One thing you really need to know about Weirs Beach is that visiting there is like going back in time, to several different eras, none of them after 1985. After my shift at the Dairy Queen, we would all change out of our red and tan shirts into something cute, spray our hair into various immovable claw formations, and head for the Boardwalk in the back of my friend Dana's truck to see if any Massachusetts boys wanted to give us rides on their cigarette boats (they did once. It did not live up to expectations.) I strongly suspect this still happens, because the Dairy Queen is still open and local teenagers do not have all that much to do.
If there are two activities that you can always count on at the Weirs, it's the arcades and the miniature golf (go-Karts are a close third, but more about that in a future post). If you like to do either of these two things, you are in for a rare treat. The Weirs pier itself has three big arcades, and many have some really old games: Handwriting Analysis, the Compatability Tester, and Grandma Fortune Teller.
The area also boasts within two miles "the biggest arcade in the world," Funspot. Yes, being the biggest arcade in the world might be akin to being the biggest roller disco in the world, or the world's biggest supplier of stirrup pants, they take this claim really seriously. They even call the arcade an "arcade museum" because it basically kept all of these old games that no one wanted, that now have kitsch value, like a Playboy pinball game. Someone got a "perfect" Pac Man score there, and a documentary was filmed at Funspot, King of Kong. They have Scott's old favorites, Xybots, and my dad's, Burger Time (though my dad will not go into Funspot to actually play it, as he finds the owner a fascist. Ask him about it. ) And who could forget games like Clowns, Cheeky Mouse, or Elevator Action?
Funspot has a full bowling alley, a cash bingo hall, a bar, a kiddie play room, a pizza parlor, a mini golf course (but to be fair, every business around here has a mini golf course out back), Skee ball, bumper cars, and slot machines (not real--you get tokens). You can have your birthday party or function here for free; you just need to bring ice cream and cake and you're all set! The best part about Funspot is that they used to have this painted double-decker bus that would go back and forth from the pier every hour or so during the day. Sadly, the bus is no longer.
If there are two activities that you can always count on at the Weirs, it's the arcades and the miniature golf (go-Karts are a close third, but more about that in a future post). If you like to do either of these two things, you are in for a rare treat. The Weirs pier itself has three big arcades, and many have some really old games: Handwriting Analysis, the Compatability Tester, and Grandma Fortune Teller.
The area also boasts within two miles "the biggest arcade in the world," Funspot. Yes, being the biggest arcade in the world might be akin to being the biggest roller disco in the world, or the world's biggest supplier of stirrup pants, they take this claim really seriously. They even call the arcade an "arcade museum" because it basically kept all of these old games that no one wanted, that now have kitsch value, like a Playboy pinball game. Someone got a "perfect" Pac Man score there, and a documentary was filmed at Funspot, King of Kong. They have Scott's old favorites, Xybots, and my dad's, Burger Time (though my dad will not go into Funspot to actually play it, as he finds the owner a fascist. Ask him about it. ) And who could forget games like Clowns, Cheeky Mouse, or Elevator Action?
Funspot has a full bowling alley, a cash bingo hall, a bar, a kiddie play room, a pizza parlor, a mini golf course (but to be fair, every business around here has a mini golf course out back), Skee ball, bumper cars, and slot machines (not real--you get tokens). You can have your birthday party or function here for free; you just need to bring ice cream and cake and you're all set! The best part about Funspot is that they used to have this painted double-decker bus that would go back and forth from the pier every hour or so during the day. Sadly, the bus is no longer.
If you are into mini-golf, the Weirs offers several themes, most variants on "America the Beautiful" or "New Hampshire History" or "Golfing in a Volcano," which is in the middle of a waterslide, or"The Joys of Piracy" (Pirate's Cove). The Funspot mini-golf has a little replica of the Mount Washington you can hit balls into. The absolute best mini-golf around is now closed--that one actually had many moving figures and puppets in these diorama-like stages throughout the course. I miss that place so much.
Funspot is the bomb, and Xybots is the bombiest bomb of all (way better than lame-o BurgerTime).
ReplyDeleteIn college, while at the world's greatest bar (the Anchor, in Superior WI), I played the world's greatest videogame (Xybots) for one hour on just a quarter (I know, impressive). When I returned to the table where my girlfriend was sitting with her friends and reported my acheivemnet (A whole hour! On just one quarter!), I was greated with looks of contempt tinged with pity. Good times.
Jacob and I are so at Funspot. If we are late for the wedding you know where we are.
ReplyDeleteTerrys place has the Playboy pinball game. Jim Holmes once got all the targets for the full monty.