Entry No. 54 — the Boulder file — filed under: arcade-play
Quarters Bar + Arcade
Billed as Colorado's only self-serve bar-and-arcade, Quarters pairs a wall of roughly 20 rotating taps you pour yourself (via a scannable RFID wristband) with around 128 games. The floor mixes classic arcade cabinets, pinball and skee-ball lanes, with most games running a quarter a play and skee-ball and pinball at fifty cents for an authentic old-school feel. It's all-ages most of the week, going 21+ only on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm to midnight.
The story
In 2012, Longmont locals Luke and Emily Kunselman took a trip to a Denver barcade and realized their hometown was missing a crucial hybrid: retro gaming paired with zero bar wait times. Seven years later, in February 2019, they opened Quarters on Downtown Longmont's Main Street. Their pitch remains singular in Colorado—a barcade where you never have to flag down a bartender, because you pour every drop yourself.
The mechanics are what make the place delightfully unusual. You check in, grab an RFID-chipped wristband, and approach a wall of 20 rotating handles serving craft beer, wine, cider, and seltzers. Scan your wrist, pour as little as a single ounce to taste, or top off a full glass before carrying it straight to a machine. The floor holds 19 machines offering around 128 games—multicades, pinball tables, and two-lane skee-ball—and the pricing sticks to authentic quarter-and-fifty-cent plays rather than gouging you with modern arcade markups.
It operates as a casual, all-ages neighborhood hangout by day and a competitive haunt by night—complete with its own multi-week skee-ball leagues. Because you pay per ounce poured and per quarter dropped, you can assemble a hyper-customized drink flight and burn through exact change without getting trapped in a bloated bar tab.
What it's like
Head to 475 Main Street and check in at the front cashier station to present your ID, set up a tab, and strapped on an RFID wristband. Walk up to the 20-tap wall, tap your wrist against the reader, and pour whatever catches your eye—the digital meter tallies your tab by the ounce. The atmosphere is unpretentious and loud with retro sound effects. Most classic cabinets run a quarter per play while pinball and skee-ball take fifty cents; you can feed real physical coins into the slots or tap your wristband if your pockets are empty. Weekdays are relaxed, but if you want to dodge family crowds, hit the floor after 9 p.m. on Friday or Saturday when the space goes strictly 21+.
The move: Pour your own flight at the self-serve tap wall, then settle a skee-ball grudge match before splitting a roll of quarters across the classic cabinets.
📍 Before you go 21+ after 9pm. Bring quarters or load a wristband tab. About 15 miles from Boulder.
- 📍 Downtown Longmont
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 475 Main St, Longmont, CO 80501
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Violet Press & Paper — Two blocks up Main Street, you can swap the digital bleeps of arcade cabinets for the tactile, inked crunch of vintage hand-operated letterpresses.
- Winner's Circle Colorado — If skee-ball leaves you wanting bigger competition, head two miles down the road for digitally-scored duckpin bowling and hatchet throwing.
- Tower of Compassion (Kanemoto Peace Tower) — Decompress after a loud gaming run with a quiet walk around Longmont's unexpected five-story Japanese pagoda, less than two miles away.
- Lyons Classic Pinball — For dedicated pinball purists looking to double down after Quarters' handful of tables, head ten miles west to play over 70 restored pinball machines.
Good to know
How does the self-serve tap wall work?
When you arrive, present your ID and credit card at the counter to get an RFID wristband. Tap your wristband against any of the 20 tap screens to unlock the handle, pour as many or as few ounces as you want, and your tab updates automatically per ounce.
How much do the games cost and what payment do they take?
Most classic arcade cabinets cost a single quarter ($0.25) per play, while pinball machines and skee-ball lanes cost fifty cents ($0.50). You can pay with physical quarters or scan your RFID wristband to charge plays directly to your tab.
Are kids allowed at Quarters?
Yes, Quarters is all-ages during most of the week. However, it shifts to 21+ only on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to midnight. Minors are not given RFID drink wristbands.
How far is Quarters from Boulder?
It is located at 475 Main Street in Downtown Longmont, approximately 15 miles northeast of Boulder.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitlongmont.org · Yelp · downtownlongmont.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23