The Church Arcade Brings Games to Duquesne, PA

The Church Arcade is a Unique Space

When driving up to The Church Arcade in Duquesne, you really feel like you're going to church. Apart from a small sign at the front door, most of the exterior of this one preserves the architecture of Holy Name Catholic Church.

When you step inside, the trend continues as you really feel like you are in a house of worship- if that space featured 150 or so pinball and arcade games, at least.

After a quick stop in the lobby to pay your entry fee (a flat rate per person, with weekends being slightly more expensive for longer operating hours), you get a wristband and can head indoors to play all the machines to your heart's content, as they are all set to free play mode!

When you walk into the former sanctuary space, you really feel like you are in an old church- just with the pews swapped out for games, that is.

The first few rows of games when you walk in are all pinball machines, with a healthy mix of vintage and newer machines to check out. As you go further into the space, rows upon rows of vintage arcade games follow, before reaching the altar, which has a mix of both pinball and arcade games.

A notable highlight for us beyond these was that the former confessional spaces, located along the side walls of the sanctuary, were converted into spaces for two-player tabletop games. Throw on that some of the walls featured curated game banners that were arranged to look a bit like faux stained glass, and we were really pleased with some of the nods to the former church.

After doing a lap and taking it all in, it was time to play the games, and we enjoyed many gems like Super Mario-themed pinball machines, Mandalorian pinball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games, and so, so much more.

One final perk about The Church Arcade was that Wye Beer Co. from Trafford, PA, was also on-site, serving a few draft brews at a rather reasonable price point during our visit. Although they did not have permanent infrastructure for a bar space at the time of opening, we were told that beer (and food trucks) will be on-site fairly regularly- a nice little perk if your visit can overlap with some brews and food!

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out a few details that are important to know to help get the most out of your visit.

As previously mentioned, weekend prices tend to be more expensive than weeknight prices (which, during our visit, were only on Friday nights). Depending on the cost per person, you may want to stay a bit longer to get your money's worth, depending on the entry price on any given day.

The arcade may also have other events going on, like public tournaments or private events, where they may even be closed outright. During our visit, for example, they had a public tournament starting at 7 pm where five or so pinball machines were blocked off. We made sure to get in before and play the machines first, as we otherwise wouldn't have been able to play those unless we entered the tournament.

As such, you would do well to check the calendar on their website to check pricing, closures, and other event details to help better plan your visit in advance.

Overall, The Church Arcade did a stellar job bringing life back to this former church, and delivers with family-friendly entertainment at this gem in Duquesne. We can't wait to go back to this one!

The Church Arcade is located at 32 S 1st Street in Duquesne, PA, just east of Kennywood.