Boulevard Amusements Arcade Lowestoft

Here is a fantastic little amusement arcade located on the popular Oulton Broad, which is a boating leisure destination just inland from the Lowestoft harbour and town centre, where Lake Loathing meets the broads.

Within this idyllic setting is the boating lake, park and multiple pubs and restaurants. The whole area is very nice with a relaxing feel, holding many water-related events throughout the calendar year. 

Amusing Attractions

The Boulevard is a café/eatery with a large kids' soft play area (located behind the café and amusements arcade building). They have a splash pool, boating lake and beach area for the kids (and a licensed bar for the adults). 

The amusement arcade is quaint, though it has everything one would expect to see in a traditional seafront arcade.

Some of the machines here are perhaps not as cutting edge as what one would expect in (say) a busy seafront arcade, though older machines retain the charm and character of the glory years for many patrons. 

Arcade Appreciation

Upon entering the arcade, visitors are greeted with a selection of fine two-penny coin pushers. There are shelf prizes in the form of ornaments and keychains, and some of the tuppenny falls pushers also pay out ticket wins (notably the Scooby Do circular coin pusher). 

There are crane grabber and claw machines here, where players can win Sooty and Sweep plush toys and Power Rangers teddies.

On the front wall is a row of modern ticket-winning fruit machines, which are great for parents to play on, whilst helping the kids bump up their ticket totals to redeem a better prize. 

£5 Jackpot Fruit Machines

Further along the wall, there are three £5 jackpot fruit machines – Yabba Dabba Darts, Sub Zero and a ‘Deal or No Deal’ variant. Next to this is the main change kiosk, where the friendly staff members are on hand to help change up coins or exchange tickets for prizes. 

As you follow the arcade around, there is a retro triple Bar-X £5 jackpot machine and some smaller ticket machines next to a Pac-Man Smash air hockey table.

Here, patrons are greeted by the prize window, which has ingeniously been created from two old claw machines, making them the ideal place to display the available prizes through the glass.

It is worth noting that there are at least three or four two- pence change machines dotted around the arcade for extra convenience as well. 

Tickets Arcade Games

Heading into the rear section of the arcade, there is a range of different ticket arcade games and instant win prize machines. These included fairground-style aiming and roll-down machines and a large shooting machine called ‘The Side Show’.

There are also two ‘block stacker’ style machines and a Crazy Frog whack-a-mole ticket machine. 

Peering out the back through the large double doors, visitors can view the outdoor kiddies play area, where there are a range of different attractions including slides, bouncy castle, young kiddie rides and orbiter style bumper cars. 

Just to the left of the rear exit is the adult gaming area.

Casino Gaming Slot Machine Area

This area is fairly modest compared to the rest of the arcade, though this is completely understandable as the amusements are definitely geared more towards younger children than adults. 

Here, there are two rare fruit machines. The first being a Red Gaming licensed Indiana Jones machine with a £35 jackpot and the second being Al Murrays Happy Hour with a £70 jackpot from Barcrest Games. 

These unusual jackpot amounts were introduced back in the day, over a short period of time, where the laws changed from £25 to £35 and then £35 to £70 (though shortly after replaced by £100 jackpots). There was only a short window of time when these machines were manufactured. With most now being updated/modified, or in private collections.

There are also a couple of the older style digital slots gaming terminals in this section, though they were off for maintenance at the time of writing.

Venue Verdict

There are some treasures from days-gone-by nostalgia here, which are nicely balanced with all the fun and games of modern ticket arcade games and coin pushers. Whilst it may not see the volume of passing trade that the seafront commands, this arcade is certainly a welcome addition to all of the great entertainment and attractions that Oulton Broad has to offer. 

If you are taking a stroll in the park or are down for an event day, then The Boulevard Amusements and café should definitely be part of the family itinerary. 

Featured Machine: Lucky Ducks two-pence Coin Flipper