First time visiting this place and what fun it was! The place is bigger than we expected and had a lot of machines. They are grouped by era of pinball machines. So the front room has the oldest machines and subsequent rooms get progressively newer machines. For the 1 time fee you get unlimited play (so no digging for quarters), there are in and out privileges so you can play, leave to eat etc, and return to play some more. The staff is very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. Only a few machines weren't working, but they had signs so you knew, but almost all of them were working and available to play. Also each machine had a sign that gave some history regarding the art design/layout, or how the particular machine was unique/different etc. I tried to read more of the descriptions but got too caught up in just playing them that I didn't read and learn as much as I should have. Next time I come back I will try to read a bit more. The info provided was actually pretty interesting but I got dazzled by all the blinking lights and sounds. So fun! Speaking of sound- there is enough space between each machine that you aren't drowned out by the other machines or players. There are several rooms of machines so people can spread out. The only thing I would have changed is it is very dark inside (I am guessing to keep the place cool) so it was a little hard to see the action with my aged eyes. Younger people won't have any problems. I am guessing also this place must look amazing at night. We were there mid afternoon. The room with the older machines was nice and bright which was nice. The newer machines are in darker rooms to add to the mood? As we were there on a Friday afternoon, not too many kids/teenagers, but don't know what the clientele would be after school. Street parking is pretty good and there is off street metered parking around the corner. This is a fun place and I will come back and bring visitors. read more

Finally made the pilgrimage to Pacific Pinball Museum and it did not disappoint! Three rooms filled with pinball games from the 1950s to now and you can play them all for as long as you want. My son and I made a point of playing every game and I quite enjoyed playing some of the oldest ones. You can go in and out with your bracelet so we had lunch in the great neighborhood and then went back. Highly recommended! read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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This place is a lot of fun, featuring a very cool collection of pinball machines from various decades. It was also interesting to learn the history of pinball, the artwork, how they have evolved over time, and the inner workings of these machines. However, they could benefit from adding more stools to sit on while playing for those who can't stand for extended periods. Additionally, I noticed some individuals playing specific machines for long periods of time, which discouraged others from enjoying them. I figured while playing that some of the machines would have some minor common issues, such as a malfunctioning flipper or a stuck ball. What caught me off guard though is what an employee did when I informed them about an issue I was having with a stuck ball inside the machine. They proceeded to shake the pinball to try and release the stuck ball, causing it to tilt. I couldn't help but wonder if shaking the pinball was a good approach when the goal is to preserve these machines. Overall, I still enjoyed my visit and highly recommend this place. I will return to play again. read more

Such sweet amazing staff who kindly explained the lay out of the museum and answered all my guests questions. I was so excited for the Dolly Parton pinball machine to be up and running since when I came in the summer it was broken. Always a good time for adults or kids! read more

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This was a fun way to spend the afternoon with the family (psst, try Groupon for deals). I was mostly going along with my kids and husband, but I ended up having a great time playing games from the 40s to modern times, and reading the history about each game. It truly is a museum, preserving the games and educating people. I especially liked the jukeboxes in each room, playing selections from different eras. We watched the one in the "oldies" room for a while, as it used 7" records. Have a slightly more analog experience and enjoy! read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - One of the games. All free, only a couple out of order. - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

This place is excellent 98% of games are working , I am sure they constantly break down. Play your way through the history of pinball. Amazing value for money and great parking in the back. Parking free on Sundays. Lots of food spots a short walk away and you pay for the day so can come and go. I will be back - great fun! read more

I had no idea this place existed. The $22 fee to get in is a bit steep, but all the games are free and you have in/out privileges. There are multiple rooms and tons of pinball machines and 3 jukeboxes. We came around opening at 11am on Sunday and had a blast! Favorites include the Crypt Keeper, Monster Mash, and baseball pinball. We left for lunch nearby and came back to play a few more games. It was pretty crowded by 3pm. read more

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The Pacific Pinball Museum is one of our family's favorite spots on the Alameda island. Be prepared to stay much longer than you expected! This place has so many pinball machines it's mesmerizing and playing with them is so addicting! read more

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Awesome place to visit as an adult as well as bringing your kids. Admission prices are on the website, but most adults will pay $22 or so for all day access with in and out privileges and unlimited play on the machines. On a Friday, it was mostly empty from 1pm-7pm. Even in the evening time, it wasn't too crowded so you can really pick whatever machine to play. There are ~ 5 rooms with pinball machines that you can choose to play. Some are older than others, but it's cool to see and play machines that are from the 1940s all the way to 2019. A lot of the games can also be played with 1-4 players, so that adds a nice competitive element to the machines if you come with a group. Hand sanitizers are also dispersed throughout each room. There are also some old jukeboxes (completely free) as well, where you can choose songs or some albums to play while you're playing pinball! It really adds to the nostalgia of the overall place. read more

I could spend hours in here (and have). Price of admission is a little steep $20+ but it is for the full day so you could play, grab lunch or dinner, and then come back to place some more. The last time I was here was with my dad for his birthday before covid. Back then they just had the two rooms. Now they have a. additional whole 80s/90s room complete with a 90s jukebox filled with my complete high school soundtrack. The guy who ran the place that night was super helpful and explained some of the older pinball games that were more sort of gambling machines. I loved reading about the history of the machine before playing it. Great, unique place to take out of town guests and makes for a fun night on the town. read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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My buddy Harvey and I dedicated a Tuesday afternoon a took a trip to Alameda to the Pacific Pinball Museum. It's a Museum by name but actually a large pinball arcade. Yes, all of the machines are chronologically placed in 4 rooms with the oldest vintage in the front. I could not believe that I found a 1950's vintage bingo machine that was actually banned and outlawed in the USA because of its gambling use. $22 gives you access to all machines all day. Well both of us played for hours until our necked and back hurt the next day. Super fun. There is a city parking lot behind the museum but it's 2 hr meters so you need to keep feeding the meters. read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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This was such a fun, interactive museum! They have multiple rooms with different pinball machines to try out! read more

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It is so easy to be transported into simpler, fun times when entering the doors of this establishment. I intended to stay for 30 minutes and left after several hours. It was pure unadulterated joy. I highly recommend PPM. Thank me later. read more

You get a wristband for the day and can come and go which we really appreciated. We came here on a date night and had a blast! The machines are organized by era and it was so interesting playing some of the early pinball machines and some of the super random ones over the years. Highly recommend. :) read more

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What a fun time! Hung out with my bestie playing such a wide variety of pinball games today. The staff are welcoming and they know all the things. So many different games to play - each room had a different kind of feel and moving from room to room felt like a different experience each time. Clean bathrooms, hand sanitizer everywhere, and so many folks just having a great time. Lots of great places to eat nearby, so playing some games, having a meal, going back and playing more games was one of the best and most fun days I can remember. read more

A very unique and enjoyable entertainment idea. The collection of pinball machines ranges from the ancient to the modern and allows try your skills with wooden cabinet machines from the 1950s, which are very mechanical as well as modern digital devices from the present day . The everything is included admission price which is currently at $22 as of March 2024 is really an amazing bargain. You consider that you can play the entire day and evening and if you were to add up all those quarters you would probably exceed well over $50 in play. read more

What a fun place to hang out. Hubby's idea to take our teenagers. I didn't think we would stay long but after 5 hours, I had to be dragged out by the kids. It's a museum, with lots of historical artifacts and funky art on the walls, but you also can basically play all different kinds of pinball machines all day for one price. Totally worth it. (With Yelp Check-In, it's 2 for $22 on Tuesdays). There are historical pinball machines on display -- the earliest from 1932. But you can play with super old ones all the way up to current ones. You can spend the whole day starting from the oldest one to the latest one. I love that you can play endlessly. My favorites were AC/DC, Seawitch, Star Wars, and Iron-Man. But there were tons to enjoy. I also love the jukeboxes. I think there were 3 -- and you can just select songs to play for free! The music varies from different eras: 50's country, classic rock n' roll, 70's ballads, 80's, and 90's. So fun! I was basically dancing while playing pinball. I love that they wipe down the buttons and flipper switches every hour. You can smell the germ-killing disinfectant! They also have hand sanitizer around the rooms. There are step stools for the littles so they can play too! Staff is friendly and professional. They're all-around cool people. Definitely an awesome place to come with friends or family and enjoy some time off from screens. read more

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I lived in Alameda for a short time over 5 years ago and had first learned about the museum then but never made it in until some months ago. They offer more than 100 pinball machines dating all the way from the 1940's to the present day. You'll definitely learn at least a little bit about the history and you'll see some historical and rare machines. There are several areas/rooms filled with machines and each has a card with information about the year, title, and some history/information about it. Throughout the various rooms and hallways are very cool hand painted murals, vintage jukeboxes and some exhibits. No quarters or other forms of payment for each machine is required as an admission rate includes an all day unlimited pay and depending on the age prices will vary. Besides any street parking around there's also a little parking lot around the corner on Santa Clara street. read more

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So vast and so much fun. A real Bay Area destination. They also offer senior ticket prices which I much appreciate.

$22 for unlimited play for the whole day along with leaving and coming back before the store closes. The staff were friendly and helpful for explaining the rules. The store has 5 rooms full of different types, genres and styles or machines each with a description card to learn more about the machine. They have machines ranging from wooden retro ones dating back the late 1800s to modern ones with a bunch of lights and sound. A great place to go to for pinball fanatics or simply a solid date night activity! read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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Pacific Pinball was awesome! Every pinball machine has a history that goes with it. I played machines from the 50s, 80s, 90s, and even the newer 2010's. Inside was bigger than I would imagine. All the machines were working like it was from day 1. The flippers were not flimsy. Every hit had power, sending the ball flying. The museum was very clean and well taken care of. Bathrooms were super clean. The staffs were nice and friendly. My family and I felt very welcome. I would go back if Im in the area. read more

Great place to take kids, even older teenagers. We found this place and it is a gem. For $22 you get all day pass to play all of the pinball machines (except for 5 in the front entrance). You get a wrist band and are allowed to go in and out. You could go out and get lunch and go back again to play. You see and can play with pinball machines for different eras. There are also info on the wall about history of pinball. read more

They got Roller Games! 6 years later and they have expanded their collection with some amazing new additions including what I put in my last review - Roller Games! I also really enjoyed Hurricane, Metallica, and even a couple from the 2020s. Such an amazing place...saw old school parents with their young kids too. Go check it out! read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - One of the all time bests. - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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This place is great. I had such a good time with my family here and brought back a lot of nostalgia I had as a child growing up in the 80s. I liked playing a machine and reading the little informational blurbs that was afixed to it. I just didn't have enough time to play everything. I enjoyed seeing the progression from analog scoring and wood internals of the early 70s and before and the progression to digital later on. read more

Me and my family had soo much fun! My 12 y/o son played his first pinball machine and had a blast. So many to choose from which made it worth the price we paid for unlimited play. My faves were: Indiana Jones, Race Car and Godzilla. Spent over a hour and still didn't play them all. Definitely will go back. read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Vintage pinball machine - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

Fantastic visit while in town for work. Amazing collection of games from every era, most of which I had never seen or played before. Spent several hours going down the line trying all of them, all working well and in excellent condition. Staff super friendly as were the other patrons . Great deal buying a wrist band and everything on free play. Recommend it as a great destination for any pinball player, from casual to curious to serious, read more

Myself and a new acquaintance decided to go here in lieu of other plans due to the weather conditions. Neither of us had been here in a good while. It was nice to go back down memory lane related some pinball machines from childhood. It was moderately packed. I'm sure many parents found this ideal for themselves and kids to get out the house and have a moment to themselves. I've brought my son here a few times when he was younger and he loved it. The price is affordable. The cool part is the allow in and out from open to close so you can take a break, grab a bite and/or peruse the many shops along the Blvd. Every room has designated decades of pinball machines abs music for that era. Tap into your inner child or take your child. read more

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I gotta first say I love pinball, and it is so expensive to play these days. This museum (arcade) was excellent! Great location, great selection, and the guys at the counter were cool. Well worth the money. I spent two hours there only because I had to leave for an appointment. It would be nice if they served beer there read more

This is one of my favorite places in the Bay! It's located near some good transit stops so it's very accessible without a car, though there is also ample parking if you arrive by car. You play a flat fee (no need for quarters unless you want to play one of the special machines) and get unlimited play with in-out privileges all day/until closing. Staff is warm and knowledgeable about the machines, and it really is a museum! Without paying, you can walk around and view some of the exhibits to learn about the history of pinball, different styles of machines, and more. I love the jukeboxes so you can play music (so retro!), the wide variety of machines (some are very old, some are newer, and there's something for everyone!) The bathrooms have cool pinball decor too. It's definitely a community hub, but it's also famous enough that tourists come and I've met people at pinball places in other states that ask me about the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda! They get new machines every now and then so there might be something new or different each time you go! read more

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Went with my friend for a couple of hours on a Thursday afternoon. So fun to have a chance to play any game we wanted and try and bunch of different ones from different eras. The place is neat and clean and all the machines were fun! Nice to not deal with tokens, you can just walk up and play once you pay the admission. Highly recommend!! read more

I can't wait to go play again. It's a wonder thing to enter this bright and wacky venue filled with pinball machines. Giant paintings grace the walls. There is so much to appreciate at the museum. Play to your hearts content. There are many machines. read more

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If the fantastic German restaurant Speisekammer, the delicious ice cream parlor Tucker's, or the mind-blowing vodka distillery Hanger One aren't enough great reasons to visit the island of Alameda, the Pinball Museum should seal the deal. This establishment has more than 100 clean and well maintained pinball machines sorted by era. For a very reasonable admission price you can play unlimited games on all of the machines, save a few "relics" from the earliest days of the craft. The rooms are clean and patrons were very well behaved. The staff was very nice and restrooms were clean. There is a metered parking lot behind the museum as well as on-street. Seriously, folks. This is the best museum you'll ever visit! read more

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This place brought nostalgic once I walked inside. Pinball machines from the 1900's to the early 2000's lined up the wall in each room. The owner of this museum was very friendly and gave us a background history of the place and encouraged us to look around. Our group spread out and played various pinball machines and were instantly hooked! We ended up being here for almost 2 hours but it felt like time flew by so fast. I will definitely be coming back here and recommend to give this place a visit read more

Pacific Pinball Museum - Arcades Near Me - Alameda, California

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Alameda CA is far for me to get to. I was there in the afternoon around 3pm and got back by 9pm taking Uber Bart and Muni back to San Francisco. It was a trek. I heard about this museum in 2021 visiting Free Gold Watch again. I took a gap and went back and decided to trek out to Alameda and do a study of the Pacific Pinball Museum. The person who started it worked at Exploratorium and if that was 20 years ago, he is about 70 years old now. One person answered all my questions. It says "field trips" with school. It says STEM. It's a mix of physics, graphics, art history, kinetics, toys, and history. It packs a punch and it was "fantastic." I got some gifts from the gift shop--book , old pinball, and a sticker, etc. They have a league and there are lessons for children. I spent about 3-4 hours at this museum. I needed time to digest what it said. It was gambling, bingo, and bagatelle. The French aristocrats played this game. It was at the time of billiards, baseball, etc. The wood box had pin nails..it used marbles. Then they evolved the pinball machine arcade game. There was a flipper. It says slots. The ball bounces and loops and until it falls into a pit. It was a skills game for amusement and gambling. The arcade game was supposed to give you points, tickets, and a prize. This museum was started in 2002 like the end of high school. I paid $12 to get in and bought tickets. Now I am a writing an illegitimate report for a college study because I already finished school. This made me day better and people can visit with membership. Alameda is far. I don't really know who to meet in Alameda. read more

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Mechanical-Gaming for the win. Always loved the tactility and all the sounds and lights of pinball machines and now you can do it all in one place for a flat fee. This is an amazing arcade/museum with the pinball museums arranged in chronological order, its history you can play on and each game has a little information placard that is informative but unobtrusive. It's $20 for adults and you get free-play as long as you want; hours easily burned. My favorite pinball machine is the clear housing one, you can see what it took to make all the dings, movements, flashing lights before silicon and motherboards. A crazy maze of wiring and mechanical switches and modules. When we visited the playable exhibits were all about "pointy people" a very interesting illustration style with people turned angular and planar on the back-glass. All of these machines were in a dedicated room and it was cool seeing the artwork blown up and also on the machines. They have stools for young children and you could tell the museum is maintained and cared for by passionate people. Really fun and unique experience, only bad thing about it is it is in downtown Alameda and parking can be a bit challenging. Best to come early for brunch when parking is easier and waiting for them to open. read more

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Amazing place! They were so nice and I love how you pay to get in and then don't have to worry about paying for each game. Lots of history displayed and explained which was very interesting. read more

The Pinball Museum is an absolute jewel!! My in-laws invited the wife and I to come check out the pinball museum on a Friday night. I wasn't sure what to expect maybe some sort of displays and read about pinball machines and their history or something. But honestly to my surprise and an amazement it's a really fun place, and a cool hangout spot. There's great art work everywhere, multiple rooms, pinball machines of all eras, with great info cards of each machine on them. AND they're all unlocked and unlimited play. There are even some jukeboxes there are unlocked and you can listen to some fun throwbacks. We probably spent 4 hours there just playing. I would love to come back again, but to just read and learn more about the pinball history. Highly recommend anyone to come check it out and have some fun!! read more

This place came up on my FB feed a week ago and I'm so glad that it did because I LOVE pinball machines! I definitely recommend coming on a Tuesday because it's Buy 1, Get 1 free OR 1/2 off admission! It's also Farmer's Market around the corner from here! Park about 1 block away for free residential parking and no hourly limits or meters! Great, friendly service! Clean throughout the many pinball rooms and the restroom too! They really take care of their museum! Additionally, I only had a couple issues and talked to the workers who helped me with machines immediately. They walk around to make sure things are safe and orderly as well. LOVE it! They also have at least 3 jukeboxes that I saw and lined up songs on! The pinball machines and jukeboxes are free, what more could you want! You play the games you want to the music you want!!! LOVE it! I was really impressed with the diversity of pinball machines spanning decades! Not only that, 95% or more of the machines were in excellent shape re: flippers, bumpers, spinners, etc. I played for almost 8hrs! You get in and out privileges with the wristband entrance fee. Eat NextDoor at the Cambodian food restaurant! Very tasty food, friendly service, huge portions too! Returned to the museum to play another hour or so after dinner! I really enjoyed this great experience and can't wait to return on a Tuesday again! :) I still need to sort thru my photos! I will add to this post once I do! I spent a couple hours playing the Safe Cracker pinball machine! That is the BEST game ever! I won 6 tokens! The token actually rolls out of the bottom edge of the top display panel, soooo COOL! I've never seen or played a game like this! I wish I could buy it and take it home!!! :) read more

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This museum allows you to play nearly all of them for free. They're arranged in 4 rooms by date of release with interesting history for each one. You get an armband so you can come and go throughout the day, which makes it relaxing. They love questions and if you find an issue with a machine like I did with the Elton John machine, they will examine it and mark it for repair on Monday's when they are closed for maintenance. I got to see how easy it is to access the inside of the machines and the electrical components and learned so much. You learn that the King of France essentially invented pinball and it's fun to play the old wooden models which were much different. They have experimental prototypes and many things you would normally not see in a small private collection. There's a parking lot behind the building. They have many of the machines set to use 5 balls instead of 3 and just ask you play them though for the next person. Even on a weekend it wasn't so terribly busy to be unpleasant so I never waited to play anything. They have two clean bathrooms inside and there's a bus transit literally outside. There's lots of places to eat and have a beer in the area as well. In addition, they have three machines in the lobby which are $1 to play for people who don't want to do the museum. read more

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This place is a treasure, a huge selection of machines in several rooms. I loved the history write up above each of them. Great value as you can play as long as you want. Nice people running it. We will be returning. (Family of 5 - 3 kids aged 8-11). read more