My family and I travel around the east coast visiting classic arcades whenever we can. Portal Pinball Arcade is just okay compared to many other arcades. Let's start with the good. They have a decent variety of pinball machines. They also have classic arcade games. They offer a variety of beers and snack which is nice. They also have lots of seating and stools. Stools are great because you can play while you sit which is great. Now for the bad. If you're looking for a classic arcade feel this is not the place. It's so quiet! Really all we heard was the ambient music (80s-90s hair bands which I love) but not why I'm here. Classic arcades are filled with the sounds of the games. Sadly there was little of that. Many of the video games had volume so low we couldn't hear them at all. The ones we could we had to strain to hear it. Also the upkeep of the games was not great. The terminator gun didn't work well at all, QBert was down, The Simpsons was down, dig dug was down. Star Wars was a 1-up system you can buy at Walmart and worn out, terrible experience. Many of the joy sticks were in need of maintenance as well. The Neo-Geo was not a MVS but rather a poor emulator that had color problems and terrible video tearing plus awful audio. Let's talk about the pinball machines. Most were modern machines that are still available for purchase. I saw a couple older ones but there was no information provided about the age. Overall this just okay. Many of the machines are not taken care of and this really ruins the experience for gamers. read more

I showed up to Portal Pinball Arcade completely on a whim after seeing a Facebook event. No plan. Pure "what the heck" energy. And honestly? Best accidental decision I've made all week. Flippin' Ladies Night was a blast. Amazing humans, great vibes, and enough pinball to activate my inner feral arcade goblin in the best way possible. Here's what I loved: you pay for time, not per game. Which means unlimited pinball + arcade chaos while sipping drinks from the bar, vibing to good music, and making new friends between flippers. It's basically a retro playground for grownups who still love buttons that go clack. The atmosphere is welcoming, fun, and delightfully unpretentious. One minute you're strangers, the next minute you're cheering each other on like you've been in a league together for years. I came in spontaneous... next time I might actually plan ahead because WOW. Also, firm believer in this life rule: if it's not a hell yes, it's a hell no. Well friends... this place is a HELL YES. 10/10 would wander in again. Bring friends. Make friends. Flip everything. read more

Portal Pinball Arcade - Awesome pinball machine - Arcades Near Me - Acworth, Georgia

See all

A good, enjoyable experience. As most here have noted, it's a fairly large room in a strip joint; the glass walls are darkened so you can see the lights in the machines better, and it sets a fun atmosphere. $12 an hour, $25 for an all-day pass. I don't know if they have monthly or annual memberships. Great games. They have some really old pinball machines, like Creature from the Black Lagoon and Twilight Zone, and they have fun new ones with animated screens (King Kong and Jurassic Park). They also have skee ball and maybe fifteen old arcade games (Mortal Kombat, Mario, etc.). I'd say maybe 15% of the pinball machines don't work, for whatever reason, but I think they rotate them out. Staff was warm and helpful. I think they don't allow outside food and drink, but they sell Cokes and snacks. Other customers were pretty kind and respectful; you might have to wait for a machine while someone else plays it, but people were good about not hogging any one machine for long. All age groups were present, from 7 to 70. Would recommend. If you have the time, I'd suggest two hours; we did one hour and didn't get to do everything we wanted to. read more

My boss and I love pinball. We decided to blow off a work day and come here. I'm glad we did! From the outside, it's easy to wonder what you've gotten yourself into. It sits on the corner of a shopping center and you can't see inside. Once inside, the pleasure awaits! Plenty of classics to play, and classic arcade games too. Decent craft beer selection. I can't wait to go back! read more

See all

Such a fun place with a great atmosphere, lots of machines, good parking and nice employees.

What a fun arcade! I stopped by on a Thursday afternoon with my son and we had a great time. It's located in a large shopping plaza near a Petsmart/gym/dollar tree so there's tons of parking. When you first enter, you'll see tons of pinball machines and will need to walk towards the bar to purchase game time (along with any beverages and/or snacks). We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman at the bar and he kindly confirmed this was a family friendly space and that they also served beer, sodas, and some snacks. Great customer service! He explained the game rates and I chose for my son to play for an hour (I believe it was $12 for an hour of unlimited game play). They also have family rates! My son really enjoyed playing a variety of games available (skee ball, retro arcade games, tonssss of pinball machines). They have a few bar height tables with barstools, regular tables and chairs, along with seating at the bar. Two clean restrooms available in the back of arcade. They serve a nice variety of beers and sodas. Really fun place! read more

See all

My friends and I stopped here after a day of vintage car shows. We had so much fun! They have a great selection of games, a bar of drinks and a friendly staff. You pay for a block of time to play then go your separate ways. I spent a lot of time on Addams Family pinball because I played it decades ago. A fun place where nostalgia meets modern day! We can't wait to go again! Go support this small business! A leave a huge tip. :) read more

Portal Pinball Arcade - Arcades Near Me - Acworth, Georgia

So much nostalgia & so much fun! I am just a big old nerd who loves gaming & craft beer. If you enjoy these things too, this place is for you! The ambiance is amazing, stepping through the doors of Portal Pinball Arcade is like taking a Time Machine back to your youth. And even if you didn't grow up on the classics like, pinball machines, Pac-Man, space invaders, street fighter, frogger, etc. You will still absolutely love it. Maybe you will feel like you are a cast member of Stranger Things, meeting your friends at the local arcade to have tons of fun. The pinball machines are great! They have a really good selection and they also have a lot of other nostalgic games, including ski-ball. They do not serve food, but they do have some snacks available for purchase, like chips, pretzels or candy. The beer selection is phenomenal, they have a large selection on tap, including local IPA's, Ciders, Lagers & Mead. They also have some can and bottle beers available. Most of the beer on tap comes in 3 size choices. I highly recommend the Blueberry Mead, it is delicious. They also have water & sodas available for those who do not want an alcoholic drink. All throughout the game room there are cup holding stands and most pinball machines have a cup holder attached to them, so it makes it super easy to Drink your Beer and play your games. What makes Portal Pinball Arcade extra amazing is that you don't have to carry around a pocket of coins. You pay by the hour or by the day. When I was recently there, you could get 1 hour of unlimited play for $10, 2 hours for $18 or an all day pass for $25.....those prices are hard to beat! And time will fly by, I promise, because you will be having so much fun. I highly recommend checking out Portal Pinball Arcade, you and your entire family or friend group will have a day to remember! read more

See all

Excellent experience! Pay one fee and use all the pinball machines! I was never a pinball gamer, but my husband was excited to see so many options! I learned quickly and had a blast! The staff is super helpful and friendly. Snacks and drinks (alcohol and no alcohol) just make the experience better! While we were there, we saw people of all ages, parents with young children, et al. They also host parties, and my husband and I look forward to putting on a party here! read more

I love pinball and all of the nostalgia and childhood memories it sparks. I've been trying to hit up every pinball/arcade in places I've been visiting. I've been to some pinball bars in Jacksonville and Gainesville, FL. I have to say this is at the top of my list of pinball bars. I really like that they keep a rotation of nearly 50 pinball machines at all times. Pinball is what I'm looking for and Portal Pinball truly delivered. Once I paid for my partner and I to get an hour a play (at $10/pp/hr) we both immediately started the rotation. My goal was to play as many pinball games as possible within that hour. I made it almost through the entire rotation. There were a few cabs (Stranger Things) that stayed occupied the entire time (not by the same person). But that was okay with me because there were so many other games to play. We were there on a Saturday night and I'm guessing your chances to play the most popular games goes up during the week or less popular times. I absolutely love the older pinball cabs. I think it has a lot to do with the classic pinball sounds they make. They had a whole row of much older cabs. Not all of them were working but again I like the nostalgia and enjoyed just seeing them. A few were rather loud to the point that one in particular made my partner think that it was breaking as we played it. It was just the old style that when the the ball drops you really hear that metal ball hit the hardwood. I really enjoyed all the different styles of pinball games and could tell that someone was really making an effort to provide a wide variety of cabs. There were the newer push button launch cabs, the classic pulls, and even the crazy gun trigger options like on Terminator. They had a few cabs that I've played before and really enjoy, like The Creature From The Black Lagoon. I always seem to be surprised how much I enjoy playing the Metallica and other heavy metal band games. They really suck me in and keep me playing for game after game. I enjoyed the fact that I could either play by the hour or for the entire day, which meant I didn't have to keep up with quarters or be constantly swapping money for more quarters. I'm looking forward to seeing what games get rotated in next so I can plan my next trip. My partner and I both had so much fun and look forward to going back. read more

See all

Had so much fun, forgot to take any pics. This place is exactly what it says it is. A pinball arcade. Plenty of pinball machines for everyone. People had food delivered. The attendant was patient with our questions when agreeing to an hour of play. Didn't get any snacks or drinks. Seemed to have a decent variety. Note: handful of machines are rare. They are adult only and attendant has to give you a token to play. Memory lane is in full effect for any 80s kids. $10 per person to play for an hour. Beating your nephew at Street Fighter and giving him pinball playing tips ---Priceless read more

Super awesome spot in Acworth, a rarity among vr and commercialized arcades. Theres pretty cool pinball machines, vintage ones, and there's a decent array of arcade cabinets. I felt like I was a man out of time, playing soul caliber and street fighter. It's something about the sounds of other pinball machines and arcade cabinets going off in the back ground as you're immersed in your own game and sounds. There's good brews too, grab a drink and play some cool games. I stayed around for an hour (10 bucks) and felt like I played enough games. Some games are rare and requires special tokens, don't miss those. read more

See all

This place has a large selection of well maintained pinball machines ranging from machines built in the late '70s to modern machines. I enjoy pinball machines from all eras and found all of the machines to be very well maintained. There are also some arcade games from the early 80s. They charge an hourly rate to play as much as you'd like. They also have a bar with some good beer choices. So far, this is the best place I've found in the Atlanta area and I'll definitely be back. read more

Portal Pinball Arcade - Dolly Parton pinball machine. Not necessarily my favorite but a machine that plays very well for its age. - Arcades Near Me - Acworth, Georgia

See all

Best pinball arcade in Atlanta hands down and flippers up!!! We go once a week and the $25 to play their selection of 40 pinball games is a great deal. The machines are set to free play, so it's a great place for beginners to become skilled without emptying dollar after dollar into the machines. Jeff is typically behind the counter, and can fix any pinball game there, if there is a problem (ball gets stuck, flipper is sticking, etc). We don't drink when we play (we are serious about scoring), but they have a fine selection of craft brews, ciders, and even mead. They also have 40 video games (ms Pac-Man, Galaga, etc) They keep their newest and best pinball machines at Schoolhouse Brewery in Marietta, but these machines are pay to play.. you have to pay by the game. I met the owner, and he is a pure pinball enthusiast that runs the place for the love of pinball. They are constantly rotating games between their two locations, with the newest addition being John Wick. Come give this place a try, and maybe you will find a new hobby and passion like we did!! We love you Portal Pinball!!! read more

We are in the market for another pinball machine for our home game room. Someone suggested we stop by Portal Pinball Arcade to test a specific game. Upon entry we stopped at the check-in counter where an employee stared at us blankly. No greeting, welcome or offer to help. After an awkward silence, we asked if we could buy a pass. The guy said, "I'm waiting for you to tell me how long." We paid for an hour of play ($10 per person). This gives you unlimited play on all the games, meaning you can keep your quarters at home. It was fairly crowded, but we were able to sample all the games we wanted. The quality and variety of games are good. There were only a few that were inoperable. You can check the website for the machines you'll find there, which was helpful for us. This wasn't a five-star experience because of the unfriendly employee. A simple "hello" or "welcome" isn't too much to ask. It's also cramped, dimly lit and feels dingy. Even though we're not in the height of COVID, it would've been nice if there were hand sanitizer stations located throughout the room to encourage neighborly hygiene and help keep germs at bay. Note: Masks are not required for fully vaccinated folks. read more

Great little date night spot! Lots of pinball and vintage arcade games to choose from. Large selection of beers on tap. We thought it was pretty cost effective at $10/hr per person. Beers were abt the same $10/each. We paid for an hour and played the whole time. Only call out we both had when leaving is we would have loved some music on to help with the vibe! Granted it was a Wednesday night, but other than the games it was dead silent, which was odd. We'll be back for more fun! read more

See all

I went here for an hour of game play for $12. Great selection of pinball machines. I would have stayed longer, but I had a flight to catch out of Atlanta. I tried some cider too and it was delicious! read more

2024 May- 2nd visit in a year. What a cool location and offering! Decent beer selection on tap. Bar-top is custom built from pinball tops. See their website for pricing and other details. Machines go back to at least the 1970's and run up to the 2000's and newer. Staff was always pleasant and helpful. Thanks for reading my review- good pinballin' to ya :) read more

Awesome pinball machines, well cared for. Some tables I've never seen before. The staff was super nice and let us bring in our own food.

I tagged along to Kennesaw's Portal Pinball with someone who wanted some flipper time and ended up selecting the one hour package for $8 (longer options are available too). And just in case you're wondering how it works, you put on a name tag-like sticker declaring to all when your time's up.  I'm not a huge arcade gamer but even I was a little dismayed when the hour was nearly over. Those 60 minutes sure whisked by! I was having more fun than I expected giving different pinball and video games a shot. All of the machines are set to free play which helps highly-strung poor players like me enjoy ourselves more. Most of the classic video games seemed to be from around the 80s (Asteroids, Galaga, Centipede, Donkey Kong, to name a few), and the pinball games spanned several decades. The newest ones even take your picture if you get a high score. Ah, technology. You can view the current lineup here: https://www.pinballmap.com/atlanta/?by_location_id=9373 The guys working seemed cool. The rules encourage you to use hand sanitizer frequently, though some of the dispensers seemed to be out. Family-friendly, no alcohol served, but there are canned soft drinks and snacks you can purchase. Look for the arcade next to the Pizza Hut at the end of the shopping center. No issues with parking in the lot. For some OTP amusements, step inside Portal! read more

Visited on a Friday night around 9 we were the only ones there! I was thinking it would be crowded but not the case. Lots of fun machines. My favorite was the mandalorian! They have signs that they're moving to a new location and will have beer/wine at the new place! Lots of fun for a date night doing something different! read more

SO MUCH FUN. Some seriously insane cabinets and at time capsule. Love the vibe and the energy this place is A PORTAL to a PINBALL WONDERLAND Such awesome games will be back again!!!!!!! read more

Cozy atmosphere with some great pin ball and arcade games with a beer/cider bar on tap! Prices are decent for the amount of free play time. Definitely recommend for a fun date or local hang out spot! read more

See all

This place is great! For someone to give one star is stupid. $10 to play all the games you want for an hour. If you want to play longer the prices get lower or you can pay $25 for the entire day. I love the old school games donkey Kong, Pac-Man, frogger, mortal combat and so much more not to mention the 50 pinball games to play. Definitely worth checking out read more

We LOVE this place! A group of seven of us went to celebrate my husband's birthday. So much fun! Prices are very reasonable -- especially as visitors have unlimited access to any of the pinball machines and video games. The machines are all very well maintained. You can see the love the owner/employees have for the business. Was a real blast from the past for me having grown up in the early, early days of video games. And some of the pinball machines are truly vintage. Also enjoyed that this is not a typical obnoxiously noisy and circus-like arcade oriented to children. While there were a few kids about, the vast majority of folks were young adults to even a few senior citizens. We will absolutely return! And will recommend to others! read more

This is a surprisingly underrated arcade. It's like being transported back into the '80s. With excellent prices and a wide variety of games, this was a great staycation in Acworth. read more

Portal Pinball Arcade - One of the numerous pinball games - Arcades Near Me - Acworth, Georgia

It is an awesome place they have all of my favorite old school arcade games and pinball, and I would so recommend it to anyone . We will be back read more

This place is fantastic! Quaint, Low key, well maintained. Plenty of pinball machines of all types. They also had some other old timey arcade games. They have a small vending are with some drinks and snacks. You can pay by the hour or all day. We bought for an hour and that was plenty for us since we are not huge gamers. I loved all the types of pinball machines that I saw. I wish their Ms.Pac Man videogame had not included another game on the same machine and I wish they had PacMan. Overall, we had a great time and we will definitely be back! Glad this place is there! read more

See all

What a hidden gem. Decided to stop in on my birthday and loved it. Lots of pinball machines with some classic video games sprinkled in. Loved funhouse and creature from the black lagoon. Will definitely return! read more

Stopped in here for an hour of play with my boyfriend. Masks are required; they have disposables available if you forget yours. Not the biggest place, but it's filled with machines. A few older arcade games; the rest are pinball. Mostly newer machines in good repair. I only saw one that was out of order. Machines are set to free play and you just pay by the hour. No drinks or snacks allowed inside at this time so leave it outside! read more

Cheap fun! The pinball machines as well as the electronic games are in great shape. It was exhilarating playing pinball machines from so many different eras. I was reminded about the sweet joy of a pinball dinging a target and listening to the machine whirl and clang as it adds up the score. To top it off, it's cheap. $8 for the first hour or $15 all day. $20 to buy a shirt and sticker, which I did! Support local businesses! Drinks and snacks are cheap, too. Seriously, he should charge more. Driving up from Atlanta? Go early to beat the traffic, eat at the nearby Trackside Grill, and then spend the rest of the evening on the flippers! read more

Took the kids on a rainy day and have been back several times since. Lots of pinball variety from the older "number wheel" score boards, through the digital LED boards to the latest FMV boards. All the older machines appear to have been lovingly restored, and in good working order. They do change out both pin ball and arcade games - it has been different every time. This is worth a visit!!!! read more

Great place for adults and kids to spend a few hours and play some really cool pinball games. Kids had a blast! Very clean and well maintained. read more

See all

Wow!! What a blast from the past! This arcade is WELL worth your time. Pay one flat fee and play it all. Student discounts! They had so many of the old games both pinball and arcade. read more

See all

This place is awesome! Fantastic pinball machines and video games, very clean. Great for birthday parties! read more

We've had a lot of fun as a family at Portal Pinball! Great selection of games, nice folks, fun atmosphere, good music!

Bryan's got a winner of a place that's great for the whole family! The largest collection of pinball in the Atlanta metro including a lot of rare machines you won't find on location anywhere else like Spooky Pinball's Total Nuclear Annihilation. Well-maintained and he hosts tournaments and leagues so come by and play! read more

This is the first large-scale pinball arcade in Metro Atlanta since the 90's, to my recollection. Portal has over 20 pinball machine ranging from brand new pins released this year, to well-preserved classic pins that play great. I especially loved Dialed In and Alien Star. The classic vids look great too, but I was focused on the amazing pin collection. I'm looking forward to coming back with my family. The lighting and decor are perfect - they'll really take you back if you grew up in the arcades like I did. read more

Wholesome family fun and friendly staff I liked that you pay per/hr instead of tokens for the games read more

I was really excited about this place, but my experience was not as fun as I had hoped. I visited before the lockdown, but I would be hesitant to return. The games were pretty good but felt dirty as the glass was covered with finger prints and smudges - so it was hard to see the ball and I felt a little gross after playing. My larger concern is that the place felt a bit racist to me. As a transitioning black female, I felt like I was being judged by my appearance and perhaps even my race. What I assumed to be the owner of the arcade kept looking me up and down, walking around constantly while I was playing (like I was going to break something or vandalize the game) and it gave me a bad feeling. He was not very friendly when I bought my pass and didn't explain how things worked. I asked another player and they were nice and explained things. It just seemed like the owner wanted me in and out as fast as possible. In summary I don't recommend this arcade for trans people, and maybe not even for POC if the hillbilly owner is there. read more