Rehoboth Beach Arcade Closes for Auction

A well-established Rehoboth Beach arcade is temporarily shuttering its doors.

Zelky's Beach North Arcade is giving way to a new hotel that will occupy the site where the attraction has been standing for close to a century. For 40 of those 100 years, visitors and residents have frequented the boardwalk business to try their hand at winning one of Zelky's legendary prizes.

General Manager Matt Weiner lamented the closure, but he said he is looking forward to the arcade's next chapter.

“A lot of people are really sad to see the original location go,” Weiner told ABC 47 WMDT. “They've got so many memories in this specific building. I mean, this building is almost 100 years old and has pieces of amusements in it for its entirety.”

Zelky's fans shouldn't despair, however. The arcade will have a spot inside the new hotel building when the facility opens to the public.

“We keep saying we'll be happy to take as much space that's available, to put games on the boardwalk, to put right next to the pizza place that's going right in the same building,” said Weiner.

In preparation for its closure and relocation, Zelky's will hold an auction on Wednesday, Sept. 10, to allow arcade enthusiasts to own the machines linked to Zelky's history. According to ABC 47, Zelky's is auctioning off every arcade game, all of which are in outstanding condition.

Individuals interested in participating in the auction can access the auction's webpage for more details.