Main Event Newark
Bowling, laser tag, and a big arcade next to Christiana Mall — the mixed-age rainy-day spot, with bumper bowling for the littlest.
The Quick Version
- • A family entertainment center next to Christiana Mall — bowling, multi-level laser tag, a 100-plus-game arcade, a Gravity Ropes course, billiards, and a full sit-down restaurant.
- • Best for mixed-age groups and tweens/teens; a toddler in tow can still bowl (ask for bumpers and the ball ramp), but laser tag and Gravity Ropes have a 48-inch height minimum.
- • Read the pass before you pay — the all-you-can-play 'FUNpass' makes you choose arcade OR everything-else, and the weekend pass drops the arcade entirely. It also excludes food, shoe rental, and tax.
- • Monday after 4 PM ('Monday Night Madness') is the week's best value for unlimited play.
Best Ages
Ages 6–17 (toddlers can bowl)
Plan For
2–3 hours
Adults
Pay per activity, by game card, or by an all-you-can-play pass — the same options apply to adults and kids.
Kids
Three ways to pay: an all-you-can-play 'FUNpass', à-la-carte per attraction, or a loadable arcade game card. Check current pricing on their site.
What to Expect
Main Event sits right next to Christiana Mall and is the mixed-age rainy-day answer: bowling, a multi-level laser tag arena, a 100-plus-game arcade, a Gravity Ropes course, billiards, and a full sit-down restaurant and bar. It's the place for a group with a wide age spread.
The one thing every first-timer should understand is the pricing, because reviews consistently flag it as a surprise. There are three ways to pay: an all-you-can-play 'FUNpass,' à-la-carte by attraction, or a loadable arcade game card. The catch with the pass — on weekdays it makes you pick arcade OR everything-else (bowling, ropes, laser tag, billiards); the weekend pass is attractions-only and doesn't include the arcade at all. And no pass includes food, drinks, bowling shoe rental (about $5 a person), or tax. So decide what your kids actually want before you buy.
For little ones: they can bowl — ask for bumpers and the dragon ball-ramp — and play arcade, but laser tag and Gravity Ropes both require a 48-inch height minimum (roughly a 6–8-year-old), so plan a younger kid's visit around bowling and the arcade. The best value of the week is Monday Night Madness (unlimited play after 4 PM Mondays for about half the regular pass price), though lane time can be capped when it's busy.
Who It's Best For
Strongest for tweens and teens and mixed-age groups — laser tag, Gravity Ropes, and the arcade reward the 48-inch-and-up crowd. A family with older kids plus a little one works well thanks to bumper bowling and the arcade; a toddlers-only trip gets less mileage since the two marquee attractions are off-limits under 48 inches.
Highlights
Bowling (with bumpers for littles)
All agesLane bowling with bumpers and a dragon ball-ramp available — the one marquee activity toddlers can actually do.
Laser tag & Gravity Ropes
Ages 7+Multi-level laser tag and a ropes course — both require a 48-inch height minimum, so they're for bigger kids.
100-plus-game arcade
All agesA big arcade on a loadable game card (separate from the attractions pass unless you buy the arcade FUNpass).
Full sit-down restaurant
FamiliesA real menu and bar on site — you can make it a meal-plus-play outing.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Laser tag and Gravity Ropes — both have a 48-inch height minimum that rules out toddlers.
- • Buying the wrong pass — if your kid only wants the arcade, don't buy the attractions pass (and vice versa).
- • Assuming the pass covers food or bowling shoes — it doesn't; budget those separately.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
Pay per activity, by game card, or by an all-you-can-play pass — the same options apply to adults and kids.
Kids
Three ways to pay: an all-you-can-play 'FUNpass', à-la-carte per attraction, or a loadable arcade game card. Check current pricing on their site.
Under
Little kids can bowl (bumpers and a ball ramp are available); laser tag and Gravity Ropes require a 48-inch height minimum.
The FUNpass is the first-timer trap: on weekdays you choose arcade OR attractions (bowling/ropes/laser tag/billiards); the weekend pass is attractions-only and excludes the arcade. Any pass also excludes food, drinks, bowling shoe rental (about $5/person), and tax. Prices drift — confirm at booking.
Getting There
Parking
Free parking in the large Fashion Center / Christiana Mall retail lots.
Plenty of surface parking in the surrounding retail area, off I-95 and Route 1.
Entrance
2900 Fashion Center Blvd, Newark — next to Christiana Mall.
Parent Logistics
Single-level and climate-controlled; easy to bring a stroller along.
Restrooms on site.
Likely in the restrooms — not confirmed.
Fully indoors and climate-controlled.
Food & Snacks
A full-service sit-down restaurant and bar — pizza, burgers, wings, shareables, plus drinks for the grown-ups.
Snack strategy: It's a real meal venue, so you can eat here; just know food isn't included in any play pass.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Decode the pass before you pay: the weekday FUNpass forces an arcade-OR-everything-else choice, the weekend pass drops the arcade, and neither includes food, shoes, or tax.
- ✓ Little kids can bowl — ask for bumpers and the dragon ball-ramp — but plan their trip around bowling and the arcade since laser tag and ropes are 48-inch-only.
- ✓ Go Monday after 4 PM for Monday Night Madness — the week's best unlimited-play value (lane time may be capped when busy).
- ✓ It's a full restaurant, so you can eat here — just know meals aren't part of any play pass.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Monday after 4 PM for the best unlimited-play value; weekday afternoons are calmer than weekend nights. Hours shift seasonally — confirm before you go.
Seasonal Notes
Year-round indoor entertainment center, open late. Pass structure and deals (like Monday Night Madness) change — confirm current pricing on their site.
Rainy Day?
The mixed-age rainy-day spot by Christiana Mall — bowling, arcade, laser tag, and a real meal under one roof.
While You're in the Area
Steps from Christiana Mall and its restaurants — easy to combine with shopping or a meal.