A new arcade opened in State College. Take a look at its game lineup, prizes
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- A new arcade is open at Nittany Valley Sports Centre in Patton Township.
- The space includes nearly 70 arcade games and a huge prize wall.
- Officials hope the space helps attract more guests and events at the sports center.
A new family fun center is bringing arcade games, prizes and more to the State College area.
Nittany Valley Sports Centre recently unveiled its new arcade space and plans to celebrate with a grand opening on Saturday. The area, officially named the Clubhouse Family Fun Centre, features roughly 70 arcade cabinets that add to the facility’s expansive lineup of indoor sports fields, courts and event spaces.
Michael Lee, the center’s general manager, said the new space is expected to help Nittany Valley Sports Centre attract a larger audience and host more events.
“People have been really intrigued because there’s nothing really like this in our area,” Lee said. “Our goal is to augment what we’re already doing with the sports side of things and be able to offer a place for families to come and spend time together, eat some food and do some fun stuff with each other.”
The Clubhouse offers a wide range of arcade games and cabinets that include virtual reality games, air hockey tables, racing simulators and a few retro favorites, such as an oversized Pac-Man machine with a nearly 13-foot LED display. The lineup offers a few old-school favorites, including some Skee-Ball machines and crane games.
The arcade’s marquee addition is a “VR Starship” simulator that will take up to six players “on flights through the cosmos.” The simulator, said to be the first of its kind in North America, was delayed in transit for the arcade’s grand opening but expected to arrive by mid-March, Lee said.
Nittany Valley Sports Centre collaborated with the California-based Power House Entertainment Group to design and plan its new arcade. Experts from the group completed a market study for the complex and made game recommendations that could help the arcade attract a family-friendly audience.
Roughly 19 arcade cabinets featured at the Clubhouse were previously scattered through Nittany Valley Sports Centre’s lobby, Lee said. They were moved into the dedicated arcade space alongside dozens of new games, which may come and go as Nittany Valley Sports Centre and Power House officials evaluate arcade performance in the coming months.
A few tables are scattered throughout the arcade, offering a spot for guests to chow down on snacks from the nearby cafe. Its menu features pizzas, chicken tenders, salads and some other snacks, including a new lineup of appetizers launching soon.
After playing in the arcade, guests can head to the prize counter to cash in their points for toys and goodies both large and small. Prizes available at the arcade’s grand opening include small trinkets like rubber balls and dice and larger board games, children’s apparel, stuffed animals and more.
Lee said the Clubhouse will soon offer some eye-catching grand prizes, including Xbox gaming consoles and televisions.
Guests who visit the arcade can use kiosks to load up play cards with credits for games. Be sure to hold on to your cards, which can retain unused prize points. You’ll skip a $1 card issue fee when loading game credits onto a reused card, too.
The Clubhouse is expected to help Nittany Valley Sports Centre become an even more attractive option for events and birthday parties, Lee said. The center is able to create flexible event packages that can bundle time on the indoor fields and courts with a session in the arcade.
The new arcade is also expected to be up for grabs for those attending summer camps hosted at Nittany Valley Sports Centre.
“Our goal is to get a lot of families in here,” Lee said. “They’re our primary audience. We like things that people can do together, and we’re happy to offer more with the Clubhouse.”
Lee said the Clubhouse will operate from 3 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Nittany Valley Sports Centre opened in early 2019 as a long-planned 70,000-square-foot complex complete with indoor sports fields, hard courts for sports like volleyball and basketball and other amenities. The new arcade takes over for the former training center of Centre Elite Gymnastics, which moved out before opening a new gym at 2222-1 E. College Ave. in State College.
Nittany Valley Sports Centre is located at 177 Champion Drive in State College just off of Fox Hill Road and Bernel Road in Patton Township. Check out its website at thecentrepa.com to learn more about its facilities, youth sports programs, events and more.
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