Photo by Diane Taylor
Have you ever driven down Las Vegas Boulevard and seen the big sign “PINBALL” on a large warehouse-like building? I had seen it as well and although the big sign is a bit garish, another fancier sign out front says “Pinball Hall of Fame.” So last Wednesday I went inside he big building with the big sign.
Photo by Diane Taylor
Wow.
I had never been a pinball player so have never seen so any pinball machines in one location–ever–and sadly, I didn’t know which machines were the rarest. However, even though it was a weekday, some folks did know their machines and I was surprised at so many adults very interested in playing the games. On any given day, it is possible to see children of all ages (4-99) and ethncities playing the games.
Previous coverage of the Pinball Hall of Fame published on Living-Las-Vegas:
“Pinball Wizards” by Megan Edwards (March 26, 2008)
“Pinball Hall of Fame” by Michael Dickman (October 30, 2009)
“The Pinball Hall of Fame has Moved!” by Michael Dickman (November 28, 2009)
A sign at the entrance says behavior inside is important and asks for “No screaming, running, hopping, skipping, swinging arms, bouncing balls and roughhousing.” So yes, there were children as well, but obviously this collection of pinball and other machines had an appeal particularly for men and women who as boys & girls, spent time with pin ball and video games.
Entry to the Hall of Fame is free and machine play typically costs 25 or 50 cents. (Actually, the machines cost what it would have cost when they were brand new. Some can be played for as little as a nickle.) A small gift shop sells souvenirs as well. There are dozens of volunteers who assist the owner in keeping the machines working.
The 25,000 square foot Pinball Hall of Fame moved to this building in April of 2021. A man named Tim Arnold who, at one time, owned arcades in several places in Michigan, is the force that keeps this venue open. His Hall of Fame is a non-profit museum that after expenses donates its profits to the Salvation Army. There are more than 300 working pinball machines in the facility. Tim’s original collection of vintage pinball machines numbered more than 1000 when we moved to Las Vegas for retirement.
I recommend anyone with a curiosity about Las Vegas to visit the Pinball Hall of Fame. The Hall is open Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. until 9 p.m and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m to 10 p.m. Parking is free. I had a great time walking around and talking with players. In the back of the building are parts and partially repaired machines that the volunteers work on nearly daily. My photos are below:
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
Photo by Diane Taylor
One of the sweetest things I have seen in a long time was when a family was visiting from Utah. One of the younger children was severely disabled, not really able to speak or walk very well, but he was A WIZARD at pinball. And for a few minutes he was able to be the star in the room. I spoke with his mom, briefly, and she told me that he looks forward to the annual trip to Las Vegas all year.
We recommend visiting the Pinball Hall of Fame to all of our visiting guests — even if you didn’t play as a kid, it is relatively easy to pick up the basis skills. We’ve been to all of the iterations of this place. Tim and his backers built this building from scratch. I hope it is part of the Las Vegas scene for years to come.
When our son brought his two sons (our grandsons) her to visit from North Carolina we had plans to take the. To the Grand Canyon for the one grandson’s birthday. Instead, they wanted to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame! They had such a great time there. We were there for hours and believe me my husband had as much fun as the kids did. Brought back a lot of memories for us.
Angel would have loved to have visited the Pinball Machine Hall of Fame. He enjoyed playing these machines so much that his face was lit up. Thank you once again for an enjoyable article.