Pinball Hall of Fame, Las Vegas
The Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas houses the world’s largest pinball collection, with over 200 vintage games available for play.
The games are from the 1950s to the 1990s, and have been meticously restored and maintained by pinball maven Tim Arnold.
We met with Arnold when we were in Vegas in 2012, and he graciously explained everything that goes into running such an enormous operation.
The Pinball Hall of Fame
There’s no admission charge, and all the older pinballs are set to 25 cents per play, with newer 1990s models set to 50 cents per play.
You and your family can have a lot of fun here for a roll of quarters!
The museum is a nonprofit, and all proceeds go to local charities, such as the Salvation Army.
Arnold says:
I like the Salvation Army a lot because they’re kinda like us. They’re downtown on the cheap side, and they put all their emphasis on the areas that need emphasis, and not a lot on hierarchy and organization.
The Pinball Hall of Fame is located about 2.4 miles east of the strip at: 1610 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV. The museum is open every day from 11 am to 11 pm, except Friday and Saturday, when it stays open until midnight.
Photo by Joel Shprentz
The Neon Museum Family Activities
Another Las Vegas Institution well worth a visit is the Neon Museum and its boneyard of discarded signs from casinos from days gone by.
Our family greatly enjoyed our visit to the boneyard.
If you are looking for some family friendly activities in Las Vegas, the Neon Museum has expanded its educational programming to include a series of events for kids and families.
Here are a couple of noteworthy events for kids coming up:
- Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to noon – Orienteering in the Boneyard. Families will use compasses to participate in a maze-version scavenger hunt in the famous Neon Boneyard. Appropriate for people of all ages
- Saturday, May 24, 2 to 4 p.m. – Drawing History in 3D. Children will learn how to draw their own 3D/anaglyph sign based on historic signs in the Neon Museum’s collection and make their own 3D-viewing glasses. Recommended for kindergartners through sixth graders.
Family drop-in events are free and open to the public. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Register by sending an email to education@neonmuseum.org.
Sign Design: Past, Present and Future
On Tuesday, April 22, the Neon Museum will host its next PRISM Times of the Signs event, a panel discussion: “Sign Design: Past, Present and Future.”