The 4 best geek spots in Fort Collins
Fort Collins is well known for being a very active and outdoorsy area. With rock climbers, hikers, bikers and everything in between, if you ask almost anyone in the city you’ll be told that it is a great spot for people who love the outdoors.
But outdoorsy and nature lovers are not the only inhabitants of this fair city. For Fort Collins also has a large and lively geek culture. With game shops, comic book stores, arcades and more, geeks, gamers and all around nerds have plenty of places to call their own here in Fort Collins.
Since I haven’t seen hardly any coverage on this, I decided to pack up my camera and my notebook, grab my local geeky friend Ryan and set out across Fort Collins to find the greatest geek getaways for those who are new to the area or just don’t know.
I have compiled a list of four interesting spots in the city that I could find. I couldn’t visit every possible geek hangout and would love to learn of even more, but wanted to highlight some of the coolest ones that I found.
Halley’s Comics
Situated at 322 Walnut St. in Old Town Fort Collins, Halley’s Comics has been open for over 30 years and is run by John Bonner and his wife.
Bonner explained to me that the store sells comics, comics, and more comics. From old, to new, to in-between, patrons can come to this quaint comic shop to pick out a number of comics from a very wide selection.
The store is also said to be the favorite Fort Collins comic shop of famous actor, filmmaker and comic book writer Kevin Smith. The counter of the store features a signature by Kevin Smith, Bonner telling me that he stood right where I did, at the front of the counter.
The Halley’s Comics Facebook page shows pictures of patrons going about their business throughout the store.
For those wishing to find a very wide variety of comic books in Fort Collins, Halley’s Comics is a great place to check out.
Pinball Jones
From pool to ski-ball to arcade games to, of course, pinball machines, Pinball Jones offers something for everyone. With two locations, one in Campus West and the other in Old Town, Fort Collins geeks, gamers and everyone else can check out these two unique locations.
The Pinball Jones home page explains the success of both locations and provides further information about both locations.
The Old Town location first opened in 2011 and has been running since. The Pinball Jones Downtown website explains that the location offers “25 pinball machines and a great selection of arcade games.” This location also offers a 1959 Queen Bowler machine, which the website describes as a rare find.
After the success of the Old Town location, in 2017 the second Pinball Jones was opened in Campus West. Similar to the Old Town location, the Campus West Pinball Jones offers pinball, arcade games and more from 1970 to today.
Along with all that is offered at this location is an outdoor, multi-level patio, explains the Campus West home page.
For anyone in Fort Collins looking for a fun atmosphere to enjoy friends, drinks, and old-school pinball and arcade games, either Pinball Jones location is the place to be.
Gryphon Games and Comics
Part coffee shop, part comic book and game store and part event space, Gryphon Games and Comics is a great place for Fort Collins residents to come and enjoy a cup of coffee, browse the latest comics or board games and even participate in a number of different events.
This location is owned and run by Liana and Sherman Sanders, and has been in Fort Collins for a number of years now.
Those who go in can experience a number of different things from this location. The Purple Cup Café, which resides right in the entrance to the shop, offers patrons a number of creatively named drinks, oriented around different shows, comics, movies and more.
Once through a set of double doors, patrons will find themselves in a large room full of a wide variety of products.
For those wishing to read, Gryphon Games and Comics offers a large selection of comics, manga and graphic novels to choose from.
Along with the many comic books and graphic novels offered, patrons can help themselves to a wide selection of different board games, from Dungeons and Dragons to The Settlers of Catan.
Gryphon Games and Comics also offers a number of miscellaneous items, such as action figures, clothing items and more.
For those looking not to buy but to spend time playing games, this location also offers a game rental space in the back of the store, where patrons can rent games to play while relaxing.
This location also offers a number of back rooms that are meant for game tournaments and various other events. The Gryphon Games and Comics home page includes a list of upcoming and future events, ranging from Magic the Gathering tournaments to Pokémon card battles.
Whether you are looking for a new comic book, a place to face off against someone or just for a cup of coffee, Gryphon Games and Comics is a great place to check out.
All That and a Bag of Chips
With an entrance decorated with a Pac-Man board and the words “Secret Entrance,” All That and a Bag of Chips is a very unique arcade experience for anyone around Fort Collins.
Open for a couple years now, this arcade was initially created as an outreach program for children with autism, PTSD patients and military veterans, at risk youth and immigrants.
Jory Ray, the owner and operator of the arcade, stating that you don’t need to speak English to play video games with people.
Today, groups of people of all ages come to this arcade to enjoy the newest and the oldest video games playable. With an upstairs consisting of several televisions hooked up to several old and new gaming systems and a downstairs consisting of several walls and bays of televisions, patrons can choose from an incredibly large variety of games to play alone or friends.
Those entering pay $5 to play from when they open to when they close, with girls playing for free, and there is one rule: respect.
The All That and a Bag of Chips Facebook page illustrates the newest games for the location and more.
With a friendly atmosphere and a large selection of video games to play, All That and a Bag of Chips is a great place to check out.
Geek Out and Get Out
I’m sure that there are plenty of other places around Fort Collins, and I can’t wait to find them, as I love to get out and see these incredibly unique and interesting locales.
A common stereotype of geeks and nerds is that they spend a majority of their time sitting alone in a room, playing video games or reading comic books. Places like those I have mentioned in this list prove otherwise.
Arcades, comic book shops and coffee shops are great gathering places for geeks everywhere, and Fort Collins has a wealth of places to explore.
So if you live in Fort Collins, and are looking for a great place to meet with some friends, buy something cool or play a fun game, be sure to check out the places I have listed in this article for a good time.
