National Videogame Museum
National Videogame Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The National Videogame Museum is the country's first dedicated videogame museum, established to document, preserve and exhibit our industry's rich history. This museum has 20 interactive exhibits on display including an 80s-themed arcade, gaming stations, an 80s room and more.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Mr.S Travel QuestSan Angelo, Texas204 contributionsPixel Paradise: Exploring the National Video Game MuseumIf you grew up playing video games in the 80s & 90s then you gotta check this museum out. 17 stages of video game history that's interactive. Walk through where it started and enjoy the timeline of classic games & characters. At the end of your tour you visit a 80s/90s themed retro arcade which takes real tokens.....Nostalgia!!! If you want to see our full video of our visit then check out Mr.S Travel Quest on YouTube. -Mr.S Travel QuestVisited June 2023Travelled with familyWritten 24 November 2023
- Tom from TexasSan Antonio, Texas231 contributionsFun and informative excursion.Informative and fun retrospective of the video game industry, beginning with Pong. Four game plays in a classic arcade are included. The museum is located with a few other entertainment venues in Frisco. It is not very large; I spent about 1 1/2 hours there. It covers a wide variety of different aspects of the industry, from its start with Pong, third party developers, computing power, consoles, and more. The exhibits are packed with a wide variety of hardware. Some exhibits are interactive. You are provided 4 tokens to play classic arcade games in the end, with more available for purchase.Visited January 2024Travelled soloWritten 28 January 2024
- Sme45 contributionsA national treasure of video game history!This a national treasure! Has a lot of great history about the video game industry and its rise. It's almost like traveling in a time portal back to the 80's. A must visit for any video game enthusiast. At the end of the exhibit, they give you some old school tokens to play old school arcade machines, like they did in the 80's.Visited June 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 28 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
171 reviews
Excellent
114
Very good
45
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Heather C
Palacios, TX376 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
My husband and I had been to this video game museum many years ago, but this time we wanted to take our 9 year old who is into retro consoles and their history.
The building that it’s in is very well kept and clean. There is a lot of parking outside, but even on a weekday about half an hour after they opened, the parking lot was already kind of full. This is because the building the video game museum is in has a bunch of other activities inside.
The video game museum is a little on the pricey side, but it is so well kept and nicely done that I can see why they charge the price they do. They also give each person four tokens for the arcade at the end of the museum exhibits, but there are plenty of console (both older and newer) that are available to play throughout the museum. There are a lot of interesting facts peppered throughout, and the museum itself has each exhibit so well organized. The nostalgic vibes are definitely there for those of us older kids who were born in the 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s. Lots of video games to keep everyone interested.
My favorites exhibits were the living room and bedroom made up to look like they were from the 90s. Definitely a trip down memory lane. The big statues of the video game characters were also pretty cool.
There is also a small gift shop at the end if you want to bring some nostalgia home with you or if you are after modern video game souvenirs.
Be sure and check this place out! It has definitely improved a lot since the last time we were there.
The building that it’s in is very well kept and clean. There is a lot of parking outside, but even on a weekday about half an hour after they opened, the parking lot was already kind of full. This is because the building the video game museum is in has a bunch of other activities inside.
The video game museum is a little on the pricey side, but it is so well kept and nicely done that I can see why they charge the price they do. They also give each person four tokens for the arcade at the end of the museum exhibits, but there are plenty of console (both older and newer) that are available to play throughout the museum. There are a lot of interesting facts peppered throughout, and the museum itself has each exhibit so well organized. The nostalgic vibes are definitely there for those of us older kids who were born in the 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s. Lots of video games to keep everyone interested.
My favorites exhibits were the living room and bedroom made up to look like they were from the 90s. Definitely a trip down memory lane. The big statues of the video game characters were also pretty cool.
There is also a small gift shop at the end if you want to bring some nostalgia home with you or if you are after modern video game souvenirs.
Be sure and check this place out! It has definitely improved a lot since the last time we were there.
Written 4 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GoGatorsWayne
Odessa, FL854 contributions
Jul 2022
I guess it could be interesting, but it was warm, crowded and noisy. There are lots of displays of old technology (including the boxes) which was kind of neat, but it had the feel of an ebay depository more than museum. At the end you can play video games. It was OK, but again it was crowded, warm and noisy. For being a "national museum" I would expect more games. We paid $36 for three of us to be there. That is too much for what you get.
Written 30 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie C
Denton, TX38 contributions
Jul 2022
This was a fun outing. It was very interesting and had a lot of content. I think people that were gamers in the 80s would especially love this. I wasn't (and am not) a gamer but I still enjoyed it and it was for sure worth a visit! 2 things that made this "average" over "very good" for me personally: 1) The museum was very stuffy. It feels like they need a better ventilation system. It was admittedly very hot outside but the rest of the building (the museum is in the back part of a larger building) felt much cooler. In addition to it being stuffy, several spots smelled like sweaty kids. I don't know how else to improve this other than improving ventilation and airflow. 2) The second thing that brought down our experience was a specific circumstance which most would probably not encounter. However, the day we were there, there was a group of teens there for a teen summer program. The majority of the teens were in the staged family room and staged teen bedroom. They were laying all over the bed, all on the couch, and completely taking up those areas while they were just sitting there on their phones. They were not taking in the exhibit, but just on their phones and talking with one another. Because of the way they were overtaking the areas, we simply were not able to enjoy those areas at all. To be honest, I was quite disappointed. These areas were very cute photo ops! I don't know if the teen program is run through the museum or if they were just visiting the museum, but it was a bit frustrating. Overall though, it was a fun day. They have a lot of great content. if you read and engaged with everything there, you cold be there 2+ hours.
Written 7 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim S
2 contributions
Jun 2021
I found this museum when looking for something to do with my 15-yo sons while visiting Frisco. Didn't know what to expect, but it absolutely exceeded my expectations. Tons of great historical information, displays that are all museum quality, and tons of working old games for free. Among the displays are rooms recreations of a 70s living room and an 80s teen bedroom. Both exhibit an exquisite attention to detail and period correctness. As an 84 high school grad, the bedroom transported me back in time. There is also an arcade (requiring tokens, four free tokens with admission) that has most of the big games of the day all in wonderfully restored cases. Everything is correct and everything works just like it did back in the day. We spent two hours there and plan to go back. I'd give it a 6 if I could.
Written 16 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jesse V
Fallbrook, CA204 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
If you’re into video games from the 70’s to today than you have to visit this museum. It’s in Frisco a bit north of Dallas but it’s worth it. You can see exhibits and play actual copy’s of games from the older consoles like Commodore 64 to modern consoles, and if you’re in the mood to play an infamous piece of history you can even play Action 52. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the 80’s they also have a retro style arcade that has classics from Donkey Kong to Mortal Kombat.
Written 2 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice
Morecambe, UK53 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We made a special visit to Sheffield to visit this venue. The two teens (14 & 15) had an absolute whale of a time! Us oldies (49 & 60) lost a bit of interest in the middle but then found a game we got hooked on! Neither of us were really into video games as youngsters, though.
Some reviewers have said they didn’t like the covid safety measures. We felt they were excellent. A person was turned away because they were up to capacity, so book in advance. Once we got in there were few people in and we could all go to the games and play any we wanted to. No one really hogged any of the games. The kids are very keen to return and we would be happy to take them. Good value for the family.
Some reviewers have said they didn’t like the covid safety measures. We felt they were excellent. A person was turned away because they were up to capacity, so book in advance. Once we got in there were few people in and we could all go to the games and play any we wanted to. No one really hogged any of the games. The kids are very keen to return and we would be happy to take them. Good value for the family.
Written 27 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara S
33 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
We visited with our two boys (12 and 8). It was fun for them and us too! So many video games from throughout the years. The arcade room was really fun. You get 4 tokens per person with your admission. Bring cash for the token machine if you think you’ll want more.
Written 26 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr.S Travel Quest
San Angelo, TX204 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
If you grew up playing video games in the 80s & 90s then you gotta check this museum out. 17 stages of video game history that's interactive. Walk through where it started and enjoy the timeline of classic games & characters. At the end of your tour you visit a 80s/90s themed retro arcade which takes real tokens.....Nostalgia!!!
If you want to see our full video of our visit then check out Mr.S Travel Quest on YouTube.
-Mr.S Travel Quest
If you want to see our full video of our visit then check out Mr.S Travel Quest on YouTube.
-Mr.S Travel Quest
Written 24 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom from Texas
San Antonio, TX231 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
Informative and fun retrospective of the video game industry, beginning with Pong.
Four game plays in a classic arcade are included.
The museum is located with a few other entertainment venues in Frisco. It is not very large; I spent about 1 1/2 hours there.
It covers a wide variety of different aspects of the industry, from its start with Pong, third party developers, computing power, consoles, and more. The exhibits are packed with a wide variety of hardware. Some exhibits are interactive.
You are provided 4 tokens to play classic arcade games in the end, with more available for purchase.
Four game plays in a classic arcade are included.
The museum is located with a few other entertainment venues in Frisco. It is not very large; I spent about 1 1/2 hours there.
It covers a wide variety of different aspects of the industry, from its start with Pong, third party developers, computing power, consoles, and more. The exhibits are packed with a wide variety of hardware. Some exhibits are interactive.
You are provided 4 tokens to play classic arcade games in the end, with more available for purchase.
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BidwellRunner
Chico, CA463 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
A visit this museum was a lot of fun. It brought us back in time to when video games first appeared. It was fun playing the giant version of Pong and seeing the progression of video games throughout the years. There were several hands-on exhibits and they gave you four tokens to play classic games at the end of your visit. Donkey Kong with my personal favorite. Would highly recommend this museum as a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Written 8 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long do most visitors stay in the museum?
Written 28 February 2017
Plan for at least 2 hours. Take time to following the stages of development exhibits in order. The jumps in technology, in such short time spans, is amazing and helped make playing the evolving games more enjoyable!
Written 28 February 2017
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