How to fix a dull weekend

Photo by Alex Schneck

Inside of Back to the Arcade

You have no plans, but you’re eager to get out of the house so your weekend doesn’t fade into oblivion. Sound familiar?

Merchants Square Mall is the answer. It’s tucked away behind the railroad tracks off Lehigh Street in Allentown.

“Merchants Square Mall. It’s a great place to shop,” Darrell Slaughter, owner of Custom Leathersmith in Merchants Square, said. “There is a lot of interesting, eclectic stuff that you might not see any place else.”

Antiques and collectables make up most of the businesses at MerchantsSquare. However, there is a showroom that has events almost every weekend, like themed flea markets and collector conventions. In addition, there is a food court just before the show room entrance that serves made to order food like burgers and fries.

K.D. Smith & Son Auction Co., located near the front entrance of Merchants Square, fills their showroom with about 6,000 unique items every month. From vinyl records to comic books (and everything else in between), there’s a vast amount of entertainment at K.D. Smith & Son Auction Co.

On the upstairs floor is a retro arcade that specializes in the classic arcade experience. Back to the Arcade has vintage game cabinets with titles such as PAC-Man, Centipede, Galaga, and Asteroids, as well as pinball, Skee-Ball, and bubble hockey. They also have a high score board to show off the best players for certain games.

Merchants Square also has handmade crafts. Custom Leathersmith is a niche leather shop located downstairs that can make and/or repair virtually anything made of leather. Belt buckles from a variety of shapes and sizes are also available at Custom Leathersmith.