Jacksons amusments arcade mablethorpe

Jackson’s is a name synonymous with Mablethorpe, with the family business proudly operating in the town for 100 years as of 2025. Alongside its amusement offering, Jackson's also runs a popular toy shop on the High Street and operates the local seafront land train.

The land train runs for much of the season, ferrying passengers from the holiday parks at the northern end of Quebec Road down to the main tourist area at its junction with the High Street. It is at this prime location that Jackson's Amusements is situated, occupying a prominent corner position directly opposite the main pedestrian access to the beach and Marblethorpe Fun Fair.

As with most arcades, the venue has undergone many changes over the years, and in its current form it is primarily geared towards children. Thanks to its corner position, there are several bi-fold and double-door entrances on both sides of the building, all of which are flat and make the venue mobility scooter and wheelchair friendly.

At the rear, there is a prize shop and change kiosk, with floor-to-ceiling windows packed full of a great range of ticket-redemption prizes. To one side of the kiosk, the venue narrows with further machines leading through to the entrance of Jolly Jacks, a fully licensed bar area with cosy seating. Costa Coffee is also served here, making it the perfect spot to grab a drink while the kids explore the arcade.

Children’s Arcade Games

Jackson's Amusements is an ideal children’s arcade, offering an extensive range of kiddie rides and arcade games geared towards younger visitors. If a child has a favourite TV or cartoon character, there is a good chance of finding the perfect kiddie ride here for a fun photo shoot. 

Kiddie rides include several mini carousel merry-go-rounds, Peppa Pig Spaceships, Minions Submarine, hippy bus, Cars race car, fire trucks and aeroplanes. There is also a four-player Hungry Hungry Hippos game, which is a life-sized version of the board game that pays out tickets. 

Claw Machines

The claw machines in Jackson's mostly run on the outer walls, and on the left side of the venue, there is an impressive row of twelve modern Happy Games claw machines. These are packed full of quality branded plushies, including Care Bears, Southpark and Sonic the Hedgehog characters. 

Outside the entrance to Jolly Jacks, there is also a row of classic Elaut EX-1 machines, which have Jackson's branding. Here, visitors can win a fun range of teddies, including Minecraft, Lilo & Stitch and Mario Characters. There are also several other types of claw machines dotted around the venue, and these include Funko Crazy Boxes, Big Wheel and ‘Prize Every Time’ games.

Coin Pushers

This amusements venue has no shortage of fun coin pushers to play, and these all seem to be of the modern types which pay out ticket wins. There are two standout machines here that offer instant win prizes, and these are ‘Key to Success’, where players can find a key to one of the instant win lockers and also Prize Quest, which drops lucky golden eggs that may also house a key to the instant win lockers. There is also an Ocean Party ball pusher, where players can also win tickets. 

The full range of ticket-paying coin pushers includes Rainbow Riches, Rock’n’roll, Butterfly, Jurassic Park, Tom & Jerry, Sweet Falls, Let’s Go Quackers, Ice Cream Dream, Minions Push, Beach Ball, Caterpillar and a lovely circular Merry-Go-Round pusher. All the coin pusher machines offer a great range of shelf prizes, including mini plushies, rubber duckies, keychains and even branded Sonic mugs.   

Classic Arcade Games

There are some great classic arcade games here, including a tiny air hockey table for small children and also a full-sized adult air hockey table. An exciting machine is the Zoltar Fortune Teller game, which is a hugely popular experience game from the US (featured in the popular Tom Hanks film Big). 

There is also an arcade shooting game in the form of Mech Shooter and also a Minecraft arcade machine from Raw Thrills that pays out collectable trading cards. Sports fans will love the two-player Basketball Star basketball arcade games that pay out tickets for high scores, and also the Super Alpine Racer skiing game. 

Another unique machine is the four-player Donkey Day derby racer, which appears to be the same as the popular Derby Day arcade game, but with donkeys instead of horses!

Fairground Games

Jackson's Amusement Arcade has a great range of fairground-style arcade games, with many paying out ticket wins. They have Ring Toss, Jetball Alley Skee Ball and the popular Lane Master bowling game. There is also a Ticket Champ throwing game by ASI and Spaceguard, Fireball, Treasure Cove and Fishbowl Frenzy.

Next to the entrance of Jolly Jacks is also a section of children-sized fairground games, which means that smaller kids can also enjoy these types of throwing and aiming games. Titles include Shark Park, Rainbow Baskets, Dynamite and many more. 

Wheel Spinners

There are two unique wheel spinning arcade games in this arcade and they are the addictive Pop the Lock game and Gold Ball, which is a very colourful wheel spinner that is rarely seen.

VR Machines

There is a two-player VR pod in this arcade offering immersive VR experiences selected via the jukebox-style touchscreen.

Adult Gaming

With Jackson's amusement arcade geared toward children, there are no adult fruit or slot machines in this venue. This also means no ticket slot machines. 

As with all our arcade reviews, there are many more arcade games not listed here, so be sure to explore this arcade in person. 

Venue Verdict

This is a magical arcade venue for younger children, and Jackson's has clearly found its niche by offering a huge range of kiddie rides and half-sized arcade games, ensuring even the smallest players do not feel left out. Most machines offer ticket wins, and the prize shop is both exciting and welcoming. Why not grab a drink in Jolly Jacks and unwind while the kids play games in an enjoyable and safe environment?

Featured Machine: Donkey Day Derby Racer