I don't know if I enjoyed this arcade more or my daughter. We both spent hours here. I couldn't get…read moreenough of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Definitely have to check out this arcade when visiting.

The arcade ended up being the perfect way to pass the time during the rainy storm. They have air…read morehockey and a great variety of games, so there was plenty to keep us entertained. We even cashed in our tickets and picked out some fun prizes!

Neptune Games is a family entertainment destination featuring food, a fun mini-golf course, classic…read morevideo games, pool tables, air hockey, foosball, and whimsical funhouse mirrors. Set inside a beautiful historic building packed with rich history and captivating stories, it's the perfect place for memorable outings and nonstop fun. Private events held in the mini golf area and upstairs. Washrooms available upstairs.

This is the best mini-golf course I've ever been to! The pirate theme makes it feel like a fun…read moreadventure from start to finish. It wasn't crowded when we visited on a Sunday morning. If you're looking for something fun to do, it's a great way to spend a couple of hours. We went there with guests from Japan and it was such a unique cultural experience for them! We especially loved the dark rooms with the colorful lights. They added a lot to the atmosphere. Although it was a bit pricey, it was definitely worth it!

I always like to preface my reviews with the fact that I grew up in the Bay Area, San Jose born and…read moreraised, and I'm an elder millennial, which means I remember life here before all the tech people invaded our Valley of the Heart's Delight. That said, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is STILL pure California magic, even if it's now overcrowded and overpriced. There's something so special about this place, from the old school rides like the Pirate Ship, the Giant Dipper, the arcade aka Casino, to the beach, the food, and that perfect mix of nostalgia and fun. It somehow still feels like stepping back in time, and experiencing it with my toddler recently made it even more memorable. We had the BEST day and will absolutely be back. My one complaint, aside from too many people: HOW are the Boardwalk and surrounding merch shops not fully stocked with The Lost Boys gear?! This is literally Santa Carla! Give us the T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, posters--all of it. The movie is such an iconic part of Santa Cruz pop culture, and they are seriously missing an opportunity here. What are you guys thinking at The Walk?! Otherwise, such a fantastic, nostalgic California experience.

Whenever I hear the name "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk", the thought of the warm California sun,…read moreocean waves, deep-fried food, and happy kids on all the thrill rides enters my mind. This is not just an all-year amusement park; this place is an institution that is permanently part of the Santa Cruz culture and history. Since I spent my entire childhood as a kid growing up in the Bay Area, I frequented this place on multiple occasions. Ever since its historic grand opening back in 1907, it is currently California's oldest surviving amusement park and has undergone numerous changes over the decades. Getting here is fairly simple as it runs parallel to Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) as well as Highway 9 and the more heavily traveled Highway 17. It is roughly 45 min to an hour south of San Jose and about an hour north of Monterey. Entrance into the boardwalk itself does not cost anything. However, parking rates range anywhere from $15 to $35 depending on the day of the week and time of year you plan on visiting. The boardwalk itself stretches roughly 1-mile long over 24 acres complete with 3 different rollercoasters (with the biggest being the Giant Dipper), a dedicated water ride, a merry-go-round, a ferris wheel, and a ton of rides for children younger than 12 years old. In addition to all the ride attractions, there are a ton of various food vendors. Everything ranging from hot dogs, burgers, seafood, Mexican food, and a ton of dessert stands. My lady and I decided on indulging in some smashburgers with fries & a drink which kept us full throughout the day (as we were here in between 11am-2:30pm on Saturday 9/5/2026). I think there's something special about enjoying comfort food and taking it down to the beach area while soaking up the sun. It absolutely brought back childhood memories for both of us. Some of the other major attractions include an arcade, bowling alley, and Cocoanut Grove which was a non-gambling casino back in the early 20th century. During the non-summer months, the boardwalk also hosts themed events for Halloween and Christmas. Additionally, they also show movies and even live music. Finally, they have a ton of vendors that sell merchandise (hats, t-shirts, magnets, bags, etc.) related to the boardwalk, Santa Cruz, and everything in between. And if you live close to here or plan on coming frequently, they sell season passes as well as wristbands for unlimited rides. My recommendation is when arriving here, dress accordingly. Santa Cruz has a climate where it could be 70°F, sunny and balmy in the middle of winter or 55°F, foggy and cold in the middle of summer. That's why bring a sweatshirt of flip-flops. And if you dare to go in the Pacific Ocean (which can be freezing), pack some swim attire. All in all, the "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk" definitely has that nostalgic vibe to it; no matter what age you are. It may not be the prettiest place since it has shown its age, but it has a lot of charm. My rating, an above average four stars.

Let me tell you the story of a guy who went to Level Up Games and bought some stuff and then traded…read morein some stuff. Normal, right? Then fast forward at least 15 maybe even 20 years and this guy entirely forgot he had credit because his job took him away from Santa Cruz. But one day he returns to get the batteries changed in his old Pokemon games (which they did quickly and for a very reasonable price) and he was informed he had almost 20 bucks sitting there. That's me. I'm the guy. It's been so long that they could never have told me and I would never have been the wiser. Also, even if I remembered they could have kept the money after so much time had passed and I would have fully understood. But nope, they held on to it and even told me about it. Their collection of retro games is amazing and you can buy modern games there too? It's all you could want in a game store.

If in the area, you must come by and check this place out. My son loves comics and collectibles, a…read moregreat find during our last visit was definitely the 'FALLOUT' Jones cola! He was super excited as he had been on the hunt for this drink for a while. He originally bought 2 but then decided to go back and just get the pack. Definitely a new place to keep coming too.

We live locally and come here fairly often. We always have a great time and get treated well. Cindy…read moreat the bar is fantastic and always takes great care of us! This place if a throwback and we love the nostalgia! Highly recommend!

Came to visit from out of town for my sons' 6th birthday. It was me, my wife, my 6 year old and my…read more1.5 year old. The interior was the standard bowling alley, brighter than the usual bowling alleys I've been to though. Didn't get food, but I assume it's the standard bar food. The service from Ana was great! She was super nice and very helpful. We ended up paying $43 total for 2 shoe rentals and 2 games each (4 games total). We were given a 6lb ball that they had behind the counter for smaller kids to use to bowl. I was halfway through my 1st game and my 1.5 year old wanted to bowl so I let him take over. Like the usual 1.5 year old, he liked standing near the ball return and pushing the bowling balls around. I figured it made more sense to let him push around a 6lb ball instead of a 12lb ball to avoid any finger crushing. I went to the front desk to ask for another 6lb ball. An employee named Ethan had a very disrespectful tone of voice when answering my question. In reply to me asking for another 6lb ball, he said the following "Nope, we already gave you guys one, your kids can take turns. You can only have 1 6lb ball per lane." He definitely didn't listen to why I was asking for another ball as he was too young to understand anything in relation to kids as he was one. They had 8 more 6lb balls behind them and I'm puzzled as to why it was such a big deal let alone to be that disrespectful about it. TLDR: Get helped by Ana, she's nice. Don't bother asking Ethan for help, he's disrespectful.

I love an arcade but this place falls flat. Many of the machines don't start and just eat your…read moremoney. There are no employees around to help you if you run into issues. We called the number posted at the kiosk but it went to voicemail, with no call back.

In many ways this place is awesome for the kids BUT some games will take your money and not work…read more There is also no one to help get your money back for the games that don't work. One game is Surf League and it took my son's credits twice! There was no sign of being broken and It's $2 for this game. Some games are $1-$3. Also there is one card kiosk and this place is a good size. Two bathrooms located inside, need code to get in, fairly clean for the time of year we went ( early spring).

This place is epic…read more $12 for 18 swashbuckling holes of mini golf. It's inside so that's nice for a day like our visit when it rains. It's a lot like golfing at Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean. Cool animatronics and cannons etc. Some of the holes are very short (hey it is indoors) which makes it good for kids. Course is in good condition. Staff was fine - dude handed us clubs and balls. Kinda sucks they don't take cash but that won't stop me from returning

I've been golfing here for many decades, it has some classic obstacles and I love the pirate theme…read morewith all the animated props, this is truly one of the best built mini golf courses short of Disney Land. Sure everything is a little dated, but this does not distract from the good times you'll have here with family and friends.

This little tucked away bar is perfect when you need to escape the boardwalk for a bit. It's on the…read more2nd floor of Neptune's Kingdom overlooking the mini golf course. They have a few video games and several pool tables and while it's not quiet, it's still a respite from the crowds. They serve beer, wine, soda and 3 snacks-nachos (chips, cheese and jalapeños), wings and jalapeño poppers. We tried the nachos and wings. Honestly, the wings were the worst I've ever had, soft and kind of mushy. They were inedible. Don't get them, haha. Regardless of the bad wings, it's still a great spot to have a little drink and rest. Maybe I shouldn't tell everyone about it.

Often overlooked bar in Santa Cruz, looking out over Neptunes Kingdom. The pirate themed mini golf…read morecourse provides a surreal background for imbibing beers and playing pool and pinball. If you go in winter, chances are you'll have the place to yourself.

I'm not sure how this place received more than one star except maybe because the reviews are super…read moreold. I went recently and the first thing I noticed was the urine smell. We had already paid and my son was too excited so I couldn't turn back. The place looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a long, long time. The person working there was sitting on the sofa on her phone. Honestly, this place was gross and I definitely wouldn't come back. I caught a cold two days later and I can bet it was from that place. This place is not suitable for children.

READ THIS BEFORE VISITING THIS BUSINESS Twice now they've…read moreswitched their machines and have refused to accept credit which we had paid money for previously. The first time they "graciously" (according to them) gave us about a third of our monies worth. We unfortunately gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured it was a weird situation and they mishandled it as an isolated incident. We were wrong, they switched their arcade pay system yet again and this time refused to give us a penny's worth of credit for the money we had already spent and saved on one of their arcade cards. Learn from our lessons, avoid this establishment

This is a Santa Cruz institution and we had the pleasure to see The Expendables in their 25th year…read moreperform an amazing show! The good stuff - The Catalyst dedicates a LOT of time to it's music but I'll just address this show since I can't speak for other nights (obviously). Lighting and sound were spot on, the crowd was TIGHT but easy to navigate as pot smoke wafted along, contact highs be damned! You get stamped to get in the door, to show you're 21, and to enter the show. 3 stamps. I guess that's thorough (they scrub off easily the next day, all good). If you don't want to get your drink on at the spot, there's Asti and The Blue Lagoon (see other reviews for those venues) that offer good prices, stiff drinks and maybe a light banter with the locals which is always pleasant. For anyone who has spent any time in big clubs, there are things you just come to accept with a venue that is always pumping out stage shows - yes, it's a little scruffy, yes, the bathrooms aren't pristine (but the doors lock, toilets are clean, ample TP and soap... what more do you want??), yes, sometimes YOU aren't going to get all the arse-kissing niceties when ordering a drink because there's an ocean of folks behind you and the bartenders are just trying to get to everyone as efficiently as possible (so please stop ordering complicated drinks or pondering when called on when it's busy). Leave the hoity-toity expectations at the door and focus on why you're there - THE MUSIC . Now get on that calendar and find a show - there is SO much to choose from and a huge dance floor to get your groove on!

Not sure why the mid reviews. I saw Silent Planet and Invent/Animate here and had a great time!…read moreCool spot right downtown, good selection of beers and it sounded great. Never had an issue getting a drink from the bartenders and the bathrooms were fairly clean. Especially for a metal show, some fans can be animals! If given the opportunity I'd definitely comeback here for a show and recommend you go if someone you want to see is playing here!