 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (December 2025) |
 The original arcade area | |
| Established | 16 December 2015 (2015-12-16) |
|---|---|
| Location | Perth |
| Coordinates | 31°56′39″S 115°50′47″E / 31.9442°S 115.8464°E / -31.9442; 115.8464 (Nostalgia Box) |
| Type | Video game museum |
| Collection size | Over 100 |
| Founder | Jessie Yeoh |
| Director | David Green |
| Owner | David Green |
| Public transit access | Green CAT bus, stop 37 |
| Nearest parking | Street parking |
| Website | thenostalgiabox.com.au |
The Nostalgia Box is a video game museum located in Perth, Western Australia. It is the first interactive video game console museum in Australia and was founded by Jessie Yeoh.[1] The entire venue may be booked for private functions. It was purchased by David Green in 2019.
In partnership with Perth Film and Television Institute and Playup Perth, the museum hosts events to test games from local Perth developers.[2] The museum also hosts quiz nights and it's famed Pokemon and Pizza Day[citation needed]
Permanent exhibits
Over a hundred video game consoles spanning four decades, starting in the 1970s with the Magnavox Odyssey with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 being the latest consoles on display, feature in the exhibit space.[3][4][5][6] The permanent exhibits have been set up chronologically to show the progression of the gaming industry and are meant to be a "stroll down memory lane" as well as a "crash course in the history of gaming".[5][7]
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Arcade area
The museum features an interactive gaming arcade in addition to its permanent exhibits, allowing visitors to play a variety of video games. Included are games such as Pong, Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot.[5] Fourteen different consoles are available, such as the Atari 2600 and Nintendo 64,[8][9] as well as five arcade cabinets, including NBA Jam.[citation needed]
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Northbridge Locations
When first founded, The Nostalgia Box was located in Unit 3 of 16 Abdereen Street. It was sized at 144 square meters (1,550 sq ft) . Upon entering the store a front desk was set up to take ticket entry. Patrons would move to the left and see the display of consoles on both sides as it went around the corner taking up 2 walls of the unit. At the end there were tables set up with about 10-15 consoles for people to play as well as a few arcade machines.
In early 2020, due to planned renovations in the building, the museum had to move from the side unit to the bigger space at the front, Unit 1. This space was 215 square meters (2,314 sq ft) which facilitated larger venue sections and more consoles. The layout was similar in design to the first location but had more of an S shape of the museum. Patrons would once again be greeted by a front desk and then follow the path through the museum to the expanded arcade area. Now there were approximately 20-25 consoles available to play as well as more arcade machines and a rest area with a couch and bar.
The planned building renovations never eventuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
West Perth Location
In early 2023, the museum moved to bigger premises of 367 square metres (3,950 sq ft) in West Perth at City West.
The museum design from the previous location was kept and expanded upon. Patrons would enter and turn to their right, following multiple S shape paths to view the video game consoles. Many of the consoles that were in storage due to limited space in the Northbridge locations were now able to be displayed including newer consoles such as the Playstation3 and Xbox One, and rarer consoles such as the PSX.
The space also allowed for a larger arcade area, now able to have over 35 consoles with the arcade machines and more able to be brought out during larger events.
There was also an expansion of the relaxing area and a new Kidz Zone where families with younger children can sit and play. The new location also had a bar area per-installed.
Video Game Mural Walls
The Nostalgia Box has always featured artistic murals depicting video game characters and are a key feature in every location. The original mural in the first Northbridge location was created by artist Dan Duggan.
The murals that followed in the second Northbridge location and the West Perth location were designed by the owner David Green and painted by artist Joseph Boin who goes by the handle Art By Destroy. The mural in West Perth stands almost 5 meters tall and 7 meters long, making it the biggest mural for The Nostalgia Box to date
The other murals at the West Perth location in the arcade area depicting a combination of the Super Mario Bros Level 1-World 1 and Duck Hunt was painted by Bec Abdy
School Holiday Programs and School Excursion
The Nostalgia Box also offers school and Out of School Holiday Clubs (OSHC) the opportunity to visit and learn the history and play the games from the past. School groups can opt to attend as part of their studies and are given worksheets to complete. These worksheets are based on the student's year group ranging in difficulty but all information can be found within the museum itself as well as an applied learning sheet to complete back in the classroom. Afterwards the students enjoy playing the gaming of the past in the arcade area.
OSHC groups can book the space exclusively and while the museum is open to them, most choose to solely play the retro games, with many centers from Western Australia making regular return visits each school holidays.
As of 2023, The Nostalgia Box also offers incursions. These incursions are craft based activities with a video game theme such as the Pokeramas, Cookie Gamer, and Minecraft Maker workshops. Currently The Nostalgia Box does offer console hire for private events but plans to expand this service in 2026 to create a more affordable option for school and OSHC groups.
See also
References
- ^ "The Nostalgia Box". Weekend Notes. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "Video game nostalgia all wrapped in a box". Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "The Nostalgia Box". www.visitperthcity.com. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ Doyle, Pip (22 December 2015). "Perth's first gaming console museum". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ a b c "TheNostalgiaBox". thenostalgiabox.com.au. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "Hunt reveals Perth CBD's hidden treasures". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ Kinzett, Kristy (31 August 2016). "Magic First Date Ideas in Perth City". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "Plugged into nostalgia at Perth video game museum". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "The Nostalgia Box Video Game Console Museum | AUSRETROGAMER". www.ausretrogamer.com. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
