Galloping Ghost
Galloping Ghost
4.5
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Monday
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Tuesday
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Wednesday
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Thursday
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Friday
1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 2:00 AM

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles87 reviews
Excellent
63
Very good
21
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0

1431Extension
Chicago, IL14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Awesome spot. So many games to play

Brings back all the memories

Great spot to bring your kids on a cold day
Written January 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ScatteredFrog
Chicago, IL44 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
This is at least my third review of Galloping Ghost over the years. My first review was kind of meh, next review was extremely positive, but this review is going back down. Galloping Ghost is the place you want to go if you want to be overwhelmed by the number of arcade video games available to play. If you can think of one that ever existed, there's a darn good chance the Ghost has it. And literally one new one is added every week. At the time I write this review, they're close to having 1000.

Now...that there are so many games there is one of the problems here actually. The building has long ago reached critical mass in terms of room to house them all. If you're trying to walk down an aisle but someone is playing a game, you need to find another way to go because there's no passing room. If you go on a Saturday or during a special event, it will be dangerously overcrowded. When I go to the Ghost, I'm not there for very long because I feel anywhere from claustrophobic to literally unsafe: if a fire or other catastrophe happens, there's not a lot of room to make your way to an exit. I know Doc has been looking into ways to expand the building for years -- and he has, but now the only way to go is up -- but right now, it's just not a good space.

If you bring anything with you, like a jacket or umbrella or whatever, be prepared to hold onto it the entire time you're there -- there are no coat racks or anything.

One thing that really soured my experience was when I went in when COVID restrictions were in effect. State mask requirements were hardly enforced at all (except by one or two staff members who were genuinely concerned about people's safety; sadly, one of said staff members is no longer there) -- especially if, say, you were someone who pays a lot of money for a lifetime membership.

As for everything else, well...$25 admission is a hell of a bargain for all-day access to the overwhelming number of arcade cabinets there (with in-out privileges). Galloping Ghost is easy to get to from I-55 and I-294, and parking is pretty easy to find if the small lot is full. The staff by and large is friendly and welcoming, including Doc.

In sum:
- If you're easily claustrophobic, this is NOT the best place in the world for you to be. But I'd recommend visiting on a Sunday or Monday, when it's not terribly crowded.
- Doc: PLEASE consider clearing some space on the gaming floor, like say, rotating games off the floor now and then until you're able to expand. (And get a coat rack, too!)
- Because so much of arcade gaming history happened in and around Chicago, there's a good chance you'll run into some arcade game heroes, such as Jeff Lee (Q*Bert, Three Stooges), Dr. Phillip Ahn (Mortal Kombat), or Brian Colin (Rampage, Arch Rivals) -- and they're all really nice (and very entertaining!) guys.
- Video cameras are available should you want to record your gameplay.
Written July 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pac M
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Friends
The cost was $25.00 each, all-day pass. I knew this up-front, so wasn't a big deal. However, I wish I would have just paid in quarters for the games I played. The arcade does have a great selection of games, but there are some things I didn't anticipate that kind of took away from the enjoyment. I will list them all below.

1. Parking - I was lucky to find the last spot. There isn't much, and had I not found that spot, I would have had to drive around for a bit, or park in some metro park and ride down the street for who knows how much. This isn't a ding on the arcade... it just is what i is.

2. Arcade monitors - Most of the monitors on the games I played were in bad need of re-capping and color calibration. The blue guys I remembered as a kid were green, etc. Many monitors were very dull and dim and really need ot be repaired.

3. Control panels - Many control panels are missing screws/fasteners, and depending on the type of game and mechanics, the control panels are moving just as much as the joystick and buttons. It got very annoying.

4. Steering wheels - Every racing game I played with a steering wheel.. the wheels were badly calibrated or have not been serviced in decades. Some steering wheels will rotate 360 degrees and keep turning, some have hard stops around 180 degrees, etc., but many driving games were almost impossible to play due to these issues.

5. Game spacing - To get as many games in the rooms, they pack the games in, cabinet to cabinet. For two player games, this makes it almost impossible to play, especially if someone is playing a game on either side of the one you are playing. This also hides any side art on cabinets. The spacing just made for some awkward play.

6. Game volume - Due to #5, often I was listening to the demo of some game next to me and I could barely hear the game I was playing. This got annoying very fast. Also, it seems the volume of all games should at least be consistent in terms of decimals. I know you can't get it perfect, but with some basic tech, the volume levels of each game could be such that no other game over powers your ears.

7. Walkways - Again, see #5. Not all aisles were too narrow, but a good amount of them were very narrow, and if someone was playing a game on the opposite side as you, nobody is going to be able to pass by, and you pay even be bumping into the person directly behind you. Again, it would have been nice if the layout was enhanced, even at the expense of the number of total games. I'd rather be able to enjoy 100 arcade classics and breathe vs this method.

8. Ventilation - There wasn't too many people in when I was there, but you can feel the heat from the machines, and the heat from the people. Some central A.C. would be needed if you intended to stay there for more than an hour. The heat and noise and crowded feeling would certainly take away from the experience.

9. Other minor issues - I had a game crash on me, one game was wired incorrectly, so the 2nd player controls were wired as the 1st player, and some of the bezels were blocking some of the game monitors.

Overall it was a great shot of nostalgia, but I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have wanted to, per all the issues above. I guess if you want to see the arcade games of your youth live and in-person, and wish to play your favs one last time, this is a great place. But I couldn't see myself going there more than once.
Written June 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cjschreiner
Chandler, AZ2,080 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
With over 800 games to play this place will have a game for you to enjoy. With that amount of games playing all of them in a day will be almost impossible. I focused on 20 games that I played on as a child and that took me a few hours. Will return again to try the pinball location
Written June 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JoshuaAlanLutz
Springfield, IL32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
It's literally the largest arcade in the world! If there's a game you played in the 80s, 90s or 00s, it's extremely likely that they'll have it here. The free play model is cool, and I'd say about 95% of the cabinets were up and running.

It's been very impressive to see this company increase their footprint further and further down Ogden avenue. It's been a decisive takeover. I'm not complaining though, good for them! I hope they stay in Brookfield for a long long time.

It'd be cool if they could secure some funds for remodeling (both inside and out), to give the place a cleaner, more polished feel. At the very least, they could invest in a better HVAC system. With all those machines running at once, it got pretty warm and muggy inside. Increasing fresh air flow would be a welcome improvement.

It was really cool to visit with my dad and my son, three generations. We enjoyed showing my son so many original games with characters he knows and loves. We'll be back!
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James A
Windsor, Canada18,742 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Solo
I miss all the 1990s style arcades with all those games I once played so long ago. Well, they’re all here at Galloping Ghost! I played them all: Altered Beast, Golden Axe, PAC-Man, Super Mario, Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Renegade, Cruisin’ USA, Area 51, Terminator II, I could go on… there all here and you can play all day literally. Amazing! This place really took me back in time for three hours of intense fun.
Written May 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AvWriter
Rochelle, IL934 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
We were doing a weekend of fun for our anniversary, and decided to stop in for a few hours.

First off, we did the arcade only - that was enough to scratch my itch. It's $20 per person, with re-entry included - not bad.

Games, Games, Games. They had room upon room of games. Some games I had seen infrequently or they hadn't worked back in the day (e.g., Discs of Tron!).

So, Plusses: Every game you probably played or wanted to play. I mean EVERY Game. I played Missile Attack (Japanese version of Missile Command), Galaga 3, Cliffhanger (with clips from Castle Cagliostro), Mach 3, Afterburner, Robotron, Asteroids, Omega Race, and dozens more.

Minuses: gets warmer as the day goes on.
Some games were well-worn and needed maintenance (I fix these old games). For example:
Robotron needed new joystick grommets
Asteroids needed new buttons and the leaf switches cleaned
Afterburner - the full motion gear wasn't working
Space Harrier - hung in boot.
Omega Race - would reset after the 3rd round, every time
Tempest: Vector section or math box error - it wasn't drawing all the game vectors
Lunar Lander - was off all day

Also, don't expect easy difficulty settings - they were set moderate or higher based on my play.

Still, if you have roots in the 80's, this is a place where you can have a blast for $20. Candy is available, and again, with your receipt, you can go out for lunch and re-enter.
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steven K
Powder Springs, GA65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Friends
This arcade was a pleasant surprise. You pay a flat fee to play arcade games “for free” all day. You can leave and come back the same day for no additional cost. They have, literally, hundreds of arcade games, video and pinball. Aisles can get crowded, but everyone is having fun!
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarah R
Clinton, IA23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
I've taken my three boys here at different times and they loved it! They were all over the age of 19 when I heard about it. I spent several hours there with them and had a great time and I'm NOT a gamer. My boys, of course, loved it and still talk about it. We don't live in Illinois so it's a bit of a trip for us, but worth it. Looking forward to our next visit!
Written August 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rachael Denmon
Sweet Valley, PA73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Couples
My husband and father in law are big arcade game players so this was a big stop on out list! So much Fun! One building has many arcade machines and down the block is another building with pinball machines! You can once price to play all day!
Written July 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 86
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Galloping Ghost - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Galloping Ghost

Galloping Ghost is open:
  • Mon - Fri 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
  • Sat - Sun 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.


Restaurants near Galloping Ghost: View all restaurants near Galloping Ghost on Tripadvisor