Pinball

Flip Out at the Paris Pinball Museum

Paris Pinball Museum is rich in history.
Paris Pinball Museum is rich in history.

4.5 of 5 starsGiven that the Pinball Hall of Fame is now #13 of 692 things to do in Las Vegas on Trip Advisor, I wanted to put in a plug for another fabulous pinball gallery.  

The Paris Pinball Museum is an incredible historical collection of slot machines, jukeboxes and over one hundred pinball machines from every era, from the 1930’s to the present.
Every one of the games is top condition and in working order!

Play All You Want at the Paris Pinball Museum

You need an advance reservation to visit the Paris Pinball Museum, which is only open on weekends.

The Paris Pinball Museum also features one armed bandits.
The Paris Pinball Museum also features one armed bandits.
A $15 Euro admission ticket grants you access to play all the games as much as you want.
The owner, Raphael Lanker, was kind enough to arrange an opportunity for us to visit, even though he was away at the time.
Lanker has been in pinball since the 1950’s, and his love for the game is evident in the collection he maintains.
All the games at the Paris Pinball Museum are set to free play.
All the games at the Paris Pinball Museum are set to free play.

Each room in the museum is devoted to another decade.

There are an abundance of the wood-railed machines from the 1940’s, especially Gottlieb machines.
 The Paris Pinball Museum is a blast from the past!
If there is time in your schedule, you may wish to include a visit to the museum on your next trip to Paris!
The artwork on the back glasses is amazing.
The artwork on the backglasses is amazing.  Sky Line is a personal favorite!

The Most Family Fun You Can Have in Vegas for Under Ten Bucks

Pinball Hall of Fame in Las VegasI
Wall to Wall Pinball Machines at the
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.

Fantasia at the Neon Boneyard in Las Vegas
Fantasia at the Neon Boneyard in Las Vegas
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.”

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