Pinball Hall of Fame facts for kids
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| Established | February 2006 |
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| Location | 4925 S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Type | Pinball Museum |
| Collection size | ~700 pinball machines |
The Pinball Hall of Fame is a super cool museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's a place where you can actually play hundreds of pinball machines! It first opened its doors in February 2006.
This museum is special because it's a project of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club. You'll find pinball machines from all different times, even some really rare ones. Imagine playing games like Williams' Black Gold or Bally's Pinball Circus! There are almost 700 different pinball games here. You can also find some classic video arcade games and other fun machines from the past and present.
The Pinball Hall of Fame is a nonprofit place. This means they don't try to make a profit for themselves. Instead, any extra money they earn goes to help others. The museum was created with the help of donations, and they still welcome more. Tim Arnold, who used to run an arcade called "Pinball Pete's," manages the museum. Amazing volunteers help run everything. All the extra money they make is given to the Salvation Army, a charity that helps people in need.
The Museum's Story
Tim Arnold started working on this amazing project way back in 1990. He spent years raising money to make his dream a reality. He even used to sell DVDs about how to fix pinball machines! He also hosted fun pinball nights at his own house, where he has a huge collection of games.
First Locations
The Pinball Hall of Fame first opened in February 2006. It was located at 3300 E Tropicana Ave in Las Vegas. Back then, it had about 200 pinball machines, plus classic video games. Later, in 2009, the museum moved to a new spot at 1610 E Tropicana Ave.
In 2013, a smaller part of the museum opened at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. But this location closed two years later when the hotel shut down.
Moving to a Bigger Home
In 2016, there were rumors that the museum might close. But Tim Arnold said that wasn't true! Instead, he planned to make the Pinball Hall of Fame even bigger. He wanted to build a brand new building right next to the current one.
In 2020, the museum announced plans for an even larger move. They wanted to go to a huge new building at 4925 S Las Vegas Boulevard. This new place is a special warehouse, about 28,000 square feet! It's big enough to hold all 700+ games in their collection. Just like the old spots, the new location is smoke-free and has free parking.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused some problems for the museum. They needed help to finish the new building and move all the games. So, in January 2021, Tim Arnold and the museum started a special online fundraiser to get the money they needed.
The Pinball Hall of Fame officially opened its doors at the new Las Vegas Boulevard location on April 15, 2021. The grand opening celebration happened on July 1, 2021. Now, even more people can enjoy playing these classic games!
Images for kids
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The Pinball Circus, a unique vertical pinball game
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A row of classic video games
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Newer pinball machines to play
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Classic pinball machines
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The original location of the Pinball Hall of Fame
More Fun Places
- Ed Krynski, a famous person in the Pinball Hall of Fame
- Pacific Pinball Museum, another cool pinball museum in California
