In my teenage years I wasn’t a pinball wizard, but my friends and I spent a lot of time at video arcades. Thanks to The Flip, I relived some great pinball memories while learning a lot about the machines and industry.
Opened in June in The Pedway, an underground walking tunnel system in downtown Chicago, The Flip is a playable pinball history museum. The not-for-profit museum offers more than 30 playable pinball machines dating back to the 1930s. It is much more than an arcade, though.
Founder William Pietri guided me through a tour of the machines, starting with a wooden pin bagatelle from the 1880s. I learned Chicago’s place in pinball history, gambling, Bally and much more as Pietri led me around the museum. I was fascinated by artifacts including schematics, timelines, Ballyhoo magazines from the 1930s and more. Pietru even gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the backroom workshop, giving me the chance to see the inside workings of several machines.
While Pietri’s spontaneous tour was more than I anticipated, The Flip offers 90-minute tours. Given Pietri’s passion and knowledge, I highly recommend the tour.
Saturday Repair Day gives visitors a lesson in pinball machine repair and restoration from volunteer technicians. Although I am not mechanically inclined, I plan on returning for this.
After our tour, Pietri let me loose on the games. I managed to crack the top ten in scores on Centipede. I really hit my stride on Ms. Pac-Man, a game I mastered in my teenage years. Although I did not reach the heights of days long gone, I did capture the top score.
Before leaving, I tried my hand at a claw machine. This one was special, though, according to Pietri. Every turn was a winner. Pietri explained he sets it that way for all to enjoy winning one of the hundreds of mini rubber ducks.
I thanked Pietri for the tour and promised to be back. The experience put me in a great mood the rest of the day. My time there was such a nostalgic throwback to my youth.
— John Wroblewski, podcaster
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