Free Movie Night at Aaru Entertainment

Update: Aaru Entertainment is no longer open to the public. They have closed the cafe space and are focusing on other things. 

I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for a few months now. Aaru Entertainment, Tulsa’s VR arcade/cafe, hosts free weekly movie nights. They used to be on Wednesdays but recently moved to Thursdays. During the school year, these are a bit difficult to attend, as they start at 7 p.m., which pushes back bedtime. (In July, they’ll be starting at 8 p.m.) However, now that it’s summer, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity!

Touring Aaru

Joss and I had toured Aaru when they first opened, but I hadn’t been back since. (Some of these pictures are from that original tour, so it may look slightly different today.) Located at 7 N. Cheyenne (near Welltown), Aaru is both a cool and comfortable place to hang out. There are several padded VR rooms that you can rent, as well as the 360-degree Omnideck. The Omnideck is the only Omnideck currently available to the public – anywhere – which is pretty amazing! You do have to wear a harness to use it.

There are also lots of cozy places to sit downstairs, plus tables.

Drinks and Food

The ground floor has a cafe and bar, with some tasty seasonal drinks. For movie night, I got the Coconut Jellybean, a coconut-vanilla cream soda. Joss saw a jasmine green tea on the menu and wanted that iced. And somewhat to my surprise he drank the whole thing! I think he had asked for it sweetened. The staff is also very nice and willing to answer any questions, etc. See the menu at aaru.games/cafe-bar

looking down on bar at aaru

You can purchase a few packaged food items in the cafe. They were selling ramen for $3 but don’t have a kitchen, so you are welcome to bring your own food or order delivery when you visit. For movie night, we brought our own popcorn.

The Loft

Walking up the stairs is probably one of Joss’s favorite things. They have a motion- or touch-activated lighting feature that changes as you ascend.

Upstairs in the loft, you’ll find interesting and comfortable seating, which you are welcome to move around as needed. There are also several small tables, so it would probably be a good place to come study. But there are also chess sets, games, drawing pads and colored pencils, etc. So it’s a nice place to just hang out, play a game, get creative, etc.

For movie night, Joss snagged a cushy pappilon chair. It wasn’t too crowded, and the screen was easy to see.

Upcoming Films

Due to popular vote, most of the movies Aaru has shown so far have been Studio Ghibli films. Joss actually went with his father to Aaru on his birthday and saw “Princess Mononoke.” I hadn’t realized it was rated PG-13, so that one was a little intense for him in places. Great movie, just a few scary images. But most of the ones they’ve shown have been very kid-friendly.

Last night, we watched “The Cat Returns,” one of the few (I think) Studio Ghibli films I’d yet to see. It was pretty wild, but a lot of fun!

Their July lineup is:

• July 6, 8 p.m.: “Spy Kids 3: Game Over”
• July 13, 8 p.m.: “The Secret World of Arietty”
• July 20, 8 p.m.: “Porco Rosso”
• July 27, 8 p.m.: “Ponyo”

I’d definitely feel comfortable taking Joss to any of these. With the later start time, I know we won’t make it every week, but hopefully we can go to at least one.

If you want to provide input on upcoming film titles, follow Aaru on Facebook because they’ve been posting polls there to judge what people want to see in the future.

VR Reservations

If you want to play VR at Aaru, there are a few options. The Omnideck is $55 for 30 minutes. Standard VR, which includes a private room, is $35 for 30 minutes. (There is a 20% discount for kids on Sundays.) And Multiplayer, which is their most popular option, is just $20 for 30 minutes. You can have up to 4 players at a time in a private room and chat with friends in-game. So this is a good option if you’re planning to go with a group.

Learn more at aaru.games/vrcade#pricing

Sundays at Aaru

In addition to the 20% discount for kids on Sundays, Aaru also has Mario Kart Sundays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. You can play Mario Kart, Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. on their projector – for free! Something else on my mental bucket list that we haven’t done yet.