For the first time in nearly a century, the ever-popular Manitou Springs Penny Arcade has a new owner.

Longtime resident John Weiss has purchased Arcade Amusements, better known as the Penny Arcade, in the heart of Manitou Springs. Billed as the largest historic arcade west of the Mississippi River, Weiss recently bought the business from the Kerns family, who owned and operated it for 92 years.

“I see myself more as the arcade’s caretaker than as its owner,” Weiss, who co-founded the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper in 1993, said in a news release earlier this month.

As is the case for so many other regulars, his earliest memories of fun at the Penny Arcade go back decades.

“I lived about three blocks from here and basically, I was a single dad. I had three boys and when their friends were over, everyone always wanted to come to the arcade. This was sort of a playground for us,” Weiss said on site one recent Tuesday morning.

Peals of laughter, the jingling of coins and the chiming of vintage arcade games rang out around him, exactly a week to the day since he officially purchased the arcade for an undisclosed amount.

As he frequented the Penny Arcade with his children, Weiss formed a friendship with its former owner Alan Kerns, now 77, who had been working at the arcade with his family since he was a young child.

Kerns’ father Jack Kerns originally opened the arcade in 1933 as a for-profit bingo parlor he named Bingo Jacks. As legislation steadily restricted bingo, the family pivoted to coin-based entertainment such as pinball machines.

Today, the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade features more than 450 coin-operated carnival-style games and rides from every decade since the 1910s, including Skee-Ball, pool tables and classic arcade games smattered within several century-old buildings on Manitou Avenue, the city’s main strip. The well-known penny arcade includes antique games “made to last,” Weiss said, formed from wood and metal and costing as little as a penny to play.

Kerns was ready to retire and struck a deal to sell the business over the last year; when that deal fell through, Weiss stepped in.

“He wanted to keep it as an arcade, but some people were looking at turning it into retail space. When I heard that, I said, ‘Let me try to do it,’” Weiss said.

His vision is to preserve the historic arcade for the thousands of people who visit every year while also breathing new life into it.

Only 45 minutes after it opened for the day, nearly 120 families and people of all ages, local and from out of town, were already trying their hand at the arcade’s myriad games and enjoying rides, a likely preview of the typical busy summer season to come.

“We have lots of potential,” Weiss said. “… We plan to keep 75% exactly the same and 25% we will improve, but keep the same flavor.”

Weiss intends to launch a marketing campaign to bring even more business to the popular Penny Arcade, and he’s debuted the arcade’s official website.

He may add more games to the repertoire, possibly bringing in some international arcade-style games from South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Weiss said he may manufacture more Penny Arcade-branded merchandise, may bring back carnival-style food counters, and is brainstorming creative ways to better repair some of the aging machines whose parts are no longer manufactured, like 3D printing, among other ideas.

The community will get the chance to throw in their two cents, as well. Weiss has hired the Manitou Art Center to coordinate a public engagement campaign called the Possibilities Project to better learn what visitors want to see from the arcade.

“It’s our job to track community sentiment and make sure we do what is best for the arcade and the community, while other folks are learning how to run and operate the arcade in the middle of its busy season,” said Natalie Johnson, executive director of the Manitou Art Center and a Manitou Springs councilwoman. “… The response from everyone has been really positive regarding this transition; they understand that we do want to honor the nostalgia and love that people have for our arcade.”

Public surveys will soon be available to pick up at the arcade and the art center is planning other community outreach efforts.

“Any questions, concerns or ideas, definitely reach out to the MAC,” Johnson said.

As well as being a staple stop for locals and out-of-towners, the historic arcade also provides workforce opportunities for young people and people with disabilities.

Blake Yarbrough, who is autistic, has been working as a janitor at the arcade for seven months, his first job in 23 years.

“This allowed me to get back into working and it makes me feel good about myself,” Yarbrough said.

All 31 members of the Penny Arcade staff will remain , led by General Manager Adrianna “AJ” Janssen-Carlson. Manitou residents Maria and Alain Navaratne will help Weiss and Janssen-Carlson lead the arcade team, a news release said.

For the first time in nearly a century, the ever-popular Manitou Springs Penny Arcade has a new owner.

Longtime resident John Weiss has purchased Arcade Amusements, better known as the Penny Arcade, in the heart of Manitou Springs. Billed as the largest historic arcade west of the Mississippi River, Weiss recently bought the business from the Kerns family, who owned and operated it for 92 years.

“I see myself more as the arcade’s caretaker than as its owner,” Weiss, who co-founded the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper in 1993, said in a news release earlier this month.

As is the case for so many other regulars, his earliest memories of fun at the Penny Arcade go back decades.

“I lived about three blocks from here and basically, I was a single dad. I had three boys and when their friends were over, everyone always wanted to come to the arcade. This was sort of a playground for us,” Weiss said on site one recent Tuesday morning.

Peals of laughter, the jingling of coins and the chiming of vintage arcade games rang out around him, exactly a week to the day since he officially purchased the arcade for an undisclosed amount.

As he frequented the Penny Arcade with his children, Weiss formed a friendship with its former owner Alan Kerns, now 77, who had been working at the arcade with his family since he was a young child.

Kerns’ father Jack Kerns originally opened the arcade in 1933 as a for-profit bingo parlor he named Bingo Jacks. As legislation steadily restricted bingo, the family pivoted to coin-based entertainment such as pinball machines.

Today, the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade features more than 450 coin-operated carnival-style games and rides from every decade since the 1910s, including Skee-Ball, pool tables and classic arcade games smattered within several century-old buildings on Manitou Avenue, the city’s main strip. The well-known penny arcade includes antique games “made to last,” Weiss said, formed from wood and metal and costing as little as a penny to play.

Kerns was ready to retire and struck a deal to sell the business over the last year; when that deal fell through, Weiss stepped in.

“He wanted to keep it as an arcade, but some people were looking at turning it into retail space. When I heard that, I said, ‘Let me try to do it,’” Weiss said.

His vision is to preserve the historic arcade for the thousands of people who visit every year while also breathing new life into it. Only 45 minutes after it opened for the day, nearly 120 families and people of all ages, local and from out of town, were already trying their hand at the arcade’s myriad games and enjoying rides, a likely preview of the typical busy summer season to come.

“We have lots of potential,” Weiss said. “… We plan to keep 75% exactly the same and 25% we will improve, but keep the same flavor.”

Weiss intends to launch a marketing campaign to bring even more business to the popular Penny Arcade, and he’s debuted the arcade’s official website.

He may add more games to the repertoire, possibly bringing in some international arcade-style games from South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Weiss said he may manufacture more Penny Arcade-branded merchandise, may bring back carnival-style food counters, and is brainstorming creative ways to better repair some of the aging machines whose parts are no longer manufactured, like 3D printing, among other ideas.

The community will get the chance to throw in their two cents, as well. Weiss has hired the Manitou Art Center to coordinate a public engagement campaign called the Possibilities Project to better learn what visitors want to see from the arcade.

“It’s our job to track community sentiment and make sure we do what is best for the arcade and the community, while other folks are learning how to run and operate the arcade in the middle of its busy season,” said Natalie Johnson, executive director of the Manitou Art Center and a Manitou Springs councilwoman. “… The response from everyone has been really positive regarding this transition; they understand that we do want to honor the nostalgia and love that people have for our arcade.”

Public surveys will soon be available to pick up at the arcade and the art center is planning other community outreach efforts.

“Any questions, concerns or ideas, definitely reach out to the MAC,” Johnson said.

As well as being a staple stop for locals and out-of-towners, the historic arcade also provides workforce opportunities for young people and people with disabilities.

Blake Yarbrough, who is autistic, has been working as a janitor at the arcade for seven months, his first job in 23 years.

“This allowed me to get back into working and it makes me feel good about myself,” Yarbrough said.

All 31 members of the Penny Arcade staff will remain , led by General Manager Adrianna “AJ” Janssen-Carlson. Manitou residents Maria and Alain Navaratne will help Weiss and Janssen-Carlson lead the arcade team, a news release said.