Awesome piece of nostalgia. The owner is a passionate gamer, with an extensive collection. Pinball machines and arcade games for everyone. The prices make it extremely affordable. It can get cramped when it is busy, but if you remember back in the day, it was worse than...

I came out for curiosity ; but i got a surprise,the atmosphere is healthy,families come with their children and have a great time,i was suprise to find several classic that work very well and the ping balls are excellent ; the lady whom attended today ,was very kind,thanks again; i'm convinced that i will return next week !!!!

Totally legit arcade with a ton of my favorites from my younger years. We found this place for our 9 year old's birthday party. We went ahead and paid for all the adults and kids (around 16 people+/-) and still paid less than we would have at another kid centered arcade type place. Bonus: NO CREEPY ANIMATRONICS!!!!! It was awesome as well to see what my kids thought about how we used to have to game back in the day even though they could not beat me in Tekken 3. ;)

The Iron Maiden pinball machine is fantastic! Love how you got the sound cranked up on the machines so you can actually hear the music and commands. Love the noise, the dark shadows and flashing lights...the proper elements of an arcade.

This place was awesome, loved the old school classic games. Kids had a great time too. They have pretty good shakes too.

Wonderful place. Great games both old and new. Took two 6 year old boys and they had a blast. The 30 something dad's did too!

Unique atmosphere. Great place for a party. Blast from the past games and yummy shakes too! In a small town setting. Great experience for all ages

Had my son's 7th birthday party there and it was amazing! Great shakes and super friendly staff. We will be visiting again.

Great retro arcade. Tons of the classics and some really cool newer pinball machines. Family had a great time. Staff was very helpful.

Great place to spend the afternoon. 5 stars.

This place is awesome, and brings back memories of when I was a kid! The ice cream is out of this world! It is old fashioned, and home made! I will definitely go there again!!

Jason was great to work with and his team did a great job on our vintage bubble hockey machine!

THE BEST PLACE IN GRIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!! My family have always enjoyed coming here whenever. Their shakes are THE BEST IN GRIMES!! This has got tho be the best hotspot around, my personal favorites are Qbert, Pacman "Waka Waka" Super Mario Bros. and a lot if others. If your ever feeling grumpy, this is a great place to go.

This place is amazing. My husband and kids loved. The owner was super friendly. Plenty of games. Definitely will be making the trip again.

Loved playing some old school games and pinball. My wife and I went here for a date and had a blast. Only issue we had was that it was very hot in the building. Hope they have A/C in the summer.