Level Up at Free Play in Providence
The popular arcade bar turns childhood favorites into a late-night adult playground.
Free Play has twenty pinball machines to play, including Marvel’s The Avengers. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
Stepping into Free Play Bar Arcade in Providence, the air pulsates with the sound of pinballs ricocheting, air hockey pucks zooming from paddle to paddle, and dancing feet stomping on rhythm games with colorful lights.
The excitement only builds from there, but there’s no need to rush. After paying admission, you can play countless games to your heart’s content — no coins required.
Nostalgia-fueled games like Pac-Man, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter and Super Mario Brothers tend to draw in focused players with strategic hands (looking to beat some high scores, no doubt), while younger visitors and music lovers flock to the bright and flashy Japanese rhythm games.
Co-owner Jay Leone began collecting and repairing arcade games as a hobby in 2007. An electrical engineer by trade, he enjoyed figuring out how the machines worked and bringing them back to life. Years later, Leone approached his friends Anthony Santurri, owner of the Colosseum nightclub in Providence, and Erik Tidd to transform the underused space into something new.
Air hockey is a retro favorite. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
“This area [The Colosseum] wasn’t really being utilized, so we discussed a partnership,” Leone says.
After testing the waters with a few pop-up events in 2016, Providence’s Free Play Bar Arcade opened in 2017, followed by locations in Worcester and Taunton, Massachusetts. While Leone handles the arcade side of the business, Santurri and Tidd operate the bar and kitchen.
Since then, the entertainment space has grown considerably. “We started with fewer games back then,” Leone says. “There were about sixty to seventy games, one pinball machine and maybe one Skee-Ball machine.”
Today, Free Play features more than 150 arcade games, twenty pinball machines and a mix of retro favorites and modern immersive experiences. Pinball machine themes range from Jurassic Park and James Bond 007 to “Stranger Things” and Star Wars, while Skee-Ball and air hockey remain crowd favorites.
Play a game of Ice Ball (Skee-Ball), where players roll heavy balls up an inclined ramp. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
“Everybody loves the competitive nature of those games,” says Leone. “People compete here regularly on the air hockey tables. There’s always bystanders watching, so that’s become quite popular.”
For many guests, Free Play offers something beyond entertainment — it’s a chance to revisit memories.
Leone often hears patrons reminiscing about their arcade visits as children. Those visits were usually cut short by running out of quarters or parents saying it was time to leave.
He’s honored to give players the opportunity to play until the game is won. “It’s something they tried to do as a kid, but now they can come back and do it as an adult,” he says.
Free Play’s craft cocktail menu includes drinks like Pac-Man Punch and Terminator, which pair well with the flatbread pizzas. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
The arcade has become a popular first-date destination and a place to create special moments. Leone enjoys when couples tell him their relationship started at Free Play or they return to take engagement pictures.
“It’s something fun to do and something different,” he says. “It’s a great way to meet someone and you can really learn a lot about a person just by playing some games with them.”
The team regularly adds new titles to keep the selection fresh and they rearrange games often. It changes up the space and encourages guests to discover titles they may have overlooked.
Beyond the arcade floor, Free Play’s craft cocktail menu nods to gaming culture with drinks like Pac-Man Punch, Rainbow Road and the Terminator. The drinks pair well with flatbread pizzas like Buffalo chicken and bacon-loaded varieties.
“We’re just trying to create a cool environment for those who grew up in this era or enjoyed these games back when they were kids,” says Leone. “Now they can come back and relive that with friends and a cocktail or pizza.”
Upstairs, the fun continues at Rewind Retro Dance Lounge, which is included with admission. Karaoke takes over on Friday nights from 9 p.m.–1 a.m., and the nostalgic vibes are tenfold on Saturday nights as DJ Mario spins hits from the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s from 9 p.m.–2 a.m.
Rewind Dance Lounge is upstairs from the arcade. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
During the warmer months, rotating bands take to the outdoor patio each weekend. Free Play also hosts private events: The space can be rented out for up to three hours for birthday parties or corporate get-togethers.
The budding arcade game collector never imagined his hobby would expand into the business it is today, much less with multiple locations.
“I walk in and some of the customers are here more often than I am, which says something about how much they love this place,” Leone says with a laugh.
Admission is $8 on weeknights from
5 p.m.–1 a.m. and $12 on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m.–2 a.m. Patrons must be twenty-one or older, but the arcade holds all-ages family days on select Sundays from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. for $12.
“It’s more than just an arcade. It’s so unique to Providence, Worcester and Taunton,” Leone says. “When we built this, it was a ‘Let’s get this open and see what happens’ situation. It really exceeded all our expectations.” 182 Pine St., Providence, 316-4299, freeplaybar.com
There are more than 150 arcade games to play. Photography courtesy of Free Play Bar Arcade
Free Play Bar Arcade: By the Numbers
150+ arcade games
20 pinball machines
2017 — Providence opening
3 locations
$8–$12 for admission
2 a.m. — weekend closing
’80s, ’90s and early 2000s hits on Saturdays
BattlegroundZ in Lincoln. Photo courtesy of BattlegroundZ
Keep Playing
Continue the fun at these local arcades, escape rooms and more.
The Bubbler VR
568 Charles St., Providence, thebubblervr.com
The Dusty Planet
39 Troy St., Providence, thedustyplanet.com
Escape Rhode Island
385 South Main St., second floor, Providence, escaperhodeisland.com
Level99
8 Providence Place, Suite D301, Providence, level99.com
The Great Escape Room Providence
75 Empire St., Providence, thegreatescaperoom.com/providence
Dave & Buster’s
40 Providence Place, Providence, daveandbusters.com
Electromagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration
881 Main St., Pawtucket, electromagneticpinballmuseum.com
Mystery Soup Escape Rooms
1005 Main St., Suite 1202, Pawtucket, mysterysoupescaperooms.com
R1 Indoor Karting
100 Higginson Ave., Lincoln, r1indoorkarting.com
BattlegroundZ
100 Higginson Ave., Lincoln, battlegroundz.net
Spring Lake Arcade
Spring Lake Beach, 52 Old Hillside Dr., Burrillville, springlakearcade.com
Ocean State Escape Rooms
1428 Hartford Ave., Johnston, oceanstateescape.com
Adventureland Family Fun Park
112 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, adventurelandri.com
Launch Family Entertainment
920 Bald Hill Rd., Warwick, launchfamilyentertainment.com/warwick
RI Riddle Room
1150 Bald Hill Rd., Warwick, ririddleroom.com
Advanced Action Sports
3 Bridal Ave., West Warwick, advancedactionsports.com
United Skates of America
75 New Rd., Rumford, unitedskates.com/rumford
Ryan Family Amusements
268 Thames St., Newport, ryanfamily.com
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
70 Pawtucket Ave., Rumford, skyzone.com/providence
Seekonk Grand Prix
1098 Fall River Ave., Seekonk, MA, seekonkgrandprix.com
