Pinball PA Gives Pittsburgh The High Score

The joy of gaming usually consists of a comfy spot, maybe some snacks, and a screen that becomes a gateway to a million possible worlds to explore. Yet, there are times when walking away from the keyboard or controller are more appropriate. In AFK, we’ll be looking at some of the coolest game-related hangouts across the country.

Pittsburgh is a pretty wild city with things happening constantly in and around it. I never was much for cities, being as I grew up in rural West Virginia, but I would occasionally take trips to Pittsburgh for concerts or art museums. While on a quest to find a retro game shop that I saw on an episode of Game Chasers, I discovered that there was a whole museum a few doors down that held some of the rarest pinball machines, arcade cabinets, and amusements in the state. Not to mention the collection is huge, with over 400 machines to experience. Plus, it was located outside of the main city in a little area called Hopewell.

For those looking to go AFK, Pinball PA is definitely a place to keep in mind.

Sadly, arcades died out for the most part in America through the late 90s. Luckily, there has been a bit of a resurgence in the past five years or so with the increase in popularity of barcades and an interest in the games of yore. Pinball PA is more of a time capsule of that magical era, while also keeping the modern titles in stock. There are machines from the earliest days of electro-mechanical gaming, more akin to carnival amusements than anything else, as well as machines like Fix-it Felix, Jr. or an Avengers Pinball table.

The area is dimly lit like most arcades were. A wide open space was crammed with rows upon rows of games, making as much use of the retail space as possible. The pleasant sound of whirs, boops, and the telltale clack of flippers fill the hall, always present, but never overwhelming. Most people shuffle from machine to machine, taking in as much as possible, while others may stick with one or two, chasing highscores.

One of my favorites to play was the gigantic Hercules pinball machine, a behemoth of a unit that uses a pool cue as the ball. This one is certainly hard for those with smaller hands, which can make for a unique co-op experience with a buddy. I made a point to spend at least a few rounds on it each visit.

If I had lived closer to Pinball PA, I likely would have a more competitive anecdote to tell. There were a few players in the area competing with one another, even fewer had world records on various games. For instance I know at least two or three guys that have Atari 2600 world records. Sometimes renowned players would host meet and greets or invite fans to pop in and say hello; I actually met YouTube personality AlphaOmegaSin at an event in the area.

Either way, those with skill, passion, and intrigue gravitate to this spot.

We reached out to Chris Akin, the owner of Pinball PA, who talked a bit about the history of the venue and some of the more noteworthy machines in the collection.

“A long time ago, our curator Ed was looking for something to do with his collection,” Akin said in regards to how the venue came about. “I suggested to him that he and his wife should make this wonderful collection available to the public to experience, as it was just sitting in a warehouse at the time. Before I knew it, he had developed the place.”

“He's not a business guy, so I started my own business in 2016, which the Beeler's graciously allow me to use their games along with my own to have and share with the public. With that, as of April of 2016, Pinball PA was born.”

Akin also talked about trying to create a museum experience. “Unlike other places that call themselves a museum for some sort of tax break or whatever, we are truly an educational place.”

“Our machines are interactive exhibits, not just games in an arcade. We have a section dedicated to the history of pinball and arcade games, complete with news articles, artifacts of the industry and disassembled machines so people can see how it's developed from the old days to their Xbox One or PS4 they have today. We also do a lot of tours focused on S.T.E.A.M., so we can provide education to both schools and developmentally challenged kids.”

As far as some of the rarities in the collection, “Our rarest machine is our Thunderball. It was a prototype that never got mass produced. Only 10 were manufactured, and only 4 are known to still exist. To our knowledge, ours is the only one that's actually available for play.

For the oldest machine at Pinball PA, “In the museum side of our place (not for play), we have a 1948 pin, which is our oldest.”

We then asked about the competitive scene and if there were any worthwhile records broken at Pinball PA. “I'm not exactly sure about "records" being broken there,” said Akin.

He then issued a playful challenge, “I would say that if anyone wants to come in and challenge our staff to just about any game in the place, they will have a hard time defeating them.”

The history at Pinball PA is rich and cannot be understated. There are some machines there that are 1 of 4 known in the United States! Some of them may not be fully working, but just being able to see the insides of those units makes for a rewarding experience with gaming history.

Best of all, all of the machines are set to free play. No more bumming for quarters to finish a brawler or empty pockets to stay on top on Mortal Kombat. Pricing is done in a time frame; I usually picked up a day pass, but there are also seasonal passes for those that think they may be spending more time at the museum.

The Pinball PA is also nestled into a little strip mall in Hopewell, Pennsylvania. Spending a day in the area can include some quality time with the pinball tables, some decent Chinese food, and then gaming goodies that can be brought home over at the Gamemaster’s Realm, all within a few yards of each other.

Between Pinball PA and the Gamemaster’s Realm, there is a deep-rooted passion for all things gaming. Some of the most knowledgeable folks I’ve met in the gaming community I’ve met between these two venues.

If Pittsburgh is close by or is on the travel plans, set aside some time to take in some history at Pinball PA. There’s something in the area for almost any type of player, especially those with a fondness for retro games.