Some of the best fun Terry and I had during our trip to Las Vegas last week
was to surprise my brother Roy and sister-in-law Susan
with a visit the Pinball Hall of Fame.
Our best bud Jon helped us pull it off.
We had them guessing about where we were going for a good twenty-four hours.
Never in a million years would they have guessed this awesome destination.
The Pinball Hall of Fame
Our friend Jon ~ farthest right
Terry ~ next to Jon
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
September 29, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
with the support of members of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club.
Any "profits" (excess revenues) are donated to nondenominational charities.
This fun-filled, 10,000 square foot venue contains the world's largest pinball collection.
Here you will find many vintage games from the 1960s,
1970s, and 1980s when pinball was in its heyday.
Everyone except Susan had played pinball before,
and we all quickly scattered to find the perfect machines to try our luck.
Sue Tackles Corral
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Jon Finds a Challenge
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Roy and Terry Challenge Each Other
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I Give an Aerosmith Game a Go
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
What makes this museum exceptional is that all the pinball machines work!
People who love pinball restore the classic machines so they function like new,
and they keep them in good repair.
As a visitor, you can watch them at work,
and they are ready to help if you have a problem with a machine.
People who love pinball restore the classic machines so they function like new,
and they keep them in good repair.
As a visitor, you can watch them at work,
and they are ready to help if you have a problem with a machine.
Pinball Wizards at Work
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
It's not hard to tell how much fun people are having!
People are laughing and cheering and jumping up and down,
filled with the joy of being a kid again.
And, of course, there is plenty of popcorn and soda pop to snack on.
People are laughing and cheering and jumping up and down,
filled with the joy of being a kid again.
And, of course, there is plenty of popcorn and soda pop to snack on.
Refreshments
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
Lots of Choices
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
Atari Classics: Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Super Mario World
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
We spent close to three magical hours at this special place;
and let me tell you, it's way cheaper than gambling for three hours!
and let me tell you, it's way cheaper than gambling for three hours!
Sue at Play
Pinball Hall of Fame
Photo likely by Roy MacBeath ©
Best Buds Jon and Terry
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
If you go with a sibling a competition is bound to happen,
especially if it's my brother Roy and me!
Wizard versus wizard ~ LOL!
especially if it's my brother Roy and me!
Wizard versus wizard ~ LOL!
My Moment of Glory!
Pinball Hall of Fame
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
A New Victor!
Pinball Hall of Fame
Photo likely by Susan MacBeath ©
If I can't wait to return!
You're on next time, Roy!
You're on next time, Roy!
I highly recommend visiting the Pinball Hall of Fame.
Having Fun at the Pinball Hall of Fame
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
On the Chad and Sisters Two
On the Bay of Fundy
Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
July, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Source: Pinball Hall of Fame
For Map Lovers Like Me:
Location of Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
Location of the Pinball Hall of Fame
Location of the Pinball Hall of Fame
The Who & Elton John - Pinball Wizard (Tommy 1975)
Now that sure looks like fun, and lots of ones to choose from too. Wow, they must really enjoy fixing them up as much as people enjoy playing them. Idiots that hit machines should be kicked out anyway, but at least the sign is a deterrent, hopefully. I'd probably go with the X-men one first.
ReplyDeleteThis was the best time, Pat! I went straight for Lord of the Rings and then Ms. Pac-man. I absolutely love pinball, and I rarely get to play it. Have a great day, my friend!
DeleteI would not know where to start, looks like you have had a truly exciting and entertaining time together. It would be such fun to watch everyone else. Only there would this happen!!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jean! We always have fun together, and Vegas has so many ways to have fun. Okay, I'll admit that occasionally we'll have a slight kerfuffle, usually in an intense game of cards. Wishing you and Hugh a great weekend together! Sending you love and hugs!
DeleteMy next trip to Vegas, I am finding that place. Never good at Pinball, but it would be fun to see.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, you've got to go, Alex! And play! Who cares if you're not good. I'm no wizard, but I sure have fun. I hope that you and your wife have a fun weekend together. Terry and I are nursing bad colds, the result of burning candles at both ends. I keep pushing my body like I'm nineteen ~ LOL. Have the best time on your family vacation. Family is best!!!
DeleteWhat fun! I haven't played pinball in nearly 40 years. Love that video of you playing! Also enjoyed seeing Elton John's "Pinball Wizard" performance again too -- those boots!
ReplyDeleteHi, Debra! I bet you'd have a ball playing pinball there! Jon was supposed to be taking a picture for my blog. I had no idea he was taking a video. When I look at the video, I feel happy all over again. I was so excited to find the "Pinball Wizard" video on YouTube. It is a classic. I have no idea how Elton John maneuvered in those boots, but it's so much fun. All the best to you and your Rare One!
DeleteLooks and sounds like a fun time was had by all. I didn't go there when I was in Vegas wish I had.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Yvonne.
Thanks, Yvonne! I dearly love Vegas. I've been going for 46 years, and I always have fun. I'll be thinking of you this weekend. I checked the weather in Bournemouth, and it looks like the sun will peak through on Sunday. I hope you get to walk by the sea, enjoy the gift of being alive, and remember wonderful things about your son. Sending you lots of big hugs!
DeleteOh my gosh that video was AWESOME!!! I kept thinking to myself, wait...wait...okay hit it!! LOL...what a cool spot. I would love to go there. When I was in CEGEP, we'd skip classes and go to the local arcade. I played a lot of video games there like "Tapper" and "Spy Hunter"...but my favourite was pinball. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the game I played, but the theme was circus. I remember every time I got the ball into one of the high point areas, the machine would say "we have a winner" but it sounded like "we have a wiener." LOL...I think that's one of the reasons I chose that game to play!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rain! Haha ~ I told you I was hyperactive and spent my early childhood tied down with a rope! I'm not a good waiter ~ LOL. I'm sure that you would have so much fun at the Pinball Hall of Fame! I'd get a kick out of hearing, "We have a wiener," too. Everyone here says "hotdog," but it will always be "wiener" for me. I hope that you and Alex have lots of fun this weekend! Hugs to you!
DeleteOh my gosh! Heaven on Earth!!
ReplyDeleteMy fav machine was Attack from Mars!! So funny and so fun to play.
Heaven on Earth for sure, Lynda! Have a good one!
DeleteReminds me of the place I've been posting about, as I'm sure you've noticed. Except mine favored more arcade games than pinball. They do have a bunch, but not as quite what they have there.
ReplyDeleteOf course I noticed, Adam! I can't tell you how much fun I had playing Ms Pac-Man! If we ever do move to Vegas, I'll be visiting this place a lot!
DeleteThis visit sounds like a blast. Who knew there is a pinball hall of fame!
ReplyDeleteHeaven on Earth for sure, Lynda! Have a good one!
DeleteI'm so happy - and sad, but in a good way!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sad because I'm a pinball *nut* and I never knew that this place existed - and I've been in Vegas a bunch of times.
Now, with many *thanks to you,* I know where I'll most definitely be going the next time I visit Sin City :)
Wonderful post - and thanks again for sharing!!
I'm glad that you learned about the Pinball Hall of Fame, Mark! It's perfect for a pinball *nut!* Just a heads up ~ the museum will be moving to a larger location on the Strip in the relatively near future (late 2020 or early 2021), a site that is larger and easier to access (4915 Las Vegas Blvd. South, near Russell Road). Tim Arnold, the owner of the arcade and president of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, has already bought the land, and the Clark County Commissioners have approved the plans for the new location. The new location will have three times as many machines ~ Pinball Heaven! Have a good one!
DeleteWhat fun! I'll bet your brother was so surprised and happy when he saw that destination. My husband would love something like that. He talks about playing pinball at a local ice cream place when we were dating. what good clean fun they had in those days. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteHi, Peggy! It's always a delight to see you! We did have fun as teens, didn't we? Take care!
DeleteI've never been much good at pinball, dear Louise, but I hope you felt some warmth and friendliness from the west. In San Francisco, at Fishermans' Wharf, is an open and completely functional private collection, "Musée Mécanique", which is a fully interactive and carefully restored variety of delightful machines. My amazement of those who engineered these things has impelled me to consider it an art-form.
ReplyDeleteHi, Geo! It's always wonderful to see you! The west is always warm and friendly! My mother went west for the first time when she was going through basic training for the RCAF near the end of WWII. She was so taken by the warmth and friendliness of westerners that she often spoke about it when I was growing up. All of her children ended up west in Calgary before they dispersed all over the continent and world.
DeleteThanks for informing me about the "Musée Mécanique." I agree with you, pinball machines are an art-form, and I'm find them a great reflection of popular culture. If I make it back to SF, I will definitely visit the museum. I have now reached the point in life where I'm admitting "if" instead of saying "when." How can that be??? I'm celebrating the gift of life every day now, and I hope it's a long celebration! Watching Elton John in his giant boots and the energetic Who definitely made me feel like a Twenty Something!
I'm almost finished reading Paulo Coelho's "Hippie." It is fantastic, and it takes me vividly back to the days when I traveled around Europe in a Volkswagen van with two friends. I bet you would love this book. Not only does it capture the times, it's a love story, and it's a spiritual journey. It's beautifully written, and I will read it again! Have a great week, my friend!
What a fun place! Pinball wizards indeed!
ReplyDeleteI saw the Elton John film on the plane and I liked it but I admit, I had to fast forward through some of the songs, too much "artsy" dancing for me! :-)
Hi, Kay! I haven't seen the Elton John film yet, but I certainly got a kick out of seeing the "Pinball Wizard" video again. Those boots ~ LOL! I'm watching "Dancing with the Stars" right now. I'd like to come back in another life as a dancer, I have two klutzy left feet and no rhythm in this one. Have a great day tomorrow, my friend!
DeleteDear Louise :)))
ReplyDeleteOh my God :)))
I can't tell you how magically your energy transformed my day :)))
Such a innocence and such precious joy in your laughter my wonderful friend! Ah you are Wonder to those who might not able to live life with such purity and sooth
I am enthralled by the place and the fun it offers is remarkable ;)
Thank you for always being inspiration my dear Louis!
And Special thanks for ALWAYS enlightened comments
Hugs
Thank you, Baili for your wonderful comment. It made me feel like I'm floating in laughter and love! I thought our friend Jon was taking a few pictures of me for my post ~ I had no idea he was filming me. I can't wait to go back and play some more. Guaranteed, it will make me laugh! All the best to you, my special friend! Sending you big hugs!
DeleteHow fun! I never even knew that was in Vegas. I would much rather play pinball than gamble. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Madeline! A lot of people don't know about the Pinball Hall of Fame. Gambling can be fun if you get at a great table, but it will never match the fun of pinball for sure! Enjoy the rest of your week!
DeleteOh pinball! I'm not sure I can still play it. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! It's like riding a bike, Teresa! And really, it's not so much about the score, as it is about the fun playing. I can't wait to go back and play some more. All the best to you, my friend. I hope that your school year is off to a great start!
DeleteHow nostalgic! Thanks for sharing this wonder with us!
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure was mine, Elizabeth! I had so much fun playing and putting the post together. Have a good one!
DeleteHi Louise,
ReplyDeletethis place reminds me of when I used to go up to Blackpool with my mum and siblings to see our granddad. He used to take us all around the fairground and into an area where all those machines were. He paid for everything we went on. The only thing he would not want us to do was to use machines where you could win money. I don't know if it was because he was Jewish, and maybe he thought of it as training children for gambling :-)
Hi Brenda!
DeleteWhat lovely memories to have of your granddad. I haven't been to Blackpool, but I have been to Brighton several times, so I know what the wonderful English seaside venues are like. What fun for a child! I grew up in the Northern Baptist tradition, and there was concern among some of our older relatives that we would be trained for gambling because we played cards six days a week. Then I met Father Ouimet and Brother Bernier up North, and they played bridge enthusiastically with my parents and the few white adults in our community. Since God didn't strike them all down with thunderbolts, and since Father Ouimet and Brother Bernier were deeply religious, I decided not to worry about playing cards. I enjoyed your two recent posts. I thought I had commented on them, but I've been having major computer problems. I hope all is well with you! Take care!
Hi again Louise,
Deletei think you have come over to my blog recently, please don't worry if you think you may not have left a comment - that is no problem, I just enjoy writing and reading. Yes, I believe it is ok to play cards and win cash on machines as long as we do not let it become our master and take over us. I have a member of the family who used to spend most of his wage on gambling, it had become an addiction. However, he managed to stop it and now his life is good.
Hi, Brenda! It was sad to hear that your family member had been addicted to gambling, but awesome to hear that he overcame it. That, of course, is the downside of Vegas. Fortunately that has not been a problem for me. Those Scottish genes of mine! If I read a post, I try to always leave a comment, but my computer is wacky right now. I know how much work goes into creating a post, so I try to honor that by making a comment. All the best to you, my friend!
DeleteLooks like you all had a wonderful time! I wish I’d known about the Pinball Museum when we took our kids to Vegas years ago, as it would’ve been fun for the whole family.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Hi, Julie! Thanks for visiting! This is a wonderful venue for kids of all ages. I visited Vegas many, many times before I discovered the Pinball Hall of Fame. Have a great rest of the week!
DeleteI love playing pinball! Glad you enjoyed your visit there!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liberty Belle! If you love pinball, you would love playing at this place! Have a good one!
DeleteI laughed when you called out Adam because I thought of him first thing when I started reading your post.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at all of the neat pinball machines they have lined up waiting to be played, and I love that the proceeds are donated to charity. The offerings of soda and popcorn is a nice touch, too. I was never great at pinball myself, but boy did I love playing it at the pizza shop when I was little. Great memories!
Hi, Theresa! I'm glad that this post brought back great memories for you. I was never that great at pinball, but I sure had fun. I've always thought fun is more important than skills, even though I try to be the best I can. I can't wait to go back to this place. All the best to you!
DeleteYou are adorable!!!! I love the video! I haven't played pinball in ages! I want to now! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete