We had an experience! Our host Dennis made great game recommendations. Would definitely return!read more

marco helped pick out a game for us and it was so fun!!!!! great place! Great vibes! 1000%…read morerecommend!

[ December, 2025 ]…read more Wha the f*(k happened here? They changed all the air hockey tables to tables that aren't level/don't have enough air coming up through the vents. Also, the pinball machines are almost all gone and several other classics gone. It's a damn shame....

I'm not sure how long this arcade has been around. But I remember playing games here as a kid when…read morewe had family trips to California. I was a big arcade junkie in my youth and happy that arcades have been making a comeback. Playland Arcade is located on the historic Santa Monica Pier right next to Pacific Park. There are more than 200 games here at this arcade. Playland Arcade also hosts a variety of events throughout the year from movies to holiday events. It is family owned and has been featured in many movies over the years. I am a big fan of classic video games and they have many of them here at Playland. I also like many of the interactive ones too. There are so many different type of games here at Playland Arcade. Skee-ball and air hockey are a couple of my longtime favorite games. I am also a fan of basketball and any arcade games with a steering wheel. There is also a Zoltar machine out front if you want your fortune told.

love the wheel and beautiful crowded beach. best time to be there is during sunset. best $14 i had…read morespent there.

Like others have said, this place charges outrageous prices! For both the rides and the games…read more Long gone is the warm and fuzzy feel you got from carnivals from your childhood. The place is a complete rip off. My friends and I came to play, and we walked around with a proverbial bad taste in our mouths. Truthfully, it makes me sad -- how can a family of 4 or 6 come and play? Also, I really wanted a pretzel and both wetzel pretzels stands were closed. Also understaffed were the games -- one person seemed to cover 2 or 3 games. (Granted this was a weekday). The highlight of the day was the Mexican restaurant at the end of the pier.

An awesome and fun night out! We were taking a walk on 4th Street in downtown Santa Monica and…read morehappily discovered SportsFest. The batting cages caught our eyes through the window, but once we went inside, we discovered you could also play tennis, lacrosse, cricket, and padel. Each cage had virtual screens with scoring (think Top Golf, but with racket/paddle sports) and you can rotate between all the sports in one reserved lane. There's a bar in the back giving it a Lucky Strike-ish feel and there's also a foosball table and pool table. The two of us played a quick half hour just to try it, but could have easily played for over an hour plus and had a full-on date night here. Great place for groups, big and small, and glad to have a fun entertainment space in downtown Santa Monica!

What a fun and great place to hang out with friends and family! There are 4 batting cages that…read moreallows you to play interactive / semi-digital sports: baseball, tennis, lacrosse, and cricket. You can switch off between each sports and absolutely no experience or skills are necessary. We were told golf will be added in the future but not sure when that will happen. There are also several arcade games, foosball table, pool table, AND skee-ball machines!! How cool is that?! The place also has a small private room and a bungalow, along with a back area with 2 bars where they also serve food. Upstairs: there's another batting cage and an area to just chill and hang out. There are a bunch of tv's throughout the place, I believe they sometime have sports/watch parties. This would be such an awesome venue to host a birthday party or work/group event. Overall: great place to hang out before or after spending time at the nearby Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier, which are both only a few minutes walk away. Friendly staff is also a plus! Parking: several public parking structures (#1-7) are located nearby that are all within about a 5-minute walk. Parking Structure #1 is probably the closest one, just down the street. About a 2-3 minute walk.

My Event was at the end of August 2024. Highly recommend this family business…read more Service: Communicative attentiveness, availability was great. The game coaches were excellent and their professionalism, service and cleanliness were top notch. Guests absolutely loved the snow cone machine (8 flavors) and were served by the game truck team. They provided about 8 chairs for exterior gaming. On a hot day, I suggest putting up canopies for the "extras" you may order from them, plus guests (parents) who might want to hang near the truck. GameTruck: The truck/trailer needs at least 3 car lengths of space in front of a residence. Game selection was excellent across all platforms and satisfied 6yo - 14yo players. Cool mood-setting RGB lighting in the interior. Clean and excellent condition physical space and hardware. Mixed feedback from guests about the A/C but my b-day boy said he was perfectly cool. Service Acquisition: Business was conducted 100% over the phone. Told owner that my discovery and background knowledge was via Yelp. As such, service area limitation premiums $$ and travel fees were not referenced nor communicated in the procurement conversation. The business educated me about them after invoice was provided. Please ask for the distances as they differed - at the time - from the website I was told about on payment day (event day).

Rented the gamer truck for my son's 9th bday and it was a hit! It was way bigger than I thought it…read morewould be and so comfy and spacious inside that this comfortably accommodated about a 20 kids room it's room to spare. The inside was nice and cool on a hot day, and the outside had shades that made it easy to play and view the screens too. The set up and service was top notch. Staff was super professional. And cost wise it's about what you'd pay for any bday bash service like Lazer tag, petting zoo, etc. highly recommend!

Los Angeles Road Trip Ep. 15 "No time to sleep…read moreI've got to ride.. Ride like the wind.. To be free again.. And I've got such a long way to go, Such a long way to go.. So I'll ride like the wind.. across Route 66...to.. We arrived at.. "Santa Monica Pier" early afternoon. Though crowded and busy..We easily navigated. We enjoyed the walk along the beach and the "gangsta squirrels"..:) We had ice cream cones on the boardwalk and bought a couple hats too. A fun, beautifully scenic adventure. Our objective to reach the end of Route 66 was a blast..:) "It is the night.. My body's weak.. I'm on the run.. No time to sleep.. I've got to ride.. Ride like the wind.. To be free again..:) Best, Avram KrisKross Jr.

The best thing about the Santa Monica Pier is the setting. The views are excellent, the atmosphere…read moreis distinctly Southern California, and the sunsets are among the best you'll find anywhere in Los Angeles. There is something undeniably enjoyable about standing at the edge of the continent, looking out over the Pacific, knowing you're walking the same stretch of coast immortalized by Forrest Gump and countless films, television shows, and postcards. Unfortunately, the pier itself often struggles to live up to its location. The area can feel grimy, with visible homelessness, overpriced attractions, and a constant competition for attention from street performers, vendors, and aspiring TikTok creators. Parking is expensive, traffic can be frustrating, and the crowds frequently make the experience feel more exhausting than enjoyable. That said, timing makes a significant difference. Arrive at sunrise and you'll find a completely different place. The crowds are gone, the ocean is calm, and the pier becomes genuinely pleasant to explore. The same is true later in the evening once the day-trippers head home and the noise begins to fade. The Santa Monica Pier benefits from one of the most beautiful locations in California. It's a shame the experience surrounding it so often gets in the way.

Josh and Elvis were so nice and helpful! Recommend stopping by so worth it. So much funread more

Elvis the Big Dill coming through with the best customer service!!!! Super attentive and fit the…read morevibe!

This was our second year using the game bus and the whole experience is amazing. It's so easy! We…read morecontinue to be impressed with how the owner/host keeps his finger on the pulse of what's hot and also is always upgrading his equipment so that it is top notch. 11/10 do recommend for any party with video game loving kids! The interior of the bus is super impressive and air conditioned. It's also super roomy and doesn't feel at all cramped even with all the kids at a gaming station. He goes above and beyond to facilitate games with the kids as well. This service makes party planning a breeze!

In honor of my daughter's 17th Bday, my wife and I wanted to give her and her guests a unique…read moregift...being able to play video games with each other! We don't have any gaming consoles in our house and even if we did...we had no idea how to have more than two people play together. We did look at other portable gaming "trucks" but strangely many didn't follow ups with me about their services. Within 45min of my inquiry Zimar contacted me and provided a quote for 2hrs of gaming. We agreed on a date, time and I immediately placed a deposit. In person, the gaming bus is sight to see. It's a massive (former) school bus with an interior unlike any school bus I ever entered; festive atmosphere (mood lights and music) along with I believe 13 screens with two seats per screen, and controls. The bus had every game my daughter and her friends could have wanted. They didn't play as many different games as the bus had which is fine by me. As host/facilitator, Zimar was personable and patient. Also, as soon as the group got into the groove of things he faded into the background. The bus had both XBox and Sony consoles...and perhaps others iterations/versions that I didn't ask about...as well as a ton of games for each console system. Ultimately, my daughter and her guests had a ton of fun...they didn't stop talking about until well as the bus had left. A couple of other notes, the bus arrived slightly early and the festivities on the bus started exactly on time...since we paid for a specific amount of time, I appreciated that detail. The bus and everything inside was super clean and well organized. If I had an area to improve; I'd say communication (with me). We agreed on a date and time and while that all happened perfectly well, I wish I would have gotten a reminder or "we're 10mins away" text. I'm happy to concede that perhaps that's just a me problem. That said, if you're not accustomed to someone keeping their word, you should say "hey texted me when you're 30mins away", which is something I didn't do. My daughter will forever remember a great experience! And for me that's all that mattered in the end.