Skee-Ball is a classic Jersey Shore arcade game that is fun for all ages. Simply roll the ball up the alley, aiming at the numbered cups, to score as many points as you can. The more points you earn, the more tickets you win to redeem for a prize. Let the good times roll with the Belmar Beachcomber’s list of the best places to play Skee-Ball in the Belmar region of the New Jersey Shore.
Arcades listed in alphabetical order.
1. Boathouse Bar & Grill
1309 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-681-5221
RELATED: Dining In Belmar NJ
2. Go Play! Arcade
1102 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-681-7529
RELATED: 8 Ways To Celebrate Summer In Belmar
3. Lucky Leo's Arcade
315 Boardwalk
Seaside Heights, New Jersey 08751
732-793-1323
4. Silverball Museum Arcade
1000 Ocean Avenue
Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712
Website
RELATED: Day Trip Destination - Asbury Park Boardwalk
Skee-Ball Celebrated 110 Years In 2018
According to its official website, the history of Skee-Ball begins over 100 years ago, when Joseph Fourestier Simpson, a New Jersey inventor, patented his design for the novel bowling-type game in 1908. The Skee-Ball Alley Company manufactured the games in Philadelphia until 1912.
In 1914, the J.D. Este Company purchased the patent and manufacturing rights from the founders of Skee-Ball. Este sold his share of the business to his partners five years later. The new owners put their own stamp on the business by renaming it The Skee-Ball Company and relocating its operations from Philadelphia to Coney Island, New York.
After the Great Depression, the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company purchased the patent and manufacturing rights for Skee-Ball in 1936. Ten years later, the business was sold yet again, to Philadelphia Toboggan Company, bringing Skee-Ball production back to its original roots in the Keystone State. The automatic ticket dispenser feature of modern Skee-Ball machines was patented in 1960 by Frank D. Johns of Daytona Beach, Florida.
In 1984, Skee-Ball Inc. was sold to Joe Sladek, a former finance executive who had grown tired of the grueling daily commute from his home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, to New York City. He and his family ran the Skee-Ball business for nearly 30 years from its corporate headquarters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The family sold the company in 2016 to Bay Tek Games, Inc. of Wisconsin, where the machines are now manufactured.
Over the decades, the original Skee-Ball game has been updated with modern technology, such as special lighting and sound effects, and there’s even a Skee-Ball app for the iPhone.
Live Like A Local: Rent A Belmar Beach House
Day trips down the shore are fun, but it's even better to rent a beach house for the week to experience everything wonderful about the Belmar area. For couples, solo adults and small families, the two-bedroom Blue Hydrangea Cottage rental in Belmar, New Jersey, is the perfect getaway place. The home sleeps up to four people and is consistently rated five stars for cleanliness, amenities and location. Learn more at www.vacationinbelmar.com.
Story and photos © copyright by Christine Cardellino, owner of www.VacationInBelmar.com and publisher of the award-winning Belmar Beachcomber Blog, a travel and tourism guide for the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. Do not copy any content (including images) without our permission. All rights reserved.
