Harris Amusement Arcade Skegness

Harris Amusement Arcade is a hidden gem, located in the Skegness town centre on Lumley Road. A short walk away from the main tourist area arcades at Grand Parade, this is more of a local venue with a retro feel from the arcade glory days of the 70’s / 80’s, (though likely kept thriving by the holiday makers of the summer holidays). 

The venue itself is large, and it set across two levels. The lower ground level is on Lumley Road and boasts an old school café (with old school pricing) and the upper ground floor is accessed from High Street, and this is where the arcade tombolo bingo area can be found.  

The atmosphere of the venue is fantastic, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the carpets will remind patrons of stepping back in time to an inner-city amusement arcade of bygone days. With mechanical fruit machine noises, 16-bit sounds and beeps and a bingo caller in the background, it has a truly authentic feel.

Arcade Entrance

Patrons entering from Lumley Road can find the café on the very right-hand side of the building, serving classic British food and drinks. There is a foyer area with a row of Elaut EX-1 claw machines and a Chupa Chups claw grabber (perhaps to entice passing holiday makers who are making their way to the seafront). 

Beyond here are four separate areas on the ground floor with a wide range of unique and rare gaming machines. Any of the areas in the Harris Arcade that have adult casino slots are very well signposted so that only over 18’s can go in these sections. There are at least three or four separate stairs leading to the upper section where players can find slot machines and fruit machines.

It is apparent that the venue is very-well staffed and there are friendly staff manning the multiple change kiosks on hand to help patrons. There is also a lift that goes between the upper and lower floors for those who are mobility impaired. 

If entering from the High Street side of the building, patrons can enter directly into the arcade prize bingo area, where there are many rows of classic tombola prize bingo tables with all the bells and whistles. See our Harris Arcade Bingo listing for more information on the bingo hall. There are also other entrances from the High Street and these open into a family area, where there are more rows of EX-1 claw machines, a couple of coin pushers including a Cromptons six-player Disco Fever coin pusher and other family friendly amusements.  

Crane Claw Machines

As mentioned previously there are many claw grabber machines here with most being the Elaut EX-1 style machine. There is a great range of branded plush toys and teddies to be won including Disney characters, Smurfs, Dinosaurs, Minions and many more great prizes. There is also a Mega Crane claw machine in the upper family area offering smaller prizes including plush footballs and other types of teddy bears.  

£5 Jackpot Fruit Machines

On the upper floor in the family area, there is a great range of mechanical £5 jackpot fruit machines available to play. There are modern examples of triple fruit machines including a Batman Begins and a Bar-X Super Bullion, both ten pence per play with £5 jackpots and upper feature boards.

There is also a great range of standalone square cabinet style machines from the 90s/2000s including Gold Digger, The Italian Job, Deal or No Deal, Las Vegas, Lord of the Rings, Tutti Frutti and many other great £5 jackpot fruit machines from the past up-to the present. Fans of Noel Edmunds will enjoy the Deal or No Deal Cops and Robbers slot game, which is more interesting than the standard versions usually seen. 

Retro slots fans will love the rows and rows of ten-pence-per-play Fair Games Timeless Bar 7’s mechanical fruit machines in veneer and chrome cabinets. Playing these machines, one can hear the well-built sound of the reels spinning and the hoppers firing that will bring back memories from the eighties. Solid hold buttons with solid nudges and reels that align perfectly for the most part. 

There are also examples of Bell Fruit Big Bar 7’s machines in black cabinets at ten pence per play with £5 jackpots, which will also bring back nostalgic memories. 

In the upper area there are also some separate over 18’s sections where they have rows of the classic Electrocoin Bar-X oxo machines with £8 or £10 jackpots that no longer fit in with today’s jackpot legislation brackets and so can only be played by adults over 18. These machines have been in continuous production for over 40 years and are still amongst the most popular classic machines in an industry slowly being taken over by digital terminals. 

Players who enjoy skill games with love the great selection of skill ball machines available at this venue including Skill Ball Deluxe, Zingy and Pac-Man Skill Ball, all having jackpots of £50.

Casino Slots Area

On the upper floor there is a large separate section on the opposite side from the Bingo area, which offers a great range of both digital casino slots and classic mechanical fruit machines. Here players can find machines from £25 all the way up to £500 jackpots, with a good range of £70 and £100 jackpots available.  

Here, players can enjoy the latest £500 jackpot Blueprint terminals with a range of the latest digital slot machines including Spirit Wolf Wins, King Kong Cash and Napoleon Megaways. 

If you are a fan of the classics then why not enjoy some of the classic chrome cabinet arch-top slot machines including Magic 7, Bar-X Ten, Reel Magic and Celtic Gold.

The standout machine for us in this area is one of the original Project Empire £25 jackpot fruit machines with the King Kong that climbs the empire state building as players progress up the feature board. A beautifully designed and looking machine. 

In the lower ground section of the arcade there is a larger section with some unique slot machines available to play including a row of Admiral Magic Games with £100 jackpots. Some of these are some retro video poker machines, which are not seen much these days. There are also two further sections with digital gaming terminals with jackpots up to £500 on the ground floor next to the café. 

Venue Verdict

If you are looking for an authentic amusements venue that is like stepping back in time, then do not miss Harris Amusements in Skegness. They open late and are very close to the main pubs in Skegness, so why not have a flutter after enjoying some local tipple. 

There are so many rare machines and treasures here from most of the by gone eras that there is sure to be something that will trigger some happy nostalgia in playing these games.

An absolute must-visit for amusement arcade fans heading to Skegness, any time of the year!

Featured Machine: Project Empire £25 Jackpot Fruit Machine with climbing King Kong