Visitors can play classic and new arcade games for $20 per day

NORTHAMPTON— Visitors to Thornes Marketplace will be able to play classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders as well as newer games like PAC-MAN Smash Air Hockey after Hometown Arcade opens in November in space previously occupied by Acme Surplus.

For $20 a day, entrants can play games from the ’80s and ’90s, including ski ball, bubble and air hockey and lots of pinball machines. Rhythm games, like Guitar Hero and Beat Mania, will also be available. 

And youngsters who take a chance on the classic claw machine—trying to grab a toy as a prize—will be guaranteed a prize for $3 per play.

“What I love about arcades is they’re a fun place to spend some time with family and friends,” said Matt Snow, owner of Hometown Arcade, who also has a location in Norwood and one that recently opened in Bloomfield, New Jersey. “I prefer this sort of format of arcade that’s a mix of old-school, classic games at an affordable price point, and I’m excited to have a presence in Thornes.”

In Norwood, Snow’s arcade is off the beaten path, and he hopes the downtown foot traffic will bring players to his Thornes space. He added, “We’ve had a lot of support from the ownership group of Thornes, and we’re excited to be a part of it and be a part of the Northampton community.”

Snow hopes his Northampton arcade will be accepted into the New England Pinball League for team play, and he hopes to offer a women’s league. He will also have a unique 10-player game called Killer Queen, on which two teams of five compete, and he plans on hosting Killer Queen tournaments.

Hometown Arcade will also offer birthday party packages.

Snow is in the process of securing a beer and wine license for the arcade and is also negotiating a partnership with a local restaurant to provide pizza. Snacks and soft drinks will also be sold. 

Hometown Arcade should be open by mid-November, after work to upgrade the electrical panel and amps is complete. His Norwood location opened in May 2023, and the New Jersey venue opened recently.

To learn more about Hometown Arcade, visit hometownarcade.com.

To learn more about Thornes Marketplace, visit thornesmarketplace.com.

Thornes Marketplace has been the cornerstone of downtown Northampton and at the center of the Main Street shopping district for more than a century. Built in 1873, it holds 55,000 square feet of space for merchants and includes features like pressed tin ceilings and hardwood floors.

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