New Central Kentucky retro arcade bar delivers video game nostalgia. See inside
Longing for the days of Pac-Man fever? Ready to take on invaders from space or dodge barrels from a gorilla?
Then a new Central Kentucky retro arcade bar might be your 8-bit sanctuary, and you can leave the quarters at home.
Retro Social Freeplay Arcade opened at the beginning of the year in Frankfort, 1.5 miles off I-64 with more than 60 vintage arcade games from the 1980s and 90s.
At $10 a visit, you can play games for free like Galaga, BurgerTime, NBA Jam and more, until you get Pac-Man elbow (yes, that was a real orthopedic injury at the height of Pac-Man fever).
“Nostalgia is very hot these days,” said Kerry Azbill, who co-owns the retro arcade with his wife, Shelby Cardwell. “The whole point here is to entertain both the adults and the families and kids all at the same time.”
Kerry, who grew up playing arcade games at a local bowling alley, starting collecting the vintage games 2 and a half years ago.
“About 50 of these were in the basement,” said Cardwell. “They were moving into dining rooms and children’s rooms and they were everywhere before we finally moved them to their home here.”
How much does Frankfort vintage arcade cost?
The arcade has individual, family and annual memberships, or you can pay $10 per visit and games are free with no time limit.
“No quarters, no points, no tokens, cards or anything of that nature. Everything is set to free play,” said Cardwell.
So far, they say the retro arcade has been very popular no matter the player’s age, “because now you’re introducing a new generation to the beginning of all this,” said Kerry.
To appease to all gamers, there is more than the 60-plus freestanding retro games. There’s a row of game consoles (NES, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Atari and more) connected to older CRT TVs you can play. In the party room, there are newer flat-screens hooked up to today’s gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch.
The 200-people capacity arcade building is decorated with all gamers in mind. Cardwell and Kerry did the majority of the murals featuring gaming icons from the years.
Frankfort retro arcade bar has drinks, food trucks
After 9 p.m., the arcade is open to ages 21 and over, and features a custom cocktail menu with 15 drinks , each with a video game themed name.
There’s a rotation of four draft beers on tap and food trucks in the parking lot Friday through Sunday.
Up next for Frankfort’s only retro arcade is game tournaments and pinball machines. But right now the couple say they are thrilled to give Frankfort another entertainment option, one that has brought back a lot of memories for many.
“It kind of takes you back to what some would consider easier and simple times,” said Kerry.
Retro Social Freeplay Arcade
Where: 1007 Twilight Trail, Building C, Suite 1, Frankfort
Hours: 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thur.; 4 p.m.-midnight Fri.; 11 a.m.-midnight Sat.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.; All ages until 9 p.m, 21-plus after
Rotating food trucks: Fri.-Sun.
Party room reservations: 502-360-5176; retrosocialarcade.com
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
