I love museums but make them interactive and I could be there all day. I was at a wedding recently in Manchester, VT and in between the wonderful wedding festivities, my mother an I explored and found Pastime Pinball.
To put this stop in perspective, my mother loves pinball machines. During COVID, Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs had a pinball exhibit and we were there for two hours with pinball machines on free play. What was extremely cool about Pastime Pinball is that it wasn’t just an arcade, it was also a pinball museum. Take a look at the year breakdown of the games they have- all 75 years worth!
The machines are lined up in chronological order so you see how pinball machines evolved through the years. They start more wooden and basic and then, you can play machines that play pieces of movies and television shows with each hit. Each machine was set to free-play and had a plaque describing the game and its history. On the third floor are other kinds of games like 1950s Skeeball that is completely different from the Skeeball you see in the arcade now.
Unlimited play for ages 13 and up is $27 and for kids 4-12 it’s $22. Only have a little bit of time or don’t want to spend your whole day in there (believe me, it’s easy), just pay for a half hour (13+ for $16 and kids 4-12 is $13). According to their website, “Beth and Marty Friedman own and operate Pastime Pinball. We had always wanted to start a business together that was fun and that made visitors happy. Pinball is exactly that! We’re extremely hands-on and are always greeting customers, repairing and sanitizing games and dishing out treats in the snack bar.” And this location in Manchester is the only one!
Where do they find the games? “Since Pastime Pinball features more than 70 years of pinball, most of our games had previous — oftentimes multiple — owners. We found everything else on Craigslist, FB Marketplace, Pinside, other pinball forums and word of mouth. We spent a year and a half driving around the northeast purchasing games that met our strict criteria. Sometimes we’d travel hours only to find a machine wasn’t as advertised and head home empty-handed. A number of games were located across the country and had to be shipped. But that’s not the end of the story. To keep our collection fresh and exciting, we are constantly buying new tables and rotating games in and out. This includes older machines from near and far as well as new in the box games direct from the manufacturer.”