If you’re driving along I-80 in western Pennsylvania, you’ll quickly realize that there isn’t much between State College and the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. That’s not to say that there isn’t anything to do, but there just aren’t many cities or places to stop for a few hours of fun.
However, if you happen to find yourself looking for a little diversion, it’s definitely worth checking out Fun Central in Clearfield.
Located under a mile off I-80’s exit 120, Fun Central is part Chuck E. Cheese’s and part Dave & Buster’s. Featuring a large, multi-story play area for kids, as well as a variety of arcade games, a blacklit mini-golf course, and a small laser tag arena, Fun Central has enough to keep kids of all ages busy for a few hours.
I spent most of my time playing some of the dozens of arcade games throughout the facility.
Most of the games were redemption games where you receive tickets depending on how well you do. Some of them were based on skill: skeeball, basketball, and Guitar Hero, to name a few. While others were more based on luck like Deal or No Deal or Monopoly.
There are also a few games, like air hockey, where no tickets are awarded.
The kids’ play area was quite impressive, spanning multiple layers, and was rather large. While I was unfortunately too old to check it out, I would imagine that kids would really like it.
When you enter Fun Central, you won’t be able to avoid the restaurant.
While most arcade centers offer some sort of refreshments, Fun Central takes it to another level, offering quite a wide-ranging menu. Food prices are reasonable, and while the food might not be amazing, it certainly is better quality than you would expect from an arcade.
Overall, I had a fun time at Fun Central.
Is it somewhere that you should plan a vacation to? No. However, if you find yourself driving along I-80 and you’re looking for a fun place to relax for a few hours, or if you are visiting Clearfield, I would definitely recommend spending some time checking out Fun Central.
Other great dining options in the area include Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub and Doc G’s Brewing Company. And, another great quick stop nearby is Panther Rocks.
Note: My visit to Fun Central was sponsored by the Clearfield Country Tourism Board. However, the opinions expressed in this article are my own.
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This could be a spot where I’d lose a fair few dollars! I’m sure I’d find an arcade or two to keep me amused.
I think it is a shame now that so many arcades focus on awarding tickets to collect. I often find the exchange rate at redemption is very poor. Give us cold, hard cash is what I say, or at least in UK arcades anyway.
The ticket redemption value isn’t great, as is the case at all arcades, but you can at least leave with a candy bar or something.
As for getting cash from the machines, I believe you are looking for a casino. 🙂