Best old penny arcades in UK?

[fortunefish]

As a child I used to go with my parents to the Mechanical Memories Museum in Brighton, and I have fantastic memories of this, and understand it closed a couple of years ago.

More recently I’ve been to the Merrivale Old Penny Arcade in Great Yarmouth, which I really enjoyed and brought back some great memories.

I am hoping to ask if anyone on this forum had any other suggestions of locations in the UK which would be worth visiting with great old penny arcade machines. I'm also interested in arcades with antique and vintage machines, which operate with modern money, not just machines which operate with old pennies.

I am especially interested in fortune teller machines.

Any advice and suggestions appreciated

[pennymachines]

Hi Fortunefish and

We list places in the UK and beyond where you can play old amusement machines here: https://pennymachines.co.uk/archive/locations/
If anyone knows of others, please add them. It would be advisable of course, before travelling, to check if the location is currently open.

[scorpa163]

It depends whereabouts you are.
The one in the beautiful town of Rye has many working models - well worth a visit.
My local one at Woodbank Garden centre in Bingley is certainly worth a visit, with plenty of very nice machines. My favourite is the Bryan’s Penny Go Round.
There’s a modern arcade in Scarborough with 9 Bryan’s machines on 2p , including a Gapwin.
Has anybody been to the one at the Anderton Boat lift near Northwich? Can’t find anything about it. Is it operating this year?

[moonriver]

Time for an update on the old penny arcade archive/locations Mr PM , some of the sites listed are no longer operating

[mr merrivale]

I am realy pleased you enjoyed my old penny arcade at Merrivale model village. Please do not forget my second arcade that is at the Miniature World attraction in Wroxham, Norfolk, NR12 8QJ, 01603 781728.

[yooser27]

Hello,
The Anderton Boat Lift is open, as far as I can be certain, from Friday to Monday. The hours are 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, all due to the dreaded Covid-19.
I think next year also will be a challenge to every event - worst luck!!
All the best from Neale.

[pennymachines]

Time for an update on the old penny arcade archive/locations Mr PM , some of the sites listed are no longer operating.

I designed the Archive so that any logged-in member can do this. If you know an Archive venue or resource is no longer available, please click the little blue button. It will mark it as closed/unavailable (and push it to the end of the list). It doesn't delete the entry, so if it reopens it can re-clicked and marked as available again.

[arrgee]

Good selection of listings Mr PM, had not realised there were that many still open.

[treefrog]

I went down to visit a collector colleague near the New Forest and thought I would stop off at Milestones in Basingstoke as never been, checked online and the arcade was closed for health and safety due to Covid, but rest of museum open which was a shame

[mr merrivale]

The Mile stones arcade has closed and Clive Baker has removed all of his machines some time ago .