NickleRama: Dallas Fun on a Budget
It can be tricky to find fun things to do in Dallas on a budget. But what if you could buy fun for just 5 cents? At NickelRama, you actually can.
Here’s what to expect from one of our favorite weekend date spots.
Frugal Fun for the Whole Family
NickelRama is a large arcade in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas. Instead of powering their games with traditional quarters, all of their machines accept ONLY nickels! Entry to NickelRama is $3.50 per person. You can then choose to buy either a $5 or $10 cup of nickels to fund your fun afternoon.
Austin and I usually split a $5 cup and enjoy gaming for about 1.5-2 hours. This means we spend a grand total of $12 for a really unique date! If you want to keep playing longer than we do or you are bringing kiddos with you, we’d recommend at least one $10 cup.
Classic Arcade Games Re-Imagined
NickleRama nods to the classic arcade games parents will love and remember, but supersizes them on jumbotron screens that kids will love. Games like Pac-Man, Frogger, and Space Invaders tower above the rest of the arcade on screens about seven or eight feet tall. There are also numerous pinball machines themed after different movie franchises, an air hockey table, skee-ball machines, and a photo booth all contributing to the classic arcade vibe.
Immersive First-Person Game Booths
There are also dozens of game booths with first person shooters and stationary vehicles so that you can fully immerse yourself in the video game world. Some of the most popular booths include a roller coaster ride, racing motorcycles, a Star Wars battle pod, a pirate ship, a Jurassic Park adventure, and our personal favorite: The Walking Dead Raw Thrills.
More than once we have emptied our entire $5 bucket of nickels trying to advance as far as we can in the Walking Dead booth, armed with plastic crossbows and ready to fire away at zombies.
Kid-Friendly Entertainment
Even if protecting the virtual world from hungry zombies doesn’t sound like something your kid is ready for yet, there are plenty of games geared toward young ages. There is an Ice Age game that resembles Whack-A-Mole, a gigantic version of the mobile game Fruit Ninja, Sponge Bob Games, Minion Games, and more. Some of the simpler games reward players with tickets, which can be cashed in at the end of your visit for toys and prizes. It’s exactly like Chuck E Cheese’s, only a whole lot cheaper.
Visiting NickelRama
We love NickelRama, and we bet you will too. If you are looking for Dallas date night ideas or cheap and fun things to do in Dallas with your family, NickelRama is worth a shot. Hang on to loose change and bring some extra nickels along with you when you go for bonus fun!
NickelRama is independently owned and located at 1238 Belt Line Rd in Garland, TX. They frequently offer FREE admission specials with the purchase of a $5 cup of nickels. They also offer group rates for birthday parties, company events, church groups, sports teams, schools, and more.
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