From Flippers to Flying High
Two Completely Different Ways to Play in Texas and Arizona
by Barry Zelickson
One of the things we love most about traveling across America is discovering entertainment destinations that refuse to fit neatly into a box. On this trip, we found two facilities that couldn’t be more different in their personalities yet both deliver the same thing: a reason to get people off the couch and have some fun together.
In Austin, Texas, we visited Pinballz Lake Creek, a sprawling 100,000-sq.-ft. entertainment complex that has grown far beyond its pinball roots. In Queen Creek, Arizona, Pecan Lake Entertainment combines traditional family entertainment with outdoor adventure, barbecue, a botanical garden, an equestrian center and even a lake.
One is an indoor playground for just about every type of gamer and thrill seeker imaginable. The other feels like someone took a family entertainment center, a country club, an adventure park and a farm – and put them all in one place.
And that’s exactly why we love doing Fun Across America.
Pinballz – Austin, Texas
Let’s get one thing out of the way: Pinballz has a lot of pinball. But calling Pinballz just a pinball arcade would be like calling Disneyland just a place with a mouse. When we arrived at the Lake Creek location, host Nate summed it up pretty quickly: “You can totally play pinball here, but don’t be confused by the name. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the fun things that you can do here.” And he wasn’t kidding.
What began as a roughly 33,000-sq.-ft. facility expanded dramatically after the neighboring Hobby Lobby became available. The result is a 100,000-sq.-ft. entertainment destination packed with attractions, games, laser tag, escape rooms, axe throwing, VR, indoor rides, mini-bowling, food, drinks and event space. Wowee!
One of the most unexpected additions is the indoor go-kart track built inside the former Hobby Lobby space. And it’s not just a track dropped into an empty warehouse. The area has a quirky dinosaur theme, giving the whole experience a distinctly Pinballz personality. Darren Spohn, the man behind Pinballz, explained the expansion with a wonderfully simple philosophy: “With that much space, we thought, why not put an indoor go-kart track that you don’t have to wear helmets on to ride?”
Nate’s response pretty much summed up the transformation: “What really makes Pinballz interesting is the combination of old-school and cutting-edge.”
You can play vintage arcade games and pinball machines that have been around for decades, then turn around and experience modern attractions like the Omniverse VR Arena.
Spohn told us Pinballz was the first Omniverse Arena in Austin, essentially serving as the beta location. The attraction puts players into a fully immersive, motion-based virtual environment, noting that Austin teams frequently rank among the top competitors nationally.
And then there are the games that probably shouldn’t still be on location…but that’s exactly the point. “Classic games don’t make money, but it’s part of the experience,” Spohn explained.
That philosophy extends throughout Pinballz. The facility isn’t trying to eliminate everything that isn’t the newest, hottest attraction. Instead, it embraces nostalgia as part of the experience. As Nate observed, that’s important because today’s adults were yesterday’s kids playing those same machines.
Another thing that immediately caught our attention was the redemption operation. Pinballz doesn’t treat prizes as an afterthought. Spohn told us they intentionally maintain high payout rates and valuable prizes, giving guests the feeling that their gameplay has real reward value. And the prize wall is impressive. During our visit, Stanley Cups were among the hot-ticket items, along with plenty of unusual and nostalgic prizes.
There’s also a loyalty program that rewards repeat customers with points, better pricing and other benefits.
Pinballz also understands that people don’t necessarily want to spend their entire visit standing next to an arcade cabinet. In addition to the attractions and event spacesk, Pinballz also has a full food-and-beverage operation. The Lake Creek location even features a Whiskey Lounge which is one of the largest in Texas and the facility can handle parties and events up to 2,000 guests, hosting everything from birthday parties and corporate events to themed parties, murder mysteries and leagues.
Today, Pinballz has a remarkably active events calendar, including trivia, Dungeons & Dragons, board game nights, go-kart tournaments, laser tag competitions and wrestling events. They typically host unique events almost every day of the week at all three of their locations.
But perhaps the best reason to visit isn’t an attraction at all. It’s the memories. Spohn told us about seeing families who had been coming to Pinballz for years – kids who were once babies at the facility and were now teenagers. He even remembered couples who met, got engaged and eventually married there.
“Those are the special ones… That’s what made it special about it. And those are the things that we really enjoy – the stories like that. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
And that may be the most important attraction of all.
Pecan Lake – Queen Creek, Arizona
If Pinballz is controlled chaos, Pecan Lake is controlled chaos with a cowboy hat. Located in Queen Creek, Arizona, Pecan Lake immediately gave Nate an unusual first impression: “Certain aspects of it are giving off kind of a country club feel, but with way more things to do – and all open to the public.” That might be the best description of the place.
Shelley Enriquez and Sydney Dana showed us around and explained that the basic mission was straightforward. “We love to just bring families together, have something to do,” she said. “We don’t have a lot to do in the East Valley, so we just built something to bring everyone together and have a good time.”
One of the first things you notice is the three-story ropes course. With obstacles, zip lines and a bungee jump, it’s not exactly miniature golf for beginners. Sydney had completed the entire course, including the bungee jump, and assured us: “It was so fun. All the zip lines. There’s so much to do. You don’t get bored.”
And then there’s the scenery. An equestrian center sits nearby, meaning that while you’re climbing through the ropes course, you can look out toward horses and the mountains. And when rodeo weekend arrives? “It’s definitely something.” That’s putting it mildly.
Pecan Lake also gives you a pretty compelling reason to take a break from the attractions: Caldwell County Barbecue. Nate watched the smokers, smelled the wood burning and then proceeded to do what any responsible Fun Across America host should do – eat. The staff’s recommendation was the brisket and mac and cheese. Nate’s verdict? The brisket had a flavorful char and was essentially “melt in your mouth.” And yes, we can confirm he did not leave much behind.
There was also a soda shop during our visit, along with ice cream, making Pecan Lake as much of a food-and-social destination as an entertainment center. An 18-hole course that isn’t afraid to challenge you, Pecan Lake’s putting course is another differentiator. This isn’t a collection of cartoon obstacles designed exclusively for little kids. It’s a full 18-hole national putting course, and the staff told us it was intentionally designed to be challenging. Nate discovered that firsthand. Let’s just say his scorecard probably won’t be appearing on the Pecan Lake leaderboard anytime soon.
Perhaps the most unexpected part of Pecan Lake was the botanical garden. The property incorporates edible plants, sustainable-food education and landscaping, with produce available through its Saturday farm stand. There’s also a man-made lake where guests can canoe and fish, a chicken coop and a beautiful event building featuring what the team described as the only fully operational industrial-age watermill in the American Southwest. That’s a lot more than you expect when someone tells you they’re taking you to a family entertainment center.
And Pecan Lake keeps growing. This is where the visit becomes even more interesting. Since our visit, the development we saw underway has continued to come to life.
The Pit House is now open, adding go-karts, an arcade, food, a full bar and party space. The Wave Rider is also now operational, and they’ve added a laser tag arena. The former Soda Rush and Cookie Shop has also been rebranded as The Hideout 206, expanding its offerings beyond craft sodas to include microbrews, wine and handheld food. So, the Pecan Lake we visited wasn’t a finished product but was a glimpse at what was coming. Today, there’s even more reason to return.
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Two Completely Different Destinations
That’s what makes these two stops such great examples of what we’re looking for with Fun Across America.
Why visit Pinballz? Because you can spend an afternoon – or an entire evening – moving between generations of entertainment. One minute you’re playing a vintage pinball machine, the next you’re racing go-karts, battling in VR, throwing axes, playing laser tag or grabbing a drink at the Whiskey Lounge. And if you’re planning a group event, the sheer variety means there’s something for almost everyone. Pinballz currently operates three Austin-area locations, including Lake Creek, the Original Arcade and Pinballz Kingdom in Buda.
Why visit Pecan Lake? Because it doesn’t feel like you’re visiting just one attraction. It’s an entire day-out destination. Play mini-golf, conquer the ropes course, ride the Wave Rider, battle in laser tag, eat barbecue, explore the gardens, enjoy the lake – or simply hang out and watch the action. And with the continued expansion of the property, there’s always a reason to come back.
Ultimately, both destinations understand something that we see over and over again on the road. People aren’t looking for another place to simply consume entertainment. They’re looking for places where they can make memories. That’s what Darren Spohn and the Pinballz team have built in Austin. And it’s what the team at Pecan Lake is creating in Queen Creek. And that’s exactly why we keep traveling.
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We couldn’t continue bringing you these adventures without the companies that help make Fun Across America possible. A huge thank you to our longtime partners:
Rhode Island Novelty — for helping entertainment centers keep their prize and redemption operations exciting and profitable.
Roller — for helping operators manage and elevate the guest experience.
Semnox — for its technology and solutions that help attractions manage everything from games and attractions to payments and the overall guest journey.
Do The Beach — for supporting our mission of getting people out of the house and experiencing fun destinations across America.
We appreciate every one of you for coming along for the ride.
And to everyone reading this column: don’t just watch us visit these place – go visit them yourself. Because there is a whole lot of fun happening across America.
Barry Zelickson, is the co-creator of Fun Across America, a YouTube channel travelogue show. Zelickson has worked in the entertainment field for almost 30 years and has been awarded several IAAPA Brass Ring awards including one of the association’s highest honors, Family Entertainment Center of the World. His other projects include commercials, infomercials, feature films, documentaries, live events and entertainment centers.
Nate Reinhart, host and co-creator of Fun Across America, is a content creator for NalterDeeds and NalterCards on YouTube and content consultant for creators and businesses alike. After a shoutout from MrBeast, Nate has accumulated over 250,000 subscribers on his YouTube channels.