Maniac's Mansion: The Arcade Lives
Marcus McGee's entertainment center is a Wichita Falls treasure
Not long ago, we caught ourselves lamenting the loss of a treasured Friday night ritual, when one would stop at the video store on the way home from work, pick up a couple movies, maybe make a stop for a pizza, and your weekend was set. Streaming movies ruined that. Likewise, ubiquitous online entertainment took the punch out of Saturday morning cartoons, online shopping killed the mall, and the coin-op arcade died a slow death at the hands of in-home console and online gaming.
Fortunately, Wichita Falls is home to an outstanding example of a throwback video arcade in Marcus McGee’s Maniac’s Mansion, and who doesn’t love a good nostalgia trip?
Located at 710 8th Street, on the corner of 8th and Indiana, Maniac’s Mansion is every era of video gaming rolled into one. There’s something from every stage of video gaming, from pinball and coin-op standup video games, all the way through the home console generation to present day.
Owner Marcus McGee has been an avid gamer his whole life and said he grew up as part of the original Nintendo Entertainment System era. We asked Marcus, when he was supposed to be doing his homework, what was the video game that was his obsession? “The game I played, and still do, was on the Sega Genesis,” he said. “Streets of Rage.”
McGee told us 2025 will mark his 6th year in business in downtown Wichita Falls, and we thought the strength of his operation had a lot to do with the laidback atmosphere and the wide variety of things to do. You can play video games and pinball, sure, but there is also a shelf with a wide variety of board games, and a unique snack option—the cereal bar.
Maniac’s Mansion stocks a vast selection of breakfast cereals which you can mix and match, add one of a variety of milks, and top with a number of toppings, including our choice, whipped cream.
It’s not difficult to see why Maniac’s Mansion is likely the number one choice for birthday parties and field trips in Wichita Falls. People from 9 to 90 have a blast, and we speak from experience. We couldn’t get out of there without playing a few of our favorite games. There’s even a section of Maniac’s Mansion where the games are all set for free play, no quarters required.
Due to an unfortunate hacking incident, Maniac’s Mansion’s Facebook page went through a transition last year. If you’re have difficulty finding it, it’s here [Tag Imaginations Inc,] and represents Marcus’ arcade and also his DJ business.
Have you been to Maniac’s Mansion? Tell us about it in the comments.
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