What the Pinball Hall of Fame is
The Pinball Hall of Fame is the life's work of Tim Arnold, a former arcade operator who moved his collection to Las Vegas in the 1990s and built a non-profit around the idea that pinball machines should be played, not displayed. After two decades in smaller rooms east of the Strip, the museum moved in 2021 into a purpose-built 25,000-square-foot hall at 4925 Las Vegas Boulevard South, a few hundred yards south of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
Inside are hundreds of machines — the collection is usually quoted as several hundred on the floor at any time, with more in the workshop — ranging from 1950s electromechanical woodrails to 1990s classics like The Addams Family, Twilight Zone and Medieval Madness, plus modern Stern titles, novelty games and a row of vintage arcade cabinets. Every one is set to its original coin price or close to it, so most games cost 25 to 75 cents a play. The organisation donates its surplus to charity, and the whole place runs with a level of unpretentious honesty that is hard to find on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Hours, entry and how much to bring
There is no admission charge: you walk in, change your bills into quarters at the machines along the wall and start playing. The hall generally opens late morning and stays open into the evening, later on Fridays and Saturdays; check the official site or social channels for the current pattern, since the hours are set by a small staff and shift occasionally.
How much to bring depends on you. A casual visitor who plays 20 games at an average of 50 cents spends $10. A dedicated player can burn through $30 to $40 in two hours and be very happy about it. Bring cash — the change machines take bills — and small bills are easier. There is no bar and no restaurant, so it is also one of the few places on the Boulevard where a family of four can spend an afternoon for the price of one Strip cocktail. It belongs on any Las Vegas on a budget plan and in our list of things to do besides gambling.
What to play
- The 1990s heavy hitters. The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars and Theatre of Magic are the machines collectors pay five figures for; here they are 50 or 75 cents.
- Electromechanicals. The 1950s to 1970s games with chimes and score reels instead of screens. Slower, harder and weirdly addictive; many are a single quarter.
- Oddities. A baseball pitch-and-bat, fortune tellers, a few shooting galleries and mechanical novelties that predate video games.
- Vintage video. A row of classic arcade cabinets — expect the usual 1980s suspects — for a change of pace.
- Modern Stern titles for anyone who wants to compare a new machine with the classics side by side.
Machines carry small typed cards explaining their history and quirks, written in the founder's dry style; reading them is half the pleasure. If a machine eats your quarter, tell a staffer — they fix things on the spot and the workshop is visible at the back.
Time needed and who it suits
Most visitors spend 60 to 90 minutes; pinball fans lose an afternoon. It suits almost everyone: children who have never seen a mechanical game, parents reliving 1985, couples who want an hour out of the heat, groups looking for something cheap between check-in and dinner, and solo travellers who want a no-pressure place to wander. It is fully indoor and air-conditioned, which makes it a top pick in our indoor things to do guide for July and August afternoons.
The people it does not suit are those looking for a slick, Instagram-ready attraction: the hall is a big, bright, slightly echoey room with fluorescent lights and rows of machines. That is the point. The noise level is high when busy, which some small children find overwhelming for the first few minutes, and there is no seating beyond a few benches, so it is a standing activity. Accessibility is good — a flat, wide floor with no steps.
Getting there
The hall sits on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Russell Road, opposite the south end of the airport runways, with its own free car park. Walking from the Welcome sign takes about five minutes along the Boulevard; walking from Mandalay Bay is possible — roughly 20 to 25 minutes on a sidewalk with little shade — but in summer take the ride. Rideshare from the South Strip is a $10 to $15 trip; from centre Strip closer to $15 to $25 as of 2026.
The Deuce bus runs the length of the Boulevard and stops near the Welcome sign, making this one of the easiest off-resort attractions to reach without a car; see our transportation hub for the fare and route details. If you are picking up or dropping a rental car at the airport, the hall is five minutes from the rental centre and a decent way to use the awkward hour before a flight.
Tips for a better visit
- Come on a weekday afternoon. Weekend evenings get crowded around the famous machines; on a Tuesday at 2pm you can have Twilight Zone to yourself.
- Start with the electromechanicals. They are cheaper, and learning a single-flipper 1960s game makes the 1990s machines feel like a reward.
- Bring your own bills. There is no ATM worth relying on, and the change machines want cash.
- Combine it with the sign. Photograph the Welcome sign at sunset, then walk down for an hour of pinball as the temperature drops.
- Read the cards. The machine descriptions are the best free museum text in the city.
- Pace the kids. Give each child a roll of quarters and a rule about pressing Start only once the ball has drained — it saves a lot of wasted coins.
What to do nearby
This is the far South Strip, so the natural combinations are all within a mile or two. The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is a five-minute walk north; the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur cluster with Shark Reef Aquarium is a short ride up the Boulevard; Town Square, the open-air mall with restaurants and a cinema, is just south. Allegiant Stadium is a few minutes away if you are heading to a game — see our Raiders and Allegiant Stadium guide.
For food, the Boulevard around the hall has fast-casual options, and Town Square has sit-down chains and a good happy hour spread. Families staying on the South Strip can do the sign, the pinball hall and Shark Reef in a single afternoon and be back at the pool by four. It is also the last cheap stop before Seven Magic Mountains on the drive south on I-15.
