For several months, Amy McDonough opened her own house to people who wanted to play pinball. She called it Tilted Orbit Home Edition. There was no cover charge, and according to a recent profile in the Amherst Indy, the pinball community "showed up, kept showing up," and made it clear the idea could grow. McDonough described the start more plainly in the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce announcement published by the Amherst Indy: "This started with friends coming over to my house to play pinball, and somehow they kept bringing more friends."
The bigger version opens this week in the historic Cow Barn at 113 Cowls Road in North Amherst's Mill District. Tilted Orbit's grand opening is Saturday, October 17. The Mill District's last outdoor movie of the year is five days later, on Thursday, October 22. The district gains an indoor place open until midnight just as its outdoor evenings end.
The tent's last night is October 22
The Mill District's warm-weather calendar has centered on the white tent. Cinda Jones, president of W.D. Cowls Inc., the company that developed the district, used the ribbon-cutting announcement to invite people to the final screening: "Join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 22nd as the celebration of a flower shop and outer space continues with our final movie of the year: Little Shop of Horrors. Under the white tent."
She picked the film on purpose. It's a story about a flower shop and a plant from outer space, and it closes the season days after a new florist and a space-themed arcade celebrate their openings in the district. In that same statement, Jones called the two businesses examples of "experiential independent businesses that build community," which she said is what W.D. Cowls has always wanted in the Mill District.
"We aren't celebrating just one new business; we're welcoming two very different concepts that each add something special to the Amherst Area." Jacob Robinson, Executive Director, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
Once the tent comes down, the district's evening events move indoors, and the Cow Barn is the newest indoor room in the district.
What the Cow Barn adds after dark
Tilted Orbit opens with more than 40 machines, a golf simulator room, food and drinks, the Amherst Indy reports. The Chamber calls the collection one of the largest in the Valley. Earlier coverage, from before the opening, described a larger planned lineup. The October count is the more recent figure.
The hours explain why the arcade stands out in a district known mostly for daytime stops. Tilted Orbit's website lists these public hours:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Not listed for the public; private rentals only |
| Thursday | 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 1:00 p.m. to midnight |
| Saturday | 11:00 a.m. to midnight |
| Sunday | 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
The website doesn't mention Tuesday or Wednesday at all. The management plan Tilted Orbit filed with the Town of Amherst does. Tuesday is a closed day, and Wednesday is closed to the general public but available for renting the whole space. Plan around that if you're thinking of a midweek visit.
The same plan explains how play works. Games are set to free play, and play time is sold by the hour, the day or the month, not by the game. No prices have been published yet. Once you've paid for your time, you don't need quarters or a card for each game.
Three dates in October, in order
The openings and the tent's last night fall within seven days. The ribbon cuttings and the opening party are free. The announcement gives no admission details for the movie.
| Date | Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 16 | 3:00 p.m. | Salt Flower ribbon cutting | 83 Cowls Road |
| Friday, Oct. 16 | 3:30 p.m. | Tilted Orbit ribbon cutting | 113 Cowls Road |
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | 11:00 a.m. to midnight | Tilted Orbit grand opening party | 113 Cowls Road |
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | 6:00 p.m. | Final tent movie, Little Shop of Horrors | Under the white tent |
The Chamber encourages RSVPs for the Friday ribbon cuttings through its event page.
Saturday's party goes the full day. According to the Amherst Indy, it uses the building and the outdoor tent until 7 p.m., with a live DJ, caricatures, face painting, a food truck, sweet treats, merchandise and a yo-yo performance at 2 p.m. All ages are welcome until 9 p.m. After that, the party is 21 and over. That age rule has been announced for the opening party only. Tilted Orbit hasn't published an age policy for regular nights, so check before bringing kids out late on a later weekend.
Salt Flower takes the daytime side of the street
Salt Flower opened earlier this fall at 83 Cowls Road, a short walk from the arcade. Owner Laura Mae Pfeffer sells fresh bouquets along with vases, skincare and floral-infused gifts. She spent eight years designing custom flowers for weddings and events across New England as Until We Wed Flower Co., and she still offers that service alongside the shop.
"Whether you're grabbing a single stem or a gift, you should leave feeling like it was a little occasion," Pfeffer said in the Chamber's announcement. At Friday's ribbon cutting she plans to give out complimentary small bouquets and floral tea, with cupcakes from Carefree Cakery, which is also in the district.
The two businesses split the day. The florist is a daytime errand, and the arcade's weekend hours run until midnight. Both still depend on the food and retail that have grown up around them, and that growth has been steady through 2026. Herrell's Ice Cream, which had run a pop-up in the district, held a grand opening for its permanent storefront at 69 Cowls Road on Friday, July 31, the Amherst Indy reported.
Putting an evening together around the barn
Before this month, a night out at the Mill District mostly meant dinner or a tent event. Starting October 17, there will be somewhere to go after dinner without driving downtown. The Mill District directory lists these food businesses within walking distance of 113 Cowls Road:
- Provisions, 65 Cowls Road, which the district describes as a gourmet market
- 3 Amigos, 68 Cowls Road
- Herrell's Ice Cream, 69 Cowls Road
- Carefree Cakery, 71 Cowls Road
- Futura Coffee Roasters, 73 Cowls Road
- Amherst House of Pizza, 17 Montague Road
The same directory lists Balanced Birch Studio at 77 Cowls Road, Soulful Pet at 75 Cowls Road and the Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery at 91 Cowls Road. The directory page carries an older date than this fall's openings, so it's worth confirming a shop's hours before you go.
A Saturday plan follows easily from those addresses. Coffee at Futura, then flowers at Salt Flower before it closes for the day. After that, dinner at 3 Amigos or something from Provisions, and then the Cow Barn, which stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Most of those stops are within a few doors of each other on Cowls Road.
After the tent comes down
With the outdoor screenings over after October 22, the next cold-weather event announced in the district is the Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery's 2026 Holiday Arts Market. The store's site describes it as free and family-friendly, held in the parking lot at 91 Cowls Road. As of this writing, no date has been posted.
Downtown's calendar runs separately. The Amherst Business Improvement District lists Arts Night Plus for Thursday, November 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. The Mill District is about the same distance away no matter what downtown has scheduled. From October 23 on, its evening activity happens indoors, Thursday through Monday, at the Cow Barn on 113 Cowls Road.
A popular new business nearby can change how buyers see a North Amherst address. If you'd like to know how that shows up in your home's value, Cheryl Zarella and her team keep close track of what's opening in the neighborhoods they serve. Request a complimentary home valuation, and we'll walk you through what's driving prices on your street.
