Pacific Pinball Museum — Attraction in Alameda

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Above and beyond being merely a Pinball spot, (As if that wasn't good enough already" this place is an actual living, breathing slice of american culture, lovingly curated by people who really have an affinity for pinball and it's history, and the staff, is ultra knowledgeable and helpful, (The man on staff today, sat the 29th, I forgot his name. My bad! ) and basically gave me a spot history lesson on the origins and history of pinball, from the 1930's to the present) You can't really get it all in one visit so I will be back, and now I marvel at how much time I spent at these things, how the kinetics, an bumping, and lights, and bright shiny rewards of bells and whistles, allowed me and million of others to vent some of our teen frustration and angst, while playing games that actually gave you the feeling that you were getting somewhere in life, and doing something important. The spot is definitely for the purists, as they only have kinetic pinball games there, and when I asked about electronic and digital, he mentioned another spot a few blocks away, with my favorites like Galaga, Blastroids, Bezerker, and Missile Command. But this, is strictly an old school heaven for those who know what they like. I have always had a fascination with the Black Knight pinball machine, (both the 1980 and 1889 versions) with the "MagnaSave" and "Multiball", as well as some of the games I remember of the 1960's from the subterranean UCB Golden Bear Lounge and Bowling Alley in Berkeley, like "Flipper Clown" and "Road Race" leading into the 70's and the ever-present "Evil Knievel" (Arguably the most popular modern pinball game of all time), and into the 80's with some of the then cutting-edge games like "Black Knight", and "FIREPOWER", which I recalled fondly from my time at Silverball Gardens in Berkeley on Durant in the late 70's and early 80's. This pace will flood you with so many memories you will need a paddle and canoe. I was told by the staff that the Smithsonian Museum refused to acknowledge or enter these machines into it's vast catalog, of objects and collections deemed worthy of memory, which in my opinion was a MASSIVE FAIL for the Smithsonian, as this collection represents a time and a culture, that influenced everyone around it, and is absolutely culturally relevant. But, one thing at a time, I guess. Their loss is your gain, at this one-price-at-the-door, all you-can-play spot, a great and loving tribute to a bygone time that still resonates with people globally.

I got a special kick out of seeing a lady well into her 80's rocking the "Tron" machine like a champ, and I will certainly come...

I gave this place 5 stars because it deserves it for being a wonderful and friendly place and every pinball lovers dream. However, there are some pros and cons to this place that true pinball fans need to know about. Pros: You will absolutely love this place, stays open till 9pm, you won't find many pinball arcades that stay open this late especially in the Bay area, $20 to play all day can't beat that, I've spent countless hours all day here, they give student, Military, and first responders discounts huge plus from me love the support. Thank you! I'll keep supporting this place anyway I can, buying tshirts etc.

Cons: this place is in fact a pinball museum so keep that in mind. Some of the tables are not in the greatest condition but the fact is you still get to play them and I promise a lot of your favorite tables are here, just keep in mind you may run into issues where the flippers are a little beat up, the ball might not roll as smoothly, and some instances on some tables the games are set up in two player modes, or your ball might get stuck in an odd place etc. Another con is the tables here will not keep track of your score meaning if you happen to get a high score here on any table you won't be able to attach your initials on the leaderboards unfortunately. Most pinball places allow you to do so, or they have leaderboard trackers displayed not so here. I understand it's a museum but you would think this place out of places will enable that. Again, you get to play all day here for $20 so it's difficult to complain about these small things but thought players should know before visiting and trying to break records at these tables not going to happen at Best you might want to have your phone camera handy and take a photo in case you do which I noticed most people do here. Make no mistake, this place is wonderful and I still love coming here every chance I get, Tales of Arabian Nights is my all time favorite pinball machine and I'm so happy I get to...

I've visited the Pacific Pinball Museum this past weekend with my wife and daughter and we all had a great time! The collection of the museum ranges from machines made in the 30's all the way to modern pinball machines.

The absolute majority of them are all available for free play, all in perfect order (strong flippers, clean playfield and no burnt bulbs) with historic information notes about each game (i.e. year of manufacturing, maker and relative importance to the field).

I grew up in the 90's and witnessed the decline of pinballs and personally was much more into video games.

That being said, I consider a true privilege to be able to visit a single place with some of the very best pinballs ever made.

Keep in mind some of these machines are rare (e.g. Safecraker) and quite pricey (Family Addams goes for near $14,000 in this days!).

Others are simply irreplaceable (e.g. machines from the 30's to early 60's) and are true piece of history.

There is a public parking just behind the building that makes it much more convenient to visit. On top of that, there are restaurants and coffee shops nearby, it is an excellent location to visit with family and friends.

The museum crew is helpful and will help you find any specific pinball machine that you may be interested.

The museum allows you to visit, play for say 1 or 2 hours, go out for a quick snack or lunch and them return without having to pay for a second ticket. Truly amazing!

Even if you are not into pinball playing, do yourself a favor and visit this very special place. You will get a better appreciation for pinballs (history, art, technical innovation) while getting your money worth back by playing as...