The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment - (The MADE)

Amazing place and a great price to boot with as many ins and outs for a day. If you’re looking for a way to kill a day off and just want to play video games, especially classic games, this is the best. I played StarCraft 1 for like 3 hours and it was a great feeling

Ive been to the old location several times, and even it was bigger, the new location is 10000000 times more convenient. and theres a cute girl who works there. I called her "Madam" and it seemed to spark a funny conversation. we played awesome games and very very bad games and it was super fun. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE WALLS.

Great place Very Wheelchair Accessible, with TONS of Games with Original Hardware from the NES and OG iMacs to Dreamcast, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. All on CRT TVs!! Consoles are Modded to have TONS of games Installed WITHOUT needing to use Discs

This place is awesome! So many consoles and games that you can play. The staff are friendly and clearly very passionate about gaming and its history. The perfect place to hang out with the gaming buddies for the whole day. I wish there was a place like this in Chicago.

Amazing place. Totally exceeded expectations. Staff is THE BEST. Rich collection of vintage games, running on historical hardware. Something for everybody. Thank you guys for making my day.

This place is absolutely incredible. Mason was so helpful and passionate. You could tell right away that he's the right person to be in charge of preserving this era of history. I'll be making this a place we visit often for sure💪🗡🛡

I had my first doubts coming here. I thought it was going to look at consoles, but it turns out you get to play them too. That's awesome to me and I stayed till it closed. It was definitely worth going to play all my childhood games and ones I've never played. Will come back again

This place is tremendous and a MUST for anyone who is remotely interested in video games. Brought my 11 year old son here and we spent a WHOLE afternoon learning about the games and playing them. Mason, the Executive Director, is passionate about the history and design of the games. He was available for all questions throughout our visit and helped us a ton. He even led my son through a mini coding session on an Atari computer! This place is super accessible by BART (only a 5 min walk from the 12th & Broadway station) AND there is a delicious food hall next door. A+ (I would also recommend going on a W or TH, when it is less crowded).

Visiting from Los Angeles we found this place taking a walk with the kids and it did not disappoint! 20 dollars to play retro games !! We let the 12 year old play for about 2 hours and he did not want to leave Clean -- it was about 3 other people inside so he had a lot of space to play / pick from . I'd come back anytime 10/10

This place is super cool. We were able to just walk around and look at the old school consoles and games, but you could also pay to play too.

If you grew up Gen X and loved video games, this is a place you might want to check out. They have a museum of videos games from the 70s and 80s. For approx. 20 dollars you can play them for hours.

Really wonderful space. So many old consoles and great people. Highly recommend. Great for nostalgia.

Yes, the entertainment value is high at this museum because of your a longtime gamer like me this place is very nostalgic! I love the fact that you can play Atari games from the 80's' Pac-Man, Asteroids, space invaders, pong, missile command, etc. My son and I ate at Xingones before spending 5 hours here and the staff is very helpful to accommodate your gaming fix. The place is clean and organized by gaming systems. There is a bathroom inside as well. We were just visiting so we paid the $40 my son and I. This covers the whole day and you can come and go for that fee for one day. Would I come back here, absolutely!

I randomly found this museum while visiting my friend who lives in Oakland and I was excited to check it out. They have lots of (if not all...) consoles, games, and gaming related info and stuff. You pay $20 for unlimited play all day (I believe re-entry is available too). Definitely had a lot of fun here and I played a lot of games and they have multiplayer games as well so if you bring your friends you can play with them. I played Wii Sports, Mario games, Ghost in the Shell, Sims, Rock Band, arcade games, etc. I'll definitely come back.

This was a cool place to visit with my son. They had a lot of gaming systems from the 80s onward that was still playable. It was great to walk down. Memory lane playing Pong and pac man. They also have some arcade systems there.

I had very low expectations, since at the opening it just seemed like a big place to babysit kids and relieve exhausted parents. Most science museums in the United States focus on educating kids, so they aren't places of interest for adults. I was pleasantly surprised though when I attended an 18+ event on the weekend, especially exploring upstairs. Instead of being a childcare, it is a place for curious people of all ages (not just kids and teenagers) to explore and make digital content. The staff is beyond exceptional - everyone here is a volunteer, and quick to offer trivia and information. I found out that Romero developed the doom game on the NextStep computer, and they even sponsor podcasts and meetups with star game devs. I also spent 20 minutes talking about the history of video graphics development with one of the directors. They had also spruced up the displays since the last time I went to talk more about gaming history. Usually California museums make an effort to be accessible to everyone and keep their displays at a 10th grade reading level, which ruins it for everyone, but upstairs in the adults-only (not porn though) there were a lot of game history books and magazines. This isn't just a childcare, it's an actual educational center. It's quite rare for a science museum in California or the USA.I hope hey continue to develop and off adults-focused educational events too as they have been doing. They have meetups that are focused on game creation and inspiring the new game developers. That means more meetups for adults, not just a big daycare for kids. I love that!

Even though I lived in San Francisco for a few years and more than 20 years in the Bay Area, I haven't been to this museum. So I was excited to go visit as a field trip chaperone with my daughters class. The museum actually got an amazing collection of art works both from the past and present. There are paintings, sculptures, bronze statues, potteries, artworks made from fabric, ancient furnitures, etc. I would have liked to have more time to examine and appreciate each piece of art, but I couldn't stay that long at each exhibit being the chaperone and having to closely watch the kids instead. Next time I would like to visit it during my own free time.

Is this hacker space for video games? It's a hacker space where you can hang out all day and play video games. I went during the work day. It's near 12 St Oakland Bart station. I had not seen a video game museum such as this. It's too quiet for me. You can try to come here with somebody that you met when you were playing video games in 1993. I had not played with an Atari and many of the consoles because it's really hard to try to buy all the consoles. My parent got me Nintendo and Wii. I had Apple floppy disks and joysticks..computer games and the items we got for video games..haha I am talking too much on Yelp..This place is really good and I haven't seen it. Maybe I am reporting for a newspaper. I believe in it. Answered some questions..best not to break the computers. There is a pilot battalion 2 player simulation display. I was here for about 3 hours or so. Explains the Nintendo in 1984. The sweet spot of this time. If you like video games so much, isn't there a way to be involved..thanks to this hackerspace museum..as well as Pinball museum..hehe..ok

Awesome nostalgia trip. A combination Museum and Arcade. For $20 you can re-experience your childhood and be exposed to a growing collection of old titles.

At the grand opening of the new location, 92110th Street, in Old Oakland. Plenty of old school video game options, takes me right back to the '80s. If you're an avid gamer, there are multiple options to support. Options range from a single day pass, memberships or you can volunteer or donate.

I stumbled upon this after getting coffee next door. I had so much fun! It felt like going back in time to my childhood. Friendly staff and looaaaaads of game selections $20 admission with in and out privileges. Would recommend!

My teens and their friends had no idea what to expect and they loved this place! Definitely worth the trip to Oakland if you don't live nearby and even then such a great place to go. Staff was awesome and my kids want to come back soon!

Dive into the world of gaming, spanning from the old-school charm of the 1976 APF TV Fun to the modern era of 2010 with the PS3. Explore the rich history of home console gaming while enjoying free Saturday morning classes for kids on various topics. For just $100, you can grab a year-long membership to this gaming haven - a place that's genuinely amazing. Whether you're a casual observer or a hardcore enthusiast, there are games for everyone. Spending time here has expanded my knowledge of gaming history and the creative artistry behind the games I grew up with. With a full Rockband setup, the spread of classic Nintendo consoles (NES, SNES, N64, GCN, Wii... a huge draw for me), and an extensive game library, there's always something new to discover. Indulge your nostalgia with classics or try your hand at the Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram Arcade machine. Join the fun with Smash Brothers Tournaments every other Tuesday and meet fellow indie game developers in co-working meetups. It's not just a gaming space; it's a laid-back celebration of the gaming world's magic and community spirit. I can't wait to see how The MADE grows, and I'd love to see it focus more on the museum side of things, but I'm really amazed by the collection, knowledgeable staff and ablility to play everything.

I found out about this place during that really hot weekend. I called up and asked if they had AC and they did, so I brought the family over. We had so much fun! I played Bubble Bobble through the entire game except the last level, and I was able to dredge up some old games I remember from growing up like The Manhole, which is incidentally the name of a now-shuttered gay club in Chicago. Everyone in my family loves this place, and we span many decades. It's remarkable what games they have, from Pong to those arcade games you sit in. My spouse is a big nerd and enjoyed looking at some old Wired magazines. We ended up getting a membership and it has definitely paid for itself. The nice thing about this kind of screen time is that you have to leave the house to get to it, so it's not something the kids can fight about or whine for when we are home. They've offered some educational events as well and our kids have enjoyed those. We started looking for a location for a joint birthday party and this fit the bill. It was very reasonably priced compared to other local venues, especially given the number of partygoers we were anticipating; the only thing cheaper would have been renting picnic tables at a local park but we weren't sure the weather would cooperate. Rob set us up with a deposit for the event and we worked out the details over email. We booked 2.5 hours for the rental and they charged a surprisingly low amount for each kid. It was a great deal, considering how much the usual admission is. Note that they didn't shut down the whole museum as though it was a private event. Some other people were around and playing games but it had no impact on our party; there was plenty of space for everyone to play, and lots of empty seats besides. We ended up buying additional passes at a discounted rate to throw into the goody bags. Rob helped us settle up at the end; it was all very easy. They offer the upstairs space for eating food and just ask that the kids don't eat near the consoles and wash their hands after eating pizza and cake. I noticed after the party that they wiped the controllers with disinfecting wipes, so that was nice. We had Mountain Mike's deliver pizza straight there, and Cupcakin' Bake Shop is also on the same block so that is nice and easy (note that Cupcakin' location is not open on Sundays but parking is free on Sundays so it's a bit of a trade off). They staffed it very well and offered to answer any questions, give playing instructions, or set up any games the kids needed help with. The staff has a wealth of knowledge and they were remarkably patient with the kids. One ended up playing with the kids and that was nice. Of course, the kids needed very little help; though unfamiliar with the consoles, they all figured it out almost immediately. It must be an epigenetic thing. The most difficult part for them was singing "I Wanna Be Sedated" for Rock Band because they just didn't know the song and now I feel very old. I thought the kids would all be at individual consoles and not interacting with each other, but Rob made sure to set up multiplayer games so the kids would interact. That was nice. I left a tab open at the coffee shop next door (Souvenir Coffee) so parenting adults could wander in and get pastries, coffee, or tea and just hang out with each other instead of around the kids. If they wanted to wander over and check in on their kids and then wander back to the coffee shop, it was super easy. Frankly, once the kids were in front of screens, they didn't really need much supervision so we set about preparing the food upstairs. This is probably the easiest birthday we've ever hosted and I'm debating whether it is gauche to try to do the same thing next year.

M.A.D.E. is a unique Museum in Oakland where about 20 home video game consoles are set up with a brief description & history of each. The cool thing is that you can play all the games here so if you are a gamer you would be in heaven. For non-gamers like myself I still enjoyed it & found it educational. I used to play Super Nintendo & Sega Genesis back in the day so there was definitely some nostalgia being here playing these consoles. Some consoles have only one game set up to play while many others allow one to choose between a dozen or more games. Everything from Super Mario Brothers to Sonic the Hedgehog is here. My favorite game from back in the day was Street Fighter II & glad I was able to play some games of it. It is interesting to trace the evolution of the Nintendo & Sega consoles as they evolve w/ better technology over time. There is even a Tetris game set up & if a player beats the high score than they can get a free t shirt. The most interesting console that came out before I was born was the Atari 2600 that came out way back in 1977. You can play it & the game is quite remedial showing how far video games have come since the late 1970s. With a $5 admission fee allowing you to play to your heart's content it is well worth coming here instead of an arcade for the variety, the write ups about the consoles, & community of other game enthusiasts.

This place is exactly what "keeps Oakland weird" (in a good, Portland kinda way) They have the ancient consoles you can play from the 70s! Some systems you need to figure out how to jigger to access the treasure trove of billions of hours of game design, game design of a golden age, an age before every game turned into a first person shooter game. Games were good back then the same way movies were - back then they didnt have the luxury of fancy graphics to paper-over shitty plots; so they sank or swam on pure artistry.... the same goes with gameplay. I wouldn't come here if you are looking for a pure coin-op focused nostalgic experience the same way Hi Score in Alameda provides. But if you want to relive the home console experience of the ages, then this your place. (Small Sidenote: Guys... there are billions of us rapidly ageing Gen Xers who grew up with Commodore 64s; given its massive market share and influence of the gaming Zeitgeist of yore, you can't just put an exhibit showing the ancient hardware and call it a decade, leaving us bereft of even a single C64 emulator to play on?!? Amiga too was brought in from an advanced dimension for us to enjoy back then)

This place was so fun! I brought my brother and son here for a day out & we had a wonderful time. It was a $10 entry for unlimited play on multiple consoles. Everyone on the staff was super nice and friendly. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a way to amuse the kiddos or want a cheap day date.

The MADE first came to our attention on KickStarter.com. They had a $20k goal and we contributed. To honor those first donors, we were invited to a private opening. Pipin, Apple's failed game console, Panasonic's console, Real and all manner of odd Game Cubes, original xBoxes and Ataris are on display and fully functional. You are encouraged to play everything... From joysticks to toggles, this place is a serious blast from the past. I wouldn't come here unless I was ready to play.

I was next door at Honda for a test drive, and popped in here to take a look with my son. We did not have time for a proper visit--I asked if we could do a quick peek to see what sort of consoles and games they had, but they didn't allow it. Sure, they absolutely didn't need to let us, but it rubbed me the wrong way--a little friendliness goes a long way in impressions to your potential customers. My kids and I have great fun at similar sorts of places like High Scores Arcade or the Pacific Pinball Museum (both in Alameda), and the management at those places seem more catering to their clientele. Maybe sometime I'll give them another chance...

Amazing place. It was only $7 and I got to play old video games from my childhood. They have a wide variety of games and nice staff

I came here on by passing by my old work and HAD TO STOP. It has a massive amount of video game history and games to play. There is a bit more, they offer classes and other things. Service was friendly and there is a small fee and a donation to help. Parking was along the street, hopefully there is another place that is better nearby.

I heard about this place from a friend. It is a great place to learn about video games history and play consoles from most Generations! And it's only $7 to play all you want! A bay area Hidden Gem for sure!

I've spent the last two years visiting the video game exhibits at the MoMA in New York and the Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Last year, I helped put together a digital art exhibit for a museum in Louisiana. I had no idea a place like The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment existed in my "backyard". There's a sizable collection of games stretching back to the first home game consoles, and everything is playable on the machines set up around the space. The volunteer staff are friendly and will show you around the collection and get you settled. I really love that classroom education is a part of the mission statement: the museum offers classes in programming, digital audio/music recording, interactive storytelling, and more. On the rainy afternoon I was there, there was a crew of folks preparing an exhibit on Lucasfilm Games for the Game Developers Conference that occurs in San Francisco every March. Disclaimer: I'm a professional game developer. It was great to see some of my older work playable on systems that are no longer available. If you like what you see, become a member and check with the staff about how you can help ensure the future success of the MADE.

Now I know what you're ultimately thinking, yes I'm a gamer. But cmon, what guy in his right mind wouldn't be totally excited about a place full of every known game system?! Not to leave you gamer ladies out too, here's the shout out. Now I went here for a comedy jam, but ended up being fascinated by the rows upon rows of games. However, the one system I actually wanted to play was kinda busted... Sooo, getting my gamer fix wasn't an option. But hey, the comedy jam was EPIC!! I was laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair gasping for air. From Ataris to PS2, from Segas to Xboxs... This place is a safe haven for all those who needs to get their nerdy on. The unfortunate thing this place didn't have, as far I could tell, were board or tabletop games. But hey, if you're a nerd/geek with a fixation for console or even computer games... You might wanna check this place out, cause I guarantee it. You will be on your knees thanking to high heavens, that you found this place. I know I was. =P

This place is fantastic. I've gone there four or five times now, I think. Each time I find something else to just marvel at - from the vintage consoles and other rarities, to the obscure games, there's just so much. And unlike say the Smithsonian's exhibit on games, here you can play pretty much anything provided it's not too delicate. That blows my mind. Playing a videogame on the real machinery meant to run it is a more fulfilling experience than emulation. It's like seeing an animal in its natural environment. It just seems right. And on obscure hardware that's an experience you can miss out on. For that, the little two dollar admittance fee is nothing. It's definitely a lot cheaper than any trip to an arcade and a lot more rewarding. Check out Fight Night on Tuesdays. And coming soon there'll be classes for kids to learn game making, AWESOME.

This place is a true homage to childhood. For $10 you can relive all the excitement, rage, and general carefree youthfulness of playing video games. Of course adults play video games too but for someone like me who stopped sometime during those transitional teenage years, this place brought back a lot of nostalgia and good memories. I didn't look around the entire place but I would be surprised if they didn't have a game you wanted. There is even a game you pay trapped in a box! Overall, an Oakland gem and I hope to return soon!

Impressive game selection. All day game play for only $10. Great spot for families or date night.

If you were born between 1971 and ... let's call it 1985 you are obligated to make a pilgramage to this place. It reminds me of my basement in about 1984... early home computers of varying working states scattered across the operations... and no shortage of vintage Atari / Coleco / Intellivision / etc units.

I am not sure what all the hype is about. The place in the pictures here look clean, but when I went it was filthy, disorganized and dark. A bunch of creepy guys were in there gazing around looking clammy. The two employees at the front were not helpful. When asked questions, they smirked and gave little laughs that reminded me of Beavis and Butthead. Not my scene.

This place is great! All kinds of old / rare / prototype equipment, and so many games. Run by really cool people as well. Highly recommended!

This is the most amazing place in the whole of Oakland. Every possible console, every conceivable game and best of all, you can PLAY THEM TOO! who wouldn't want to come here. It was such a nostalgic experience playing my favorite games from when I was a kid.

I heard about these people before from a friend of mine. I first meet with the directors at GDC 2012 where they were putting on an exhibit of the evolution of 3D games at the event. I was impressed at the array they had, but could use some more help as the museum grows. I was then invited to their sound exhibit they were putting on. I was very impressed by how well it went. I would definitely go to them to play vintage games if there were any place I would want to go to play those kind of games. Yet they could use help in everything from keeping the machines function to at some point building their components to keep those same machines running. I would support them again and again if I had more money in my pocket.

My kids are self-proclaimed "retro gaming nerds". And, thus, this place is some combination of Heaven, Paradise, Zion, Avalon, Valhalla, and Elysium. Expansive collection of discontinued games and game systems with a smattering of history of console games, science, and weekend classes. But it is really about the games, with most available for play. Definitely worth a visit. And, if you live in the area and have preteens, get a membership so they can go for a few hours each weekend.

This place is pretty awesome. All the games are loaded onto the consoles so sky's the limit for nostalgia. Kids enjoyed playing Rock Band and Smash Bros. with other patrons. We will be back

We went to the MADE for a special comedy night; 5 hilarious stand-up comedians for ten bucks? Heck yes! This place is great - they have so many super obscure gaming consoles and keep everything well preserved and running smoothly. I can't wait to go back and play some of the games!

Great place for reliving your childhood. Just a heads-up, the staff told us they do not take yelp coupon anymore.

Great place! A lot of work and love definitely goes into the collection, care, and maintenance of a really extensive and complete collection of retro games, and it's really cool to see them on display and even play. Staff is super friendly and accommodating!

Video Game Museum, public classes. A pretty cool collection and impressive set of games.

Great experience!!! Being a teen gamer who only started gaming a few years ago, this was a little overwhelming, but in a good way. The selection was huge! It was cool to get to play the games I hear my elders talking about do fondly, and to be able to hate on Battletoads from experience. :-) It was a sleepy day when we went, and there was no OG Xbox, SNES, PS2 or Atari hooked up that day, so the guy there let us skip the admission fee. Hope they get a better venue, this place is epic!