This is a country store exhibit here at the Museum of the Cape Fear.

You know, they're all kinds of historical treasures around the state.

Some of them are just fun like a museum that producer Clay Johnson, and his videographer Eric Olson discovered in Forest City that takes you back to a time when it was popular to just hang out and play video games.

- [Dave] We're a very positive, and friendly family atmosphere.

It it's a place for everyone to go.

[game chimes] Hey.

How you doing?

- Good.

Yep.

Good to see you man.

- [Narrator] Preston and Ruth Holland are regulars at the Carolina Arcade Museum in downtown Forest City.

- [Preston] A lot of this stuff I remember as a kid, and so getting to come by and see this stuff, it just brings back a lot of good memories.

This is "Smash TV," so it's a two player, shoot 'em up and you're just, it's kinda like from the movie "Running man."

It's got these guys that come in attacking you, and your whole goal is to stay away from 'em while you shoot.

One controller runs, one shoots, so you're trying to take out each enemy, and go through the maze to get to the boss.

A lot of my birthday parties were at a local arcade place and I'd come here with all my friends.

So it's kind of a way getting to relive some of my childhood.

- Back in the day you went to the arcade to hang out with your friends.

It was a meetup, a hangout and a good time.

- [Narrator] Dave Walker and a friend of his wanted to bring that experience back.

They also wanted to leave their full-time jobs, and start their own business.

They decided on an arcade, and began searching for pinball, and other arcade machines.

- [Dave] We did a lot of searching on Craigslist.

OfferUp.

Letgo.

all those selling apps.

Facebook Marketplace.

Got a ton of games from there, and there's auctions you can go to.

Coin-Op auctions where they sell anything coin operated.

- [Narrator] Walker and his friend opened the Carolina Arcade Museum in an old store building in August, 2018.

- [Dave] All the games are on free play.

Instead of tokens and quarters, you come in, get a wristband, you pay admission, play whatever you want.

I think we have about 105 on the floor.

I probably have another 80 or so at the house.

I have a problem.

There's always one I don't have.

So, you know, - [Interviewer] You have games that your house?

- Oh, yeah.

My garage, basement, storage units.

Yeah.

- [Narrator] Most of the games are classics from the 80s.

Like Pacman and Donkey Kong.

[arcade cars revving] - [Dave] Our original demographic was 30 to 50 year olds.

We figured people like us would like these games.

We were very surprised, pleasantly surprised that even the young kids like this, we get the whole family.

I get teenagers come in two or three at a time just to hang out with their friends.

Right back to where we were in the 80s.

- [Narrator] While many teenagers today play games on their smartphones or tablets, Walker says, playing games in an arcade is a very different experience.

- [Dave] You have more feedback, and more fun when you're playing with somebody, and you're there physically.

It's more than just just a screen you're looking at.

- Sometimes I'll even play just like to walk through and just listen to sounds and watch the people, and it's just therapeutic.

Just really helps bring things down in just a simpler time.

[game chimes] - I enjoy sharing my love for the games, and it to keep that alive with younger generation.

A lot of them have heard about Donkey Kong, you know and Mario, but they don't know the origin of it, and they've never played the original game, and to keep that alive, and to keep the hobby going.

[upbeat instrumental music] - [Deborah] The Carolina Arcade Museum is at 145 East Main Street in Forest City.

And they're open Wednesday through Saturday.

For more information, give them a call at [828] 229-3089.

Or find them on Facebook.