Entry No. 70 — the Des Moines file — filed under: arcade-play
Time Out Ames
A downtown Ames barcade with about ten pinball machines and a wall of retro arcade cabinets, plus pool and weekend karaoke. The pinball collection rotates and has carried crowd favorites like Jurassic Park and The Addams Family. It stays family-friendly until 7pm and turns 21+ after, making it an easy day-trip game stop north of Des Moines.
The story
You drive 35 miles north of Des Moines expecting standard college-bar fluff, but at 120 Kellogg Avenue in downtown Ames, Time Out operates as a strictly analog retreat. It’s a family-owned spot anchored by a line of around ten pinball machines—where machine rotations routinely drop classics like *The Addams Family* or *Jurassic Park* onto the floor—backed by a full wall of retro arcade cabinets, pool tables, and a weekend karaoke rig.
The setup relies on a strict shift in atmosphere halfway through the evening. Before 7:00 PM, it operates as a daylight arcade stop open to all ages. Once seven strikes, the doors flip to 21+ only, the crowd shifts to Iowa State students and local night owls, and the room pivots from coin-op high scores to pool matches and late-night karaoke duets.
What it's like
Arrive early if you want first dibs on the flippers without fighting a crowd, or turn up late if you want the full beer-and-arcade chaos. The pinball collection rotates regularly—check local pinball maps ahead of time if you're hunting a specific table. Weekend karaoke draws a heavy crowd after dark, so if you plan on taking the mic, get your song request logged early before the queue bogs down.
The move: Drive up to Ames, claim a pinball table like The Addams Family, and close the night belting one duet at weekend karaoke.
📍 Before you go About 35 miles north of Des Moines. 21+ after 7pm; karaoke is weekend-only.
- 📍 Ames
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 120 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cellar 626 — Follow up your pinball high score with a drink behind a liquor store beer cooler just a few blocks away in Ames.
- In Spyrit Metaphysical (& Des Moines Paranormal) — Browse crystal skulls and talk ghost hunting in Ames before heading over to Time Out for an afternoon coin-op session.
- High Trestle Trail Bridge — Catch sunset over the glowing steel trestle bridge in nearby Madrid before driving into Ames for nighttime games.
Good to know
Is Time Out strictly 21+?
It is family-friendly every day until 7:00 PM, after which it shifts strictly to 21+.
What games will I find inside?
You'll find roughly ten rotating pinball machines, a wall of classic arcade cabinets, and pool tables.
When is karaoke hosted?
Karaoke runs on weekends only.
Where is it located relative to Des Moines?
It sits in downtown Ames, about 35 miles north of Des Moines.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: timeoutentertainment.co · pinballmap.com · kineticist.com · discoverames.com
last checked: 2026-06-23