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In New Hampshire, just off the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, you’ll find Funspot—the world’s largest arcade. Meanwhile, in Brookfield, Illinois, about 45 minutes west of Chicago, you’ll find Galloping Ghost Arcade—also the world’s largest arcade. Yes, there are two arcades in the US claiming the title, and while that may seem paradoxical, a visit to both proves that while only one can be the biggest, both are the greatest .
Quick Overview
| Arcade | Funspot | Galloping Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Laconia, New Hampshire | Brookfield, Illinois |
| Claim to Fame | World’s Largest Arcade (Guinness certified) | World’s Largest Arcade (by game count) |
| Total Games | ~600 total (270 vintage in ACAM) | 1,067 arcade cabinets + 46 pinball |
| Founded | 1952 (as mini-golf/penny arcade) | 2010 |
| Pricing | $20 = 110 tokens (1-4 tokens per game) | $25 all-day admission (+$5 for pinball) |
| Unique Feature | American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM) | Expands every Monday for 10+ years |
| Vibe | Museum-like, sprawling, nostalgic | Dense, overwhelming, dizzying |
Funspot: The Historic Giant
Origins and Evolution
Funspot’s origin story dates back to 1952, when Robert M. Lawton founded it as an indoor mini-golf and penny-arcade pavilion . Over the years, it has expanded into a series of loosely connected buildings spread across a gentle slope . It can be a bit confusing to navigate, but steer clear of the Funspot Bingo Hall and you’ll eventually arrive in video game paradise .
Funspot houses everything from throwback mini-golf to a small go-kart track and a 20-lane bowling alley—making it a four-season source of entertainment .
The American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM)
The primary attraction is the American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM), a nonprofit organization housing and preserving vintage arcade machines from through the late 1980s . The project was the idea of Gary Vincent, a long-time Funspot employee who proposed organizing the arcade’s vintage machines into an on-site interactive museum in 1998 .
Today, ACAM houses roughly 270 vintage arcade machines, all up for play—with a few particularly rare titles protected in acrylic boxes. One such rarity is Mystic Marathon: “We have one of the five original prototypes that was made to test the game,” Vincent said. “This is the one that actually belonged to Kristina Donofrio, the woman who programmed the game.”
The King of Kong Connection
Large portions of the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters were filmed here, where Steve Wiebe set a then-record high score of 985,600 on Donkey Kong .
Guinness World Record
Guinness World Records officially certified Funspot as the “World’s Largest Videogame Arcade” in 2008, counting 581 machines. Vincent says the number is closer to 600 total today .
Galloping Ghost: The Density Demon
Location and Layout
Galloping Ghost is situated on a busy street in Brookfield, surrounded by co-branded businesses:
- Galloping Ghost Productions (game development)
- Galloping Ghost Reproductions (parts distributor)
- Galloping Ghost Gym
- Galloping Ghost Garage
The arcade itself is the one with a sign modestly proclaiming “The Largest Arcade in the World” .
Overwhelming Density
From the outside, Galloping Ghost looks more compact than Funspot—but inside, the density is staggering:
“It’s basically the size of a Home Depot. You’re going to be scoping out all the games. Make a list of what you want to play. To be honest, that alone probably takes about 45 minutes.”
— Tom Nieter, manager and curator
Continuous Expansion
Galloping Ghost opened in 2010 with roughly 130 games and has been growing steadily ever since, taking over neighboring businesses along the way. The arcade currently houses 1,067 games—and counting:
“We haven’t missed a Monday in 10 years.”
— Tom Nieter
Rarities and Oddities
- Power Up Baseball – An ill-fated attempt to bring NBA Jam energy to the diamond; likely only playable here
- International imports – Dozens of shoot-’em-ups from Japan that never saw American release
- The Spectre Files: Deathstalker – Semi-interactive full-motion adventure
- Sega R360 – A giant arcade contraption that swings players upside-down (currently awaiting monitor repair)
Pinball Collection
The separate pinball facility houses 46 machines, including rare gems like Revenge from Mars and a two-player Joust. Sadly, nearly a third were powered down during the author’s visit .
The Great Debate: Which is Actually Largest?
Guinness World Records’ Position
I contacted Guinness World Records, which confirmed that the 2016 update to Funspot’s record is based on number of games, not square footage. Funspot is still listed as the official “Largest Videogame Arcade (current).”
Guinness also recognizes another arcade, Grand Prix Race-O-Rama in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as “World’s Largest Ever” (posthumously, as it went out of business).
The Game Count
| Arcade | Claimed Game Count |
|---|---|
| Funspot | ~600 total (270 vintage in ACAM) |
| Galloping Ghost | 1,067 arcade cabinets + 46 pinball |
By number of games, Galloping Ghost clearly takes the title .
Why Not Certified?
“I know Galloping Ghost has over 1,000,” Funspot’s Gary Vincent said. “I’m not sure why they haven’t reached out to Guinness.”
To officially get the title, Galloping Ghost would likely need to pay a Guinness adjudicator to certify its collection. The crew doesn’t seem in any hurry .
Mutual Respect
Neither arcade seems concerned about sharing the honors:
“There’s definitely respect among all arcade owners. They’re totally cool. We’re kind of just doing our own thing. And, yeah, Funspot is very, very famous, though, a great spot.”
— Tom Nieter
Vincent was equally complimentary about Galloping Ghost .
The Verdict: Does It Matter?
If we’re talking number of games, Galloping Ghost takes the title by a significant margin.
However, Funspot is far more expansive. The extra space gives room to showcase games with reverence—it really does feel like a museum, not despite the cacophonous soundtrack but thanks to it .
So counterintuitive though it may be, I am in full support of both arcades continuing to call themselves World’s Largest. They’re both well worth a visit, and we’re lucky to live in a world where both are open for business .
Visitor Information
| Arcade | Funspot | Galloping Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Laconia, New Hampshire | Brookfield, Illinois |
| Pricing | $20 = 110 tokens | $25 all-day + $5 pinball |
| Best For | Nostalgia, museum experience, families | Rare games, overwhelming selection, hardcore gamers |
| Nearby | Lake Winnipesaukee | O’Hare International Airport (20 min) |
