In my early days pinball machines were everywhere. 7-11, bowling alleys, arcades, Family Fun Center. It was the Golden Age. I was young and thought pinball would last forever. Sadly video games came along and pushed pinball machines aside. It became harder to find machines in good working order. Now I see a machine or two maybe once a year.
One of the things I look forward to when I visit the bay area is the Pacific Pinball Museum. For a afternoon I can relive my early years when I played pinball at the arcade. There are pinball machines from 1879 to the present.
My favorite pinball machine is The Hobbit released in 2016 by Jersey Jack Pinball.
I’ve been taking my kid the last 15 years showing her the excitement of watching the silver ball bounce off the flipper and careen about the play area with flashing lights and sounds reward you as the ball crashes into targets. After many exciting afternoons she’s a pinball wizard now. She earned a high score this visit.
Admission is $20. We play until our wrist wear out. With heavy hearts we take our leave till next year.
1510 Webster Street
Alameda, CA 94501
Go Mari!! I enjoyed my very first visit with you both to this fun place!
That’s good you had fun. We can go again next year!
OMG! You don’t know the connection I have with pinball, the story is long, but suffice it to say that license plates and email addresses containing the word “Bally” are abundant in my family. Alameda will be another mini vacation, soon! Thanks for this.
You are welcome! Where do you play pinball in San Diego?
Brewski’s, Nickle City and bowling alleys-KMBowl and Parkway Bowl…air conditioning plus food! But really, my brother and I would repair and ‘rent’ machines( rent was half of the cash we pulled from the machine) to bars in Detroit, back when in high school. He owns more than 50-All Bally.
Wow! I wanted to get a machine but lack the room to store it and play. I’ll have to check out those spots till I can visit the Museum again.
Also Harbor Town Pub on Rosecrans in Point Loma-ish ( onlywas there once but there were more than four machines). I always meet my brother at the Pinball Museum Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. It’s so interesting.
I’ve been meaning to try the chicken wings at Harbor Town. I didn’t know they had pinball. I’m gonna have to go soon.
I didn’t know about the pinball museum in Las Vegas. I’ll have to visit next time I go to Vegas.