Biggest Pinball Collection in America is in Illinois?

Growing up Gen-X, we looked at pinball machines as a quaint relic that were mere stepping stones to the majesty of Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. If there was a pinball machine in the local arcade, it stood as a minuscule minority and available immediate play while you waited for the line to get shorter for Galaga.

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The only pinball I can recall playing as a tween was "The Black Knight”. It had the second level of play and potential of having multiple balls in play at one time. That chaos seemed right. Then, after getting married, my father-in-law had a “Guns and Roses” pinball machine at his apartment. That’s when I figured it out. The promise of extended game play, the potential of not just earning a personal best, but owning the high score, many of the things that drew me to video games were present in pinball, but it was more mature. There was a cool level to pinball that video games hadn’t achieved yet.

Guns and Roses Pinball (not at my father-in-law's)

Those of you who understand that pinball machines are more than just antiques from an earlier era, not just side piece distractions from bars and bowling alleys. There is art, there is engineering, and yes, a history that video games don’t have. Pinball machines were viewed as tools of juvenile delinquency, and a path to organized crime (seriously), and gambling, and were banned in several states for years.

Galloping Ghost Pinball - Brookfield, Illinois

In 2026, the place to engage with these functional pieces of skilled entertainment is in Brookfield, Illinois at the Galloping Ghost Pinball. There you'll find 45 to 50 pinball machines. Some vintage and rare, and yes you can play them. If you go, don’t miss stopping by Galloping Ghost Arcade that is just three blocks away on the same road and houses around 1000 video games and pinball machines.