A new entertainment venue is combining the retro allure of arcade games with the solemn beauty of a former church setting in Duquesne. The Church Arcade, aptly housed in the old Holy Name Catholic Church on South 1st Street, is preparing to welcome enthusiasts and the curious alike for its grand opening this weekend. The establishment, run by the Pittsburgh Arcade Collective, has opted for a business model that eschews the coin-operated chaos of traditional arcades. Instead, patrons will enjoy unlimited play for a flat entry fee—$20 to $25 depending on the day, Mike Hovraluck, co-owner of the Church Arcade, stated, as reported by CBS News.
Amidst the contemporary digital landscape, where the virtual battlegrounds of Fortnite have come to dominate, the Church Arcade stands as a sanctuary for nostalgia. "I think there's something to be said about nostalgia. You can only play Fortnite so much," Hovraluck explained in his interview with CBS News. Boasting a selection of roughly 130 games, which includes about 30 pinball machines, the arcade promises a taste of the past with the charm of vintage video games like Pac-Man. The collective founders, such as Mike Hough, are intent on rotating their collection to maintain a fresh experience, as he laid out in his conversation with WPXI.
Behind the decision to repurpose the church into an arcade lies a tale of serendipity and practicality. Upon discovering the location with its beautiful architecture, including stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings, the group knew it was the ideal space for their venture. The massive interior, once filled with pews, now plays host to rows of arcade machines. "As soon as we saw it, just beautiful architecture, the stained glass windows, the vaulted ceilings. It’s a really cool space. Took all the pews out of it so we could replace the pews with arcade games. It's really cool," Hough shared in his statement to WPXI.
As for the opening festivities, they're set to captivate both veteran gamers and newcomers with a two-day event that will begin on January 31. The Pittsburgh Arcade Collective extends an invitation to one and all to experience the melding of sacred space and electronic amusement, hoping that within these walls, fond memories and joysticks alike will be grasped once more. Further details on the opening and what to expect from the Church Arcade can be found via the aforementioned news outlets.
