D.C. Pinball Museum

[cyberfluxor]

Just herd this today and an article on WTOP explains. I'm sure there are other articles out there and I hope this hasn't been discussed yet here but for admission and tickets:

The museum will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beginning Dec. 9, it will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Admission is $13.50 for ages 9 and up, while kids younger than 9 get in free. Annual passes are $80.

"Silverman owns more than 900 machines dating back to the 1930s, including rare prototypes."

NATIONAL PINBALL MUSEUM Website

Man am I stoked and totally interested in seeing this place in January!

[Parodius Duh!]

that is awesome!!! and Happy Birthday!!!

[cyberfluxor]

that is awesome!!! and Happy Birthday!!!

Oh, thanks! It would appear I'm the only one with a birthday notification for today or something to that effect. Anyhow, I'm waiting to hear from what others might experience at this place if some plan to attend the opening or before New Years.

[Baloo]

Wow, I LOOOOOOOOOVE Pinball and I'm not super far from D.C., a couple hours drive. When this place opens I'll definitely have to find a way to visit there!

[DogP]

I plan on going, though its my understanding that it's going to be a museum more than a pinball arcade. So, they'll have 900 pins, but I don't think you can actually play them. They said there'll be a pay to play section, with 50 or so pins... but you gotta pay $0.50 to play, in addition to the admission to get into the museum.

DogP

[VACRMH]

Sounds pretty neat! I'm not too big into going to DC (I'm just now getting the hang of Baltimore after all these years), but it still sounds like something cool to check out.

The only thing that is dissapointing with the museum part is that I'd think the neat part about pinball is seeing the game played. Too bad there's not some automated way to have them in action.

[InsaneDavid]

Pinball is meant to be played.

[cyberfluxor]

I plan on going, though its my understanding that it's going to be a museum more than a pinball arcade. So, they'll have 900 pins, but I don't think you can actually play them. They said there'll be a pay to play section, with 50 or so pins... but you gotta pay $0.50 to play, in addition to the admission to get into the museum.

DogP

I don't mind the 50¢/play or a $12 entry fee, but if it's both I wouldn't expect them to have too many walk-ins.

[DogP]

I don't mind the 50¢/play or a $12 entry fee, but if it's both I wouldn't expect them to have too many walk-ins.

Yeah, it's not the price that I'm complaining about... it's that they're saying they'll have 900 pins, but only ~50 that can be played. Like I said, I'll definitely give them a chance... maybe it does work, and I hope it works for him... but I'm used to places that either charge admission, then you can play whatever you want (like conventions, Gameworks, etc), or they just open up and you can play like in a regular arcade by paying per game (like the Pinball HOF, or really just any arcade). But, I've never seen a place that has TONS of pins, but you can't play them. It sounds really odd to me.

DogP

[cyberfluxor]

Yeah, it's not the price that I'm complaining about... it's that they're saying they'll have 900 pins, but only ~50 that can be played. Like I said, I'll definitely give them a chance... maybe it does work, and I hope it works for him... but I'm used to places that either charge admission, then you can play whatever you want (like conventions, Gameworks, etc), or they just open up and you can play like in a regular arcade by paying per game (like the Pinball HOF, or really just any arcade). But, I've never seen a place that has TONS of pins, but you can't play them. It sounds really odd to me.

DogP

Maybe it's a power and maintenance issue, having 900 pinball machines potentially break down on you at any given time or just a select few, pulling the ones that go rogue at the end of the day and rotate with a working classic currently just on display. That way you can send the busted one to the back for repair until it's ready for display only again, though I'd expect you will not be playing it anytime soon.

Myself, I would much rather even pay $20-30 for all I could play if there were enough machines to go around and plenty to sample from, then throw down a little snack & drink section with a bar and tables for people to talk at but separate from the games. Then again I'm looking into this as a business, as a "museum" I don't know what their situation is.