Pinball and Old Arcade Games on the Strip
The Pinball Hall of Fame has been around for quite some time, but it has been recently relocated to the strip. Before, it was located on East Tropicana. Although a hidden gem, it was rarely discovered by visiting tourists. Today, this has all changed, as it is easily found by anyone staying on the Strip.
If you were ever a pinball machine fan at any time in your life, this place may blow your mind. I first heard of it when I visited the Riviera hotel. Before it was torn down, they had an arcade next to their food court. In this arcade were several working pinball machines, some of which were from the 1960s. These are the type of machines I would play back in the 1970s. The mechanical type that had mechanical reels for the scoring. This was long before the digital electronic versions came along in the 1980s. I was taken back that these machines existed, and that they could be played. Needless to say, I spent more than a few quarters playing these machines.
When they closed down the Riviera, naturally, they took away my pinball. I remember noticing that these machines were owned by the Pinball Museum, and I had made a mental note to visit this place someday. I assumed that it was like any other museum, look but don’t touch. As it turns out, it was a sort of living museum, and you could play these machines. By the time I visited the place, it was called the Pinball Hall of Fame. The name change makes sense. Not only are there numerous machines under a single roof, but you can actually play them. In fact, it reminds me of the old pinball arcades of the past, before the introduction and growth of video arcade games.
Although most of the games were pinball machines, there were some classic arcade games that I spotted. Most notable was Asteroids. To me, this was the first single player arcade game I can remember. I recall seeing lines at the local shopping mall to play the game; lines that I occasionally stood in. I got a thrill playing the game. My youthful photographer, who was with me at the time, was not so impressed by the game, but I suppose you must be a certain age to understand how great this game was, back in the day. There was also a Space Invaders game here as well. This was also an early arcade game that had its share of fans.
The owners of the Pinball Hall of Fame claimed they had more machines, but they didn’t have room to display them all. Now, having moved to a new, larger location, there is plenty of space for all of their inventory. There is really nothing else like it. Even back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when there were arcades with rows of pinball machines that spanned 30 years of design and manufacturing, there were never this many machines gathered together in one place. Like so many other things in this city, it is something that is unique, and I recommend it to anyone that is visiting Las Vegas and loves playing pinball.
Many of the older machines only cost a quarter. Others will cost you 50 cents or 75 cents. The newer machines usually cost a dollar per game. And of course, there are a variety of old style arcade games that are worth playing, if only for nostalgia’s sake. I can honestly say that considering everything that can be done on the Strip, the Pinball Hall of Fame is the best value for your money.
You can easily find the Pinball Hall of Fame right past the Vegas sign on the right side of the street. The lettering is large and red; you can’t miss it. At night, it’s impossible to miss because it is lit up with the letters outlined in colored lights.
The Pinball Hall of Fame
4925 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Hours
Open daily 11:00am – 9:00 pm
You can get more information on their website:
http://pinballmuseum.org/
This was an earlier article written about the old location on E. Tropicana.
If you were ever a pinball machine fan at any time in your life, this place may blow your mind. I first heard of it when I visited the Riviera hotel. Located next to their food court was an arcade, and they had working pinball machines, some of which were from the 1960s. These are the type of machines I would play back in the 1970s. The mechanical type that had mechanical reels for the scoring. This was long before the digital electronic versions came along in the 1980s. I was taken back that these machines existed, and that they could be played. Needless to say, I spent more than a few quarters playing these machines.
When they closed down the Riviera, they took away my pinball. I remember noticing that these machines were owned by the Pinball Museum, and I had made a mental note to visit this place someday. I assumed that it was like any other museum, look but don’t touch. As it turns out, there seems to have been a name change. It is now called the Pinball Hall of Fame. The name change makes sense. Not only are there numerous machines under a single roof, but you can actually play them. In fact, it reminds me of the old pinball arcades of the past, before the introduction and growth of video arcade games.
My visit to this place was great fun. I enjoyed playing the games, and it was also a walk down memory lane. I was able to play two of my favorite machines, and there were many I recognized that brought back memories. There were even a few machines that I remembered not liking for different reasons.
Although most of the games were pinball machines, there were some classic arcade games that I spotted. Most notable was Asteroids. To me, this was the first single player arcade game I can remember. I recall seeing lines at the local shopping mall to play the game; lines that I occasionally stood in. I got a thrill playing the game. My youthful photographer, who was with me at the time, was not so impressed by the game, but I suppose you must be a certain age to understand how great this game was, back in the day. There was also a Space Invaders game here as well. This was also an early arcade game that had its share of fans.
I plan on going back here again. There is really nothing else like it. Even back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when there were arcades with rows of pinball machines that spanned 30 years of design and manufacturing, there were never this many machines gathered together in one place. Like so many other things in this city, it is something that is unique, and I recommend it to anyone that is visiting Las Vegas and loves playing pinball.