Asheville Pinball Museum

Very cool museum with lots of options for games to play. Each game has information like when it was released, how many were produced. There are also older machines you can't play (to preserve them) that have more detailed information posted on the history of pinball. The old arcade games are an added bonus of nostalgia. It was fun having unlimited play on games that used to devour my quarters as a kid. Highly recommend arriving when they open to get on the wait list and the browse area shops while you wait. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a stop if you are passing through town.

This place is amazing, it brought back so many childhood memories, it was like a step back in time. So many pinball machines, and arcade games. The staff were friendly and helpful. There is also beer available to walk around with. For $17 you can play 90% of the pinball machines and arcade games. There is also a lot of nostalgic photos and other items around. All the pinball machines have the history of them on each one, and how many were made and what years, same with the arcade games. When I walked in I was greeted at the door, I walked over to the desk where you pay. The guy at the desk said you don't have to pay if your just walking around and checking things out, but you cant play the games. But for $17 it is well well worth it. The place sounded like an old arcade at an amusement park, the lights are flashing and you can hear the bumpers and metal pinballs and the ding ding ding of the bells of the machines. If you're in Asheville definitely make this a stop. allow for extra time, I'm glad I did, I thought I would only be here a ½ hr but ended up spending over 3 hours.

Had a blast! The hosts were very welcoming! When we first got there, it was packed so they put us on the waiting list, but they called us after about 10 minutes. The kids had so much fun!!! You definitely have to visit the bathrooms....so cool! Would definitely be back! Price was $15 per kid and $17 per adult. They also sell beer and snacks.

My husband and I stopped by here on our trip to Asheville, NC earlier this year. We originally thought it was just a typical museum set up where you just look at vintage pinball machines. No! You can actually play most of the pinball games on display (with the rare exception of extremely delicate ones). You pay a one time fee for the day for unlimited plays - you can also get drinks and snack to have while you played. Each pinball game had a little placard with a description of the game and some fun facts. Honestly, we could have stayed all day had we timed our visit better. Since it is a functioning pinball arcade essentially, be prepared for it be a bit noisy and a little crowded. People were very courteous in waiting and taking turns on each machine, and most of the pinball games had a cup holder to keep the top clean and clear. Well worth the stop even if you’re in town for just the day.

Even though I've been visiting Asheville for the past 13 years, this was my first time here. My partner is obsessed with pinball machines so we spent 3 hours here. Even though I'm not a pinball fanatic, the museum was cool. For ~$20 you get unlimited play time on the machines and the game consoles. There's 3 different rooms: one for pinball, one for games like pac man and dig dug, and then one with consoles like Nintendo. It's easy to split your time and visit all the different rooms. Even the bathrooms match the vibe of the museum. They have drinks you can order, but no food is allowed. I definitely would come here again.

Very fun place to hang out or take a nostalgic trip via pinball and electronic video games. Very historic and eclectic collection of games. One set price for play all day, with come and go capabilities. Great stop on a rainy day and the place can get pretty busy. A fun time for families, couples or anyone who just wants to have some fun. Great location near downtown, shops and restaurants. Helpful staff.

What an amazing and nostalgic experience. Walking into the Asheville Pinball Museum instantly took me back to my childhood — surrounded by classic games, flashing lights, and that joyful energy you only find in places filled with genuine fun. The staff was kind and welcoming, and everything was well maintained. You can feel the passion behind this place. Whether you’re a kid or just a kid at heart, it’s impossible not to smile here. A great stop for anyone visiting Asheville!

I try to visit arcades in different cities. This is one of the best I’ve been to, Great selection of games. Fun decor. Beer and soda available. Definitely recommend if you want to relive your childhood or introduce the next generation to pinball and video games.

This was a really fun place and somewhere really great where you can go with someone under 21 years old. If you're out late in downtown, your options are limited to ice cream places and only a few other options so it really checks a lot of boxes. I will say they let too many people in When I read about this place, it was something like they let 60 people in but they're 70 machines so logically it sounds like it's gonna be a good deal. However, people are people and some people never ever get off of a good game and we'll just sit on it all night. Plus, some of the pinball games are just terrible and nobody seemed to play them all night long. Still, I have gone to a number of arcade bars over the years and I would come back to this one. Also, good luck beating my high score on 1941 that's my game Just saying

Does a museum have have a velvet rope and a bouncer at the door? I'd call this an arcade, instead, and a fun one at that. $17 a person gets you an all-day wristband and unlimited playing. There's a large room with newer machines and retro ones, all set up to play, no quarters needed. Another room has video games. Your admission includes all the games, though they mentioned Deadpool and another game were extra. The machines worked well, the plungers and flippers were smooth, and the lights and sounds were in working order. They said we could leave and come back later to play, with the wristband.

The Asheville Pinball Museum is a must visit in Asheville. For $17 you can play unlimited pinball machines and classic arcade games. It was cool to read about the history of the games especially the ones that you could not play. They do have a bar so we grabbed a beer and had a blast.

Such a fun way to spend a cold afternoon. We arrived right before 1 PM when they were scheduled to open, and there was already a very long line. We did not get in immediately, but they put our name on a list, and called us about an hour and a half later to tell us it was our time to come in. Fair warning, you have 20 minutes to get there once they've called you. Luckily, we were there a little bit before three and stayed until closing at six. With three teenage sons, my husband, and I felt like it was a great way to spend our afternoon. Not only do they have pinball but lots of arcade games - we all had a blast!

We had a fun time visiting the Asheville Pinball Museum! So many machines to play! We played a couple of pinball machines together, then did our own thing, including some video game options like Digdug and Pac-Man. Highly recommend this fun stop!

My son loved this place. They only charge if you plan to play, so I was able to walk around with him without having to pay the entry price. He played for hours on all of the classic games. They have more than Pinball. They have classic arcade games as well. If you have a little gamer in your family, this is definitely a stop for you.

So fun! I go every time I visit Asheville. Great value to be able to play all of the machines plus classic arcade games.

I mean, what's not to love! Free play after you pay a small admission fee. You can go check out other spots and come back too! It was a real treat and I recommend it if you're in the area!

This was a neat experience! I like how you can pay the daily rate and come and go as much as you would like throughout the day. Makes it easy when you want to take a lunch break, or go walking around for a bit. I would definitely go back.

This is a killer business! What a great nostalgia trip with the 80's themed games, posters, and pop culture memorabilia. The staff was great. Beer is served. The location is prime time downtown. All the pinball machines are "free" to play after paying the cover charge to enter. We had a really great time hanging out here with family and I would certainly be interested in returning.

Fun for a family of six. Great adventure and nostalgic for the older folk! Would go again!

Tldr: if you like antique stuff, come! If you're like me: prefer newer technology, you might not enjoy this as much. Tip: come on a weekday. We came on Friday around ~1:30 PM and there was no wait. It costs $15 per player. You can also just come and take a look around without playing (for free). When you pay, they give you a wristband. There are employees walking around checking if anyone without a wristband playing or not. There are many older versions of pinballs some are so old that they are only for display. The newest version is 2020, I think. When you walk to the back, they have 2 rooms with arcade games. The restrooms were clean but it can be a challenge to find because they didn't look like restroom doors. It took me about 15 minutes for me to feel bored amd ready to go but I stayed for an hour so I didn't feel like I wasted $15. I only like playing the newer version pinballs. They were more fun. Ironically, I wasn't the only one because there were other people waiting to play the new ones.

Ok, so I like pinball and museums so I thought I would really like it here. Sadly, it wasn't really for me. First, it is not really a museum so don't expect that. Second, the entry process sets a bad tone. There is someone at the very front that has a job that isn't clear to me. Then you have to wait in a giant, slow moving line to pay. They were doing both the payments to play as well as the drinks. It was too crowded and hard to play with that many people. There are cool old machines that you can't play randomly located throughout. Maybe that is the "museum" aspect? Overall, not bad but not as fun as I was hoping.

Really fun and great value for $! Friendly service, well run spot. I stopped by here on Sunday. They were in a 1 hour wait, so I explored Grove Arcade in the meantime. They texted once space had freed up. $15 for all you can play (Mandalorian and one or two other games were excluded but that didn't really bother me). I had a great time playing some classics, spent 20 solid minutes playing Pac-Man. I looked for Tetris but couldn't find it (not sure if I missed it), and had a blast playing the retro desktop space arcade game. They have some beer and chips, but no wine or seltzers unfortunately. Definitely worth checking out for some late doses of entertainment and nostalgia!

Fantastic 4 hours of playing vintage & updated Pinball Machines ! Also if you're more into PAC-Man, Asteroids & All the vintage & newer games this is definitely for you !!!!

This place is so fun! You don't have to know anything about pinball or be a mega video game fan to enjoy it. There will definitely be a wait if you don't get there early before it opens, so be prepared for that. However, once you are in, you can come and go as you please (just be prepared to wait to re-enter). They monitor the number of people so that there will always be games available to play, which is very considerate. The pinball games were so fun, even as a person with no pinball skills or experience haha. It was fun trying old and new machines, and reading the little blurbs about the history of pinball and each individual game. There are also lots of old video games to play in back rooms as well. They offer snacks and drinks to keep you sustained if you are there for the long haul. It's certainly easy to spend a few hours here, and I highly recommend it if you are in the area!

Best stop in Downtown Asheville. Be aware it's worth getting on the wait list and they'll call you. Very family friendly. There's bathrooms, snacks like chips for sale at the bar, and stools for the littles.

Omg what fun. Kids and I had a blast, all the pinball is great but those back rooms go HARD! I'm talking every dope game from your childhood is hidden back there. All day pass is worth every penny.

My husband and I went in around 3:30 pm one afternoon just to check it out. We ended up staying until they closed at 6 pm! We had no intention of doing that, we were just caught up having so much fun!!! There are a TON of various pinball machines and other retro games in the back! We spent a majority of our time on the pinball machines and didn't realize just how expansive this place was until it was almost closing time.

This seems to be a popular spot in Asheville. If you are a big pinball fan you will love it. Otherwise you might be board, like my wife was. After you pay you get a wristband and you can come back as much as you want all day. There are times where it is really busy and you have to wait to go inside. When we went there was no wait. They have a large variety of really old pinball machines to current ones. I probably would not come back but it was worth checking out.

We enjoyed the games and the beer! Loved the $15 per person and play as many games as you wanted. They give wristbands and they are super nice. If a machine gets stuck they ask you to get an employee to fix it. They sell good local beer and I liked the cup holders too.

Didn't get to play this time. Paying the $15 per person would not have been conducive considering the amount time we arrived & needed to leave by. Certainly, will plan better on our next try to Asheville. Not only do they have pinball, they have arcade games that will take you back to the 70's and 80's. It will bring the inner kid out of you.

This place is really cool! It's kinda expensive to get in (17 dollars) but it's all you can play old arcade games. If you are into stuff like that this place is perfect for you!

Opens at 2 pm and there is usually a line, even on weekdays. They let 65 people in so there is always a game to play because there are 70 games. Lots of fun pinball games and some regular arcade ones too. Place is a bit loud and cramped but that's the nature of the game and spacing! Overall great time- $15 for unlimited play.

It's an arcade! With beer! Ok, I don't know what I expected. Sure, it says museum and there's certainly age old machines that are display only but really it felt like going through time playing games. And I like games! After visiting Cultivated Cocktails I needed a spot to slow down for a minute and the Pinball Museum was perfect for that. Three rooms worth of games with the front largest room filled with pinball machines, the one back room having old school arcade style games (think Space Invaders, 8 bit graphics) and the adjoining room having a few old school console games like Nintendo and Genesis. You pay a flat fee, get a wrist band, and then you wander through and play games. Everything worked that was supposed to work. I enjoyed the flat fee because I could play all the pinball games and not get frustrated. I had a joy of a time walking through this space playing nostalgic games.

What a great place. Able to play tons of old arcade games and pinball machines. They were nice enough to let us take a look around before buying admission ("just please don't touch the machines until you've paid") and seeing all of the classic games really sold it for us. A+

We tried stopping in to this place on St Patrick's day and there was an hour and a half line to get in, so I would recommend getting there early if you want to experience it. They had another place down the sidewalk called the Poster Vault and went in there and it was super cool with retro games on all systems and secluded rooms to play in. If I had time, I would stay longer and play some games but either way they let us take a quick tour for free to check it out.

Such a unique and fun experience! My family went to the pinball museum yesterday and spent a fun two hours playing all kinds of games. I love that they monitor capacity to make sure there the "games to people" ratio is appropriate. I also liked that they had the date of manufacturing and number of units produced on display right above the machine consoles.

I visited this place with my family when we were on vacation. It was fun at first but soon I got bored since there's kind of similar games and machines. It costs you $15 for unlimited play. If you just wanna get around to browse, then it's free. For people who pay to play, they have you wear a green wristband. It is great that you are allowed to get out and back in the store to continue playing games as long as you still have your green band on your wrist. If you are a person who likes antique stuff, this is going to be fun and interesting for you. In general, I think it is a cool place, and I had a unique experience on this trip.

Such a fun trip down memory lane, we loved playing pinball and showing my kids the old video games we grew up playing up playing on our local arcade.

Great place!!! The Asheville Pinball Museum is located in the north part of downtown. In order to enter and play it's $15.00, which gives you unlimited play on the pinball machines and video games. However, there are three pinball machines that require $.50 extra to play (Godzilla, Willie Wonka and Star Wars). The museum has a nice range of machines currently with some from the late 1960's through 2017. Most of the older machines were manufactured by Bally, Gottleib and Midway with a few produced by companies I never heard of before. What I liked was that each machine had a sign atop of it which mentioned the designer, artist, when it was made and how many machines were made, which is a nice touch. In the back three rooms they have video games from the 80's and 90's and Xboxes and PlayStations hooked up to tvs for the younger folks. Many of the video games I played as a teenager back then, which brought back some great memories. PacMan, Missile Command, Joust and Star Wars were my favorites. The bar area in front has a great collection of kitschy pop culture items from the 60's through now. This is definitely a fun place to visit!!!

fun thing to do to past the time! popped in here to play until dinner and it didn't disappoint. It's $15 a person for unlimited play for the whole day, you can even leave and come back as long as you keep your wristband on. There were tons of pinball machines as well as other games (e.g Pac-Man, space Invaders, frogger, etc.). It's a bit of a tight squeeze getting around the place but really cool posters and fun facts about pinball on all the walls.

I was disappointed that many pinball machines had a sign indicating they were "display only", the ball got stuck on 2 of the working ones while I was playing, and the $15 cover doesn't include several of the newer pinball machines so still need quarters to play everything. I was excited to find a Street Fighter II video console but found the joystick couldn't move to the top left. I also think certain areas had a slight BO odor in the air however it was my first visit so may have just been from another customer there that day. I like that they sell beer and have drink holders on the sides of many machines.

Such a fun experience. Pay once for all you can play fun. I didn't realize that it was so much more than pinball there. There's an 80s room with all the classics like PacMan, Centipede, Frogger, Donkey Kong etc and then 90s room with the next gen favorites like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Everything is in really good condition. Unlimited play is such a fun change from when I was a kid with no money.

For both pinball and the video games of yore, Asheville Pinball Museum is as much fun as you are likely to have almost anywhere. Located across the street from the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville, it is a popular spot. If they are filled up, you are placed on a waiting list and you can saunter around town until they give you a call. It's $15 for unlimited play. You can go at it for hours, if you want, but you won't be able to play everything they've got in there. Many of the pinball games are for display only and include a card offering up some pinball history. I found these to be nearly as needo as the games you can play, which include some of the classics such as Medieval Madness and The Twilight Zone, as well as games you've never seen before. The vintage arcade cabinets in the back rooms include Crystal Castles, Millipede, Ms. Pac Man, Time Pilot, Galaga and every other game that ruled the 1980s, even Dragon's Lair, which is still not fun.

$15 for unlimited playing time AND you can come back the same day and are automatically at the front the line ...such a GREAT experience!!!

I could have spent ALL DAY in this place. More of an arcade than a museum- $15 for unlimited playtime?? Unbeatable. There are old school arcade games there in addition to the pinball. We spent a couple hours here left for lunch and came back to play until close. Just good, wholesome fun, and the beers are $5!!! A beautiful North Carolina treasure. My favorite game was Medieval Madness.

1/26/2020- Many pinball new and old . Some just for Display. Every employee in there was very friendly very nice and Sophia from where you check in and pay couldn't have been any kinder. All really nice games for only $15.00 dollars. Ms Pac-Man, PAC man tabletop Pac-Man also Elvira it so many it was some that had three balls and had five balls , it was very exciting lots of people coming in there. I was told they also have a bar there that's very nice I didn't see it and I wasn't drinking I enjoyed myself a lot.

A pinball lover's dream! Don't miss this place while you're visiting Asheville as they have a wonderful variety of classic pinball games and plenty of retro decor to have you waxing nostalgic for days to come. Friendly and fun staff as well.

I spent hours here. Literally just did not want to leave. There are so many different games to play and it was so much fun. They do have some of them closed off for social distancing which really bummed me out but I still could not rate them down. I know they will be back up to full capacity someday. In the back they have more older, regular video games which were a lot of fun to play. Including Dragon's Lair! This is a classic from the eighties and it is very hard to beat. Also you can play the other game developed after it on the same console if you know how to select on the menu. It uses an old LaserDisc so it's like a pre DVD kind of thing. Give it a shot! Very friendly staff and there are alcohol options.

Very cool museum especially if you love Star Trek and Star Wars. So many retro things. Loved the hamburger phone.

This place is sweet! We were walking by and kind of stumbled in. The woman who greeted us explained how the museum works. You can pay $15 for a wristband and play absolutely all day long- you can leave and come back, whatever you want. She also said we were welcome to walk around and look and take pictures, too, for no cost. If we hadn't been planning on eating dinner so soon we probably would have been tempted to stay and play! The museum has signs with information about each machine (I believe she said they have 40 in total). The signs say how many of each machine were produced, etc. Some of these machines are really limited edition! They also have a room in the back with an old juke box and classic arcade games (think Frogger, Asteroids, PacMan, etc.). This would be an awesome date destination! I had no idea how hard it is to maintain pinball machines and this museum treats them as if they're art. So cool!

Lots of fun to do if you have an hour or so to kill and you enjoy playing pinball. $15 for unlimited play.

Seriously one of the most fun places I have been to in a very long time. I came here yesterday, came back today. I love this place! Totally worth it!

So fun!! Has pinball machines (duh), and an arcade!! I went here with a friend once and stayed all day from opening to closing and we had an amazing time! We were even able to buy pinballs from the counter as souvenirs. Nearly a year later and we both still have them

I can't add more than what has already been said about this place - I wish nobody knew about it and I could have it all to myself! The wristband is totally worth it- I could have stayed all day. A must do!!

I'm going to go all the way on the Asheville Pinball Museum because my wife and I had so much fun. Where else can you find over 50 vintage pinball machines and a dozen retro arcade games in one spot for unlimited play? No where. The biggest thing to know about the museum is that at peak times in the early/mid Summer your experience would be different than ours at off peak late Summer. My wife and I had no issue waltzing in late morning and immediately playing. The fee has sent up twice over the past three years and is now $15. Is it worth it, I think so if you are there at the right time to move around and play. The game masters move around the rooms constantly to help with balls stuck etc. All the staff I encountered was fabulous! My favorite machine Elvira was there and my second fave AD/DC. Another room has classic video arcade games such as Pac-Man and Centipede. For me this was just okay and did not have the draw as the pinball machines. This room is included with the entry fee. There is also a full bar and each pinball machine has a cup holder on the side. Prices were the same as any bar. I would without hesitation recommend checking them out and go early in the day for less crowd interference.

I didn't like Asheville, I'm going to be frank. A city of woo-girl bachelorette parties from small towns who think a 1-2 block stretch of recently thrown together businesses smart enough to build stages to attract local bands makes this The Big City. It's expensive, with overcrowded roads and restaurants not meant to accommodate all these tourists. But the Pinball Museum? This is a gem. Come here. Come here instead of going to bars where every hour is amateur or breweries where people don't clap for the live music. Jimmy working the counter is having so much fun doing it. Full of a little shtick for everyone who walks in, his humor made my night. And the museum aspect of this place adds to it's uniqueness. Yes, you can play tons of games (Galaga, Galaga till my hands fall off!). But each game and piece of memorabilia on the wall also has a little framed print out next to it offering some fun factoids and a bit of history. And stuff is everywhere, there is something to look at in every corner, even the bathrooms are overloaded with cool games and odds and ends. There's local artwork and other bits for sale and great 80's music piping in. You feel like you've gone back in time, it's so perfect. Some of the tabletop arcade games are even for sale. You pay something like $10 for a wristband and the games are free to play from there. They have beer too, and beer holders and benches at all the machines. YES. The only drawback? They close early, because otherwise drunks would mess with these fragile machines. I would love to see them open a more bar-like space with the same vibe.

Who spent a couple of hours there last night. The Air-conditioning was not working very well. Loved playing Centipede, Space Invaders, Asteroids, PacMan, Ms. PacMan, Galaga, Donkey Kong, q Bert, Phoenix, Donkey Kong Jr. and more! We would have given 5 stars, but the AC was an issue.