The Sanctum is a pinball arcade, club and cooperative that opened in Meriden, Connecticut in 2014…read more It was founded by friends Jim Swain Jr. and Matt Boschert. The two decided to open their own pinball arcade when they realized that there was barely anywhere to play pinball in Connecticut. Swain and Boschert's goal wasn't just to open a place for recreational pinball gameplay, but also competitive pinball gameplay. Located on the second floor of an old factory building, The Sanctum is run in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. The name of the arcade is a reference to "entering the Sanctum", a feature on "The Shadow": a pinball machine adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name. The Sanctum is open every Monday night from 7PM to Midnight. It frequently hosts local leagues like the Connecticut, Rhode Island Pinball League (or "CRAP") who train to compete in regional and divisional pinball tournaments. However, customers don't need to be competitive players to gain entry. The Sanctum is open to all players (whether competitive or recreational) regardless of their age or gender. A $20 donation grants guests unlimited freeplay for the entire evening. Although food and beverages aren't served, guests may bring their own. I recently visited The Sanctum during one of their Monday night open houses. From the exterior of the old factory building, it's not obvious at all that there's a pinball arcade inside. After walking up the stairwell, and down a long winding hallway, I finally made my way to the entrance. I arrived shortly after they opened for the evening, and I felt like I was entering some sort of secret pinball speakeasy. I paid the $20 donation fee and began to explore The Sanctum's 50 machines. I was told that the machines get rotated out regularly. There was a good balance of new machines as well as classic ones. A lot of people were there to train for tournaments, but I was only interested in some old fashioned pinball fun. I had a blast! I ended up staying for almost the entire night and I probably tried just about every machine there. Some of my favorites included "Rush", "Alien", "Pulp Fiction", "The Shadow", "King Kong: Myth of Terror Island", "Godzilla" and "Evil Dead". This place is a pinball paradise and I can't wait to return! If you're a serious fan of pinball, then you need to go to the Sanctum! The Sanctum is a pinball arcade, club and cooperative that opened in Meriden, Connecticut in 2014. It was founded by friends Jim Swain Jr. and Matt Boschert. The two decided to open their own pinball arcade when they realized that there was barely anywhere to play pinball in Connecticut. Swain and Boschert's goal wasn't just to open a place for recreational pinball gameplay, but also competitive pinball gameplay. Located on the second floor of an old factory building, The Sanctum is run in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. The name of the arcade is a reference to "entering the Sanctum", a feature on "The Shadow": a pinball machine adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name. The Sanctum is open every Monday night from 7PM to Midnight. It frequently hosts local leagues like the Connecticut, Rhode Island Pinball League (or "CRAP") who train to compete in regional and divisional pinball tournaments. However, customers don't need to be competitive players to gain entry. The Sanctum is open to all players (whether competitive or recreational) regardless of their age or gender. A $20 donation grants guests unlimited freeplay for the entire evening. Although food and beverages aren't served, guests may bring their own. I recently visited The Sanctum during one of their Monday night open houses. From the exterior of the old factory building, it's not obvious at all that there's a pinball arcade inside. After walking up the stairwell, and down a long winding hallway, I finally made my way to the entrance. I arrived shortly after they opened for the evening, and I felt like I was entering some sort of secret pinball speakeasy. I paid the $20 donation fee and began to explore The Sanctum's 50 machines. I was told that the machines get rotated out regularly. There was a good balance of new machines as well as classic ones. A lot of people were there to train for tournaments, but I was only interested in some old fashioned pinball fun. I had a blast! I ended up staying for almost the entire night and I probably tried just about every machine there. Some of my favorites included "Rush", "Alien", "Pulp Fiction", "The Shadow", "King Kong: Myth of Terror Island", "Godzilla" and "Evil Dead". This place is a pinball paradise and I can't wait to return! If you're a serious fan of pinball, then you need to go to the Sanctum!

CT's pinball mecca. Monday night play is a great time - $10 gets you free play from 6:30 to…read moremidnight and they've got an impressive lineup of 40+ games. They've also got pinball leagues which are.... needless today, out of my league. "Hidden gem" is a completely overused term but so appropriate for a wonderful spot like this.

This was such a fun night! It's so cool being in a space where everyone's just vibing. I'm pretty…read morecompetitive so we played a lot of multiplayer games and of course I came in first for our Mario Kart race. There are more games downstairs but skee-ball and a chill vibe upstairs takes the cake for me. The service is quick at the bar and we all liked our drinks. I can't remember the name of the shot but it almost tasted like a green tea shot and was pink... get that!

I've been here once before, but when only the first floor was open. Their second floor was a nice…read moreaddition. Service is quick and attentive. Upstairs has cans and bottles only, nothing on tap. There are not as many games upstairs but lots of lounge and seating areas. Bathrooms on both floors too! I love the variety of games, old school pinball machines and arcade games. It's a great time for a date night or a night out with friends.

Pricey but fun We came for a day trip on spring break two…read moreseven minute rides is 51.00 The staff was all very kind and helpful The tracks and cars were very clean and they had free lockers to put your stuff away Plenty of parking available and they do take credit card On a weekend it is suggested you make reservations or call ahead It sits in the back of a large bowling alley so this could be a one stop shop for the day

What a great night!!…read more Came here with a party of 8, but we were told the wait was at least an hour long. Since we had jr racers with us, we were able to split our party into two races and go sooner. This race was a little different as you weren't racing for first place, rather the fastest time The staff were a reasonable, and gave direction to safely maneuver the karts. There is a debriefing video before you ride that must be watched.

The Pinshack was a classic amusement arcade that opened in East Hampton, Connecticut in October…read more2022. It was founded by Bryan Joy. A mechanical engineer by trade, Joy worked for an electronics repair business serving Wall Street clients for a number of years. Eventually he began to repair arcade games on the side, as well as buying used arcade games on eBay to repair and then re-sell. When the pandemic hit, Joy decided to quit his full-time job and open his own business which he named "JD Pinball". He completely refurbished about 10 machines per year, repaired another 50 machines annually, and also rented out machines for private parties and corporate events. When Joy saw that people were looking for more activities to do during the pandemic, he decided to open his own arcade which featured about 40 games that he had fixed up. Located in an old industrial building, the Pinshack featured classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, racing games, rail shooter games, skee-ball, shuffle alley bowling, and even Guitar Hero Arcade. Customers were charged $15 each for unlimited free play. Following a serious heart attack and other associated health issues, Joy made the decision to close down the Pinshack. The arcade's last day in business was February 21, 2026. My older son and I stopped at the Pinshack on their final day in business. It's unfortunate because I only just heard about this arcade's existence maybe a month or so earlier, and then not long after I heard that it was closing. My son and I wanted to get one visit in before they closed their doors for good. Owner Bryan Joy greeted us as we entered; he seemed very friendly. There was a decent sized crowd there for one last day of arcade fun. I really liked that there was a nice balance of different game types: classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, racing games, etc. My son loves racing games and he spent most of our visit enjoying a "Road Burners" motorcycle racing game. It was pure bliss for him. I don't usually stay at a single game for too long, so I was sampling a little bit of everything. I did spend a good deal of time playing "Tic Tac Strike" shuffle alley bowling, as I had never seen it before and it was a lot of fun. My son and I ended up staying for close to 3 hours. It's too bad that the Pinshack closed right after our visit, as I would have definitely come back here again and again. The question on my mind is: what's going to happen to all of those machines? Will a new owner step in to continue running the Pinshack? Only time will tell.

What a great addition to East Hampton's Village Center. This little arcade, tucked into the…read moreindustrial buildings, offers a retro, underground clubhouse feel and a rotation of classic and newer video games and pinball machines. The entry fee is $15 per person and all games are on free play, including the claw machine! It seems like every time I visit there's at least one new machine in there. I love the free play concept as it allows me to complete classic games that I never finished. Also, while I was always a pinball fan, I never played it much, saving my quarters for my favorite video games. Now I can practice and really enjoy some great machines from years past. The owner is a really cool guy and is super knowledgeable about games. It's really great that he extends his hours during school breaks and days off to give the kids of East Hampton something fun to do. There is a selection of chips and drinks if you need a snack, and if you get really hungry there is quality pizza, tacos, Asian and coffee just around the corner on Main Street. Definitely stop in and check this place out. Next thing you know it will be two hours later and you'll have beaten your high score at Ms. Pac Man.

The gentleman that over see the place he is very good with the kids and very helpful I take my two…read moreyoungest grandson's there they love it. This man is like a giant teddy bear but, my boys love him he assist them when they get stuck on a game so they can move on.

I want to say how thankful I am to the owner and host of this establishment, we just had out sons…read more11 birthday party here and he went above and beyond to make his day special . The place was amazing , every game imaginable and the kids loved it. My son was happy and all of our guest. Great job and what amazing place to have some fun.

So much fun!!! This multi level maze was glow in the dark and actually challenging! The kids and I…read moreran around and had a blast!! LaserMaxx also featured arcade games and offers space for group events and birthday parties! The manager was so amazing and explained all the different packages and deals they had to offer. The place was clean and they are open 7 days a week! I can't wait to go back!

Great staff and great experience for my son and his friends for his birthday...Highly recommend for…read morea great family adventure A++

The seats here definitely need to be replaced they're reclining but some are broken their peely and…read morewhatnot. However this movie theater has the best prices for tickets especially on Tuesdays. I love their Tuesday prices it's cheaper than anywhere else and it's definitely worth it. I will keep coming here because of this reason.

Cannot beat the price or customer service. The fact you can…read morestill watch a movie in theater for $5 on Tuesday is amazing... in a leather recliner!

I'm back! I haven't been here in a couple years. The restaurant is located at 100 Buckland Hills…read moreDr. in Manchester, CT. This is a big game and sports watching value. The building is huge! For my first drink, I'm having the Reserve Old Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, simple syrup and Hella Aromatic bitters (that's new). Hella Aromatic Bitters are craft, all-natural cocktail bitters made with real herbs and spices, featuring dominant notes of clove, cinnamon, and allspice with a robust bitter finish from gentian and wormwood. This is well balanced but without a garnish. I do like the circular ice cube. That's a nice touch. For our appetizers, we are having the Guacamole and Chips which is made with fresh guacamole topped with pico de gallo and cortina cheese and served with tortillas chips. This is very good. There's a lot of chips! We are also getting the fried pickles which are crunchy breaded pickle slices served with ranch dressing. I don't eat these very often. They are good! For my entree, I'm having the Fire-Grilled Salmon which is grilled Atlantic salmon rubbed with Louisiana spices and served with green beans, rice pilaf and finished with butter. The fish is real tasty! The rice is nice and the beans and to store ate good too!Make sure to squeeze that lemon. This is good! I'm also having a side order of fresh garden salad which is romaine topped with grape tomatoes and shredded cheese with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The salad is fairly good-sized and is quite good! For my next drink, I'm having a Godfather. The Godfather is a simple, two-ingredient cocktail made with Scotch whisky (Johnny Walker Black) and amaretto liqueur, served over ice in an Old Fashioned glass, often with an orange peel garnish. It's known for its smooth, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor, balancing the smoky notes of Scotch with the almond sweetness of amaretto. Well, there is no ice cube for some reason or a garnish for that matter. But, its tastes pretty close. For my last drink, I'm having a Jameson Long Island Tea made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, Bacardi Silver rum, Cointreau, peach, premium citrus sour and Coke. This tastes good although it's not very strong. Overall, it's still a good meal here!

Very disappointed in customer service. My children and I were having a good time but the ending…read moreleft me angry and dissatisfied and the staff did not care. I grew up with my father in retail and all his stories of what he had to do to make things right for customers when the company was wrong. When cashing in our tickets, my daughter picked a blanket that was marked within her range, but when we checked out it cost me another 20$. Yes, I could have made her put it back but this was not her fault. We showed staff the sign under the blanket which read the amount and took a picture. The staff in the shop stated it wasn't miss marked despite seeing it for themselves. I then asked for a manager up front and all they offered was to give me more tickets or play time. They would not reimburse the money despite their error. Left feeling very disappointed in them and won't be returning.

This place is fun for the kids. It's pretty clean. The food is good for "American" cuisine. The…read moreservice was also good. this place is a great way to pass time with the kiddos on summer vacation!

Food: 4/5 Service: 1/5…read moreEntertainment: 5/5 We sat in the dining area to grab a bite before playing some games. Unfortunately, the service was non-existent. Not sure if they were just not sufficiently staffed or what was going on. It started the moment we sat down. The food on the other hand was just fine. Wish we had the service to go with it.

Can't believe I never knew this place existed! Small, with only 10 lanes, but that's part of the…read morecharm. Clean facility, brand-new rental shoes, and bowling balls are neatly organized by weight--nice touch. We went on a Saturday for cosmic bowling and the kids had a blast. The place has a full bar with a usual selection of tap and bottled beers, plus classic bar food like wings, hot dogs, and pizza - no burgers. The food isn't anything special, but it definitely hits the spot when you're having a few drinks. There's plenty of parking, and the staff was super friendly and welcoming. Is it the best bowling alley out there? Maybe not, but it's a great spot for a laid-back night of fun, drinks, and family time. We'll definitely be back--and next time, we might check out the pool tables and darts too.

If you're looking for a friendly small town bowling alley tucked down a side road off the beaten…read morepath...Kickback n Bowl is your spot! Great for a rainy day activity, or just to kickback n bowl!