Some kids want to be astronauts when they grow up. Others picture themselves as doctors or lawyers. Jacob Day, on the other hand, has always wanted to own an arcade, and, after more than 20 years of dreaming, his vision is finally becoming a reality.

Day, a long-time construction worker and skilled tradesman, has spent months transforming the cavernous space at 411 First Street in Eureka, formerly home to HealthSPORT By The Bay, into Game On —  a family fun center featuring black light laser tag, mini golf and, of course, classic arcade games. Game On will open to the public on May 1.

Jacob Day

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I feel like this idea has been in the works for about 20 years now,” Day told the Outpost in a recent interview. “People my age, we pretty much grew up in arcades. You know the story: Our parents kicked us out at daylight and told us to come home when the street lights came on. A lot of our time was spent in [places] just like this … and we don’t have anything like that here in Eureka. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I had to wait for the opportunity to arise.”

Day spotted his opportunity while driving around Old Town Eureka with his wife Traci Day, a local insurance agent, earlier this year. “I saw the ‘For Lease’ sign on the front of the building, and I just had a feeling it was the right spot,” he said. As they peered through the windows, the building’s owner, Robert Maxon, pulled into the parking lot and asked if they wanted to see the building. 

“He ran into his office next door to grab his keys and gave us a tour. We knew almost instantly that this was the building because we spent so much time in here when it was Globe Imports,” Day said. “I’m a woodworker, and I love the wood walls in here. There’s something really special about this building. I reached out to Robert about a week later and told him I was interested.”

Day has spent countless hours prepping Game On for its big debut next month, transforming the former gym into a glow-in-the-dark haven for game enthusiasts. Rendezvous Music & Vending has supplied about a dozen arcade games for the new space, including Mortal Kombat, Big Buck Hunter, a few racing games, several pinball machines and an air hockey table.

(Note to Skee-Ball fanatics: As it turns out, there aren’t any Skee-Ball machines available for rent locally, but Day said it’ll be “one of the first purchases we make once we bring in a little more revenue.”)

The nine-hole mini golf course and laser tag arena, located in a pair of backrooms on the West side of the building, were built almost entirely by hand.

“I didn’t really have a plan; I just put my head down and started building what came to mind,” Day said, gesturing to the ocean-themed mini golf course and “Rum Barrel Ralph,” a grinning pirate’s skeleton. “The wife and kids have done most of the painting for me so that I can keep moving building anything that needed to be built. … I decided to keep it at nine holes because anything more than that has a tendency to get kind of boring, you know?”

The laser tag arena is still a work in progress, Day said. The equipment — infrared-emitting phasers (guns), packs, targets and battle bases — is expected to arrive sometime this week. The neon alien-themed artwork should be wrapped up soon thereafter. 

In addition to the laser tag arena and the mini golf course, Game On will host an “adults only” area on the second floor of the building to give parents a space to “withdraw from the controlled chaos” of the arcade and gaze out at Humboldt Bay. There’s also a private room for birthday parties and events on the first floor.

“Our goal is to create the most fun, family-friendly environment that you could possibly have in Humboldt County,” Day said. “We recognize that people are coming here to spend money, so we want to give them a little something back and provide some free stuff and games — like this huge Connect 4 game — for them to fill their time if they’re waiting and we’re lucky enough to be booked out.”

Game On will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on May 1. Keep an eye on their Facebook page — linked here — for updates.

###