Asheville Pinball Museum

Asheville Pinball Museum

Asheville Pinball Museum
4.5
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Friday
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Asheville Pinball Museum and nearby attractions

The area

Address
Neighborhood: Downtown Asheville
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • MyFamilyAndUs
    Atlanta, Georgia93 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good memories
    Love this place. We spent 2.5 hours playing pinball. By limiting the number of guests, there is always a game available to move to. Staff is welcoming and a good environment for families. A must do when you come to Asheville
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 20, 2024
  • BonnieRN
    Springfield, Missouri51 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss this!
    SO MUCH FUN!! All ages having a great time. Pay $15 and play as long as you want. Highly recommend to get there 30 mins before they open - a line will form and they let 60 in at a time. Don’t miss it, especially if you grew up playing pinball and arcade games!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 4, 2024
  • madeline
    Asheville, North Carolina56 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family Outing or Date Night Go To
    This is one of our favorite places in Asheville. My husband and I go for a date or we take our 9 year old son for afternoon family outings. They have pinball machines, arcade games, and classic games like the original Mario for Nintendo. There are concessions available and you can leave and come back with your wrist band. We recommend this to anyone that comes to town visiting.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 12, 2024
  • Carolyn B
    Kirkwood, Missouri65 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Like Unlimited Play
    I loved this place! Unlimited play for a reasonable price! I looked up other pinball arcades and saw that they still took your coins which is fine, but there is something FUN about playing with no limits. Friendly staff and a fun environment that included many pinballs machines just for display.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 14, 2024
  • Karina N
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mario bringing back memories
    This place is very cool and I loved the history lessons each pinball machine has above it. My favorite part was the very back room that had Mario on Nintendo - I'm a 90s baby and this really brought back all the memories. The only downside to this place is that it's pretty tight and gets crowded easily, and it feels pretty cluttered. Going in the later afternoon worked better for us. But since you can use your wristband the entire day, you can always take a spin through and then come back later if it's too busy.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 30, 2024
  • Natural1der
    Elkton, Maryland159 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pinball nostalgia
    A collection of pinball machines which primarily come from the 90s or later The title museum is very misleading. However, for $17 all you can play makes for a fun afternoon, This place gets extremely busy. Best to be there before open (30min or so)
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 7, 2024
  • atlmichelle4571
    Atlanta, Georgia262 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Such a fun afternoon playing pinball!
    This place was SO fun. My husband loves pinball, so he wanted to go here as part of his recent birthday trip in Asheville. I agreed, but honestly was not looking forward to it as I have played pinball in the past and it wasn't much fun to me. I was shocked when we spent over 2 hours there and I barely noticed the time flying by. It was so fun. There is a huge variety of pinball games and they have arcade games in the back. Some are vintage even and still a ton of fun to play. The staff is very organized and on top of all things. They will come fix a machine in a flash if something malfunctions. The price of $17 for unlimited play is absolutely reasonable. We will come back when in Asheville
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 12, 2024
  • Evgeni N
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Back-in-Time Experience
    This is a truly remarkable collection of Pinball and Classic Video Game machines. It feels like going back in time. All 3 of us (my wife, my daughter and I) had amazing time. We spent the whole day (2-9 pm) and did not get tired of it. Our favorite ones were Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball from 1999, Back to the Future, KISS, The Mandalorian (new machine) and many more. From the video games we enjoyed the original Star Wars (you try to shoot the Death Star) and Donkey Kong. My daughter had never played pinball before, but she had a blast. Staff was very friendly and helpful. This is definitely an experience to remember.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 22, 2024
  • travelbob1
    New Windsor, New York1,132 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pinball and Video Game Hands-On History
    One of us was an old pro and the other a newbie at pinball and we both had a great time playing the different machines. Some were from the 60s-80s, but many more from the 90s on. The staff were helpful with instructions and some pointers. There are posters telling a short story of each game's creation and some factoids. Included are several non-functioning machines for display only. We spent nearly three hours and played some repeatedly to outscore each other. There is a big difference playing those designed in the earlier years and those in the 90s. This proved to be part of the great experience. The cost was $17 and this allows free play all day, including if you leave for a break and return, for 99% of the machines and video terminals. Yes, there is a room of video games going back to Pacman, Mario, Frogger and more.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 4, 2024
  • paulagale
    McLean, Virginia179 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pinball “Museum” is Fantastic!
    We had a blast. We went on a Wednesday and took the advice to arrive before opening. There were people like us there before open, about 25…. But not a lot …. There are a few machines that you can’t play but no more than 5 or six. Three machines require money to play. All the rest are included in the $17 entrance fee. And you can play one machine as long as you want.. they don’t let people guilt you into leaving a machine. I knew I would enjoy but I had so much fun. And if you keep your wrist bracelet on you can leave and go back in on the same day. We ended up going back in after dinner! Really great place. I would hesitate to call it a museum but they have signs above each machine telling when it was produced and how many were made. So you get some info. I would highly recommend to anyone who loves to play.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles959 reviews
Excellent
714
Very good
188
Average
43
Poor
11
Terrible
3

JBH7212014
Manchester, GA96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
We enjoyed our visit to this active museum even though our pinball history was in the 50's and they did not have too many working that were from that era. Loved a baseball one we remembered where the metal players run around the bases for the hits you get. We were amazed the place was full of people paying $15 for unlimited play. Definetely recommend.

However, we are in our 80's and I use a power wheelcchaiir. There were no handicapped spaces on the main street. There was one, occupied, around the corner and a ramp to reach the level of the pinball museum. Someone pulled out of the parking lot across the street and we took the corner spot. An hour later we camed out and had a $20 parking ticket for parking in a permit only lot. The sign was very obvious we just did not see it. We live in a tiny Georgia town so permit lots are not something we are accustomed to. My GA handdicapped card was in the windshield and a manual wheelchair and walker plainly visible in our backseat. I don't know what wheelchair visitors are supposed to do in that area. Be careful
Written October 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hfritzinger
Newark, DE504 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
This was a really fun stop in Asheville, especially on a stormy afternoon. We arrived at about 1:45pm on a Friday afternoon in July and there were already about 20 people in line. Note they let in 70 people and then you go onto a waiting list. Prior to the opening at 2pm, we were given information and instructions by the owner and then proceeded inside and to pay (there were two lines - one for credit card and one for cash). We then received a wristband and were entitled to free play on nearly all machines. Note you can leave and come back later in the day and you are moved to the top of the wait list which is pretty neat. Admittedly this stop was more on the list for my husband, but I had such a blast too! Playing all the old machines and even the more recent ones were a total blast. Since there is a cap on people allowed we never had to wait for a machine. This was a really well-run experience and one we'd highly recommend!
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emily Stein
Wilmington, NC16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
GREAT! $15 enter and leave when you please. You can even come back later in the day if you keep your wristband on. All games are free except a few. If you enjoy pinball, $15 for unlimited plays is worth it.
Written August 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wpgod722
Clermont, GA27 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
On a recent trip to Asheville I was really interested in going here, so I made plans to do so. Upon arriving I was informed there was a waiting list to enter and they would text me when we could enter. Nearly 3 hours later they texted me. 3 Hours??
Surely they can come up with a better way to get people in to the museum. Increase the size of building, limit the time in the museum, or tell them it is not available for the day. Poorly run business if ya ask me.Will not return.
Written February 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Craig
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
If you have even the slightest interest in playing pinball machines and video games from the past, this is a must-do. For $15, you have unlimited access to about 35 pinball machines and 35 video games. If you're like me, and grew up with these games as a teenager, the experience will transport you back to your youth. The two-hours we spent at the museum are certainly one of the highlights of our week-long stay in Asheville.
Written August 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MITraveler60
Michigan102 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
The Ashevile Pinball Museum, located in the central downtown area, is a fun place to spend some time. The small space is filled with vintage pinball machines. For a reasonable fee ($15 at this writing) one can play from opening to closing (with return privileges if one decides to step out for something to eat, etc.). Lots of fun for pinball lovers of all ages.
Written March 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

William S
Kobe, Japan1,580 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Solo
The “museum” is a cozy place with 50-70 machines, helpful staff and a bar serving beer and non-alcohol drinks. You pay a reasonable flat fee and can play almost all of the machines as long as you like. The offer a wide range of machines most of which you haven’t seen in decades. The patrons, when I was there, are about 50/50 male/female and mostly 20-30 years of age. It’s very comfortable for most anyone. It is a little noisy when crowded but not deafening. Masks are required, thankfully.
Written October 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pgb520
Mount Kisco, NY49 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
This place is a blast from the past. About 75 machines in all, from old fashioned pinball to classic video games. It costs about $15 to get in, but once inside, all but two of the games are unlimited free play. These machines get a lot of play, so some of them could use a little TLC, but this was a great activity on a rainy day during our vacation in Asheville. Be prepared to wait to get in, as it's a popular place and they do limit the number of people allowed in at any one time. We had about an hour wait after we signed in, so we meandered around the neighborhood stores to kill the time. Took me a few games to get my flipper coordination going again, but after a while it all came back to me. FUN! The only reason it's not a 5 star rating is that some of the games that say you get 5 balls only give you 3, and some of the machines do need some repairs.
Written July 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

skkebolt
Covington, GA20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
We loved playing the vintage and classic pinball games. The Simpsons and the Star Wars games were our two favorites. Two hours went by quickly as we moved from game to game. Even then, we probably would have continued playing, but we were getting hungry.
There was an hour and a half wait when we arrived, so we put our names on the list and they called us when it was our time to come play. Plan accordingly. The fact that they allow only a limited number of people at a time means when you are playing, you can move from machine to machine with almost no waiting.
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert P
Dunwoody, GA270 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
This is a fantastic activity if you're traveling with older children or teens. One fairly reasonable price gives you unlimited access to three rooms full of old pinball machines and arcade games. The really old machines are display only, but there are plenty of 1970's and later machines available. They limit the number of people allowed in at any one time, so there is always a machine open somewhere to play without a wait. If you do need to wait, you can leave your cell number and they will text you when it is your turn.
Written April 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 957
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Asheville Pinball Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

All Asheville HotelsAsheville Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Asheville
All things to do in Asheville
Day Trips in Asheville
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars