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Downtown Fun: Geeking Out At The Classic Arcade And Pinball Museum

by

Business News

I’m a Gen X baby. On weekends I’d leave the house in the morning to hang out with friends and came home when the streetlights came on.

We rode our bikes for miles exploring places we were told to stay away from. Or we would let our geek flag fly hanging out at the local mall and the arcades.

That’s right, before the original Atari 2600 home gaming system became popular, most of us were hanging out at malls. They had massive arcades inside them.

These were the days when games like Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Frogger, Super Mario Brothers, Space Invaders and others ruled the school.

And all the different pinball machines. It was loud; full of blinking lights and a cacophony of bleeps, bloops, and digitized sound effects. All you needed was a stack of quarters. You played until you ran out of money and still stayed to watch your friends play their games.

I’m 60 now and haven’t played an arcade game or pinball machine in probably 40 years, until last week. I finally visited the Classic Arcade and Pinball Museum on Broad Street. I’ve been in Chattanooga for six years now, why did I wait so long to visit this place?

For adults, you pay a $20 entrance fee. Inside you’re immediately transported back in time. And you don’t just get to view the amazing pinball machine and games, some dating back to the early 1970s, you get to play them.

That’s right: your admission allows you to play as many machines as many times as you want. Plus, you get a wristband which allows you to leave, grab a meal nearby, and come back as often as you want for your admission day.

FUEL FIRST

It was a rainy, nasty looking day when I decided to visit the museum. Weekdays the museum opens at 1 p.m. so I stopped into Maple Street Biscuits, right next door, to fuel up with their Five & Dime Biscuit.

Fried chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, smothered in their spicy sausage gravy all stuffed between their delicious house made biscuit.

Heaven in a biscuit doesn’t even begin to explain just how great this meal was. Maple Street Biscuit is a breakfast / lunch spot and closes at 2 p.m.

Other food spots within walking distance are Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Lupi’s Pizza, Big Chicken and many more.

PLAY NEXT

I was the first person to enter at 1 p.m. The machines were on, but everything was quiet. General Manager Logan Lee put on my wristband and asked if it was my first time to the museum.

“It is,” I replied.

He said it was okay to take photos and that I could play every machine in the place. I walked around, taking everything in. The pinball machines had placards indicating the year it was released, how popular they were and who made them. I walked toward the back of the building. That’s where most of the arcade games are.

I walked up to Frogger, pushed the start button and started playing. It’s amazing how quickly it was coming back to me. I was surprised how well I was doing. 

I stopped for a second to listen. The place was lit up, buzzing with movement and pinball lights.

Once the game was over, I stopped for a second to listen. The place was lit up, buzzing with movement and pinball lights. About 15 people on various machines, Love Rollercoaster by the Ohio Players was blaring out of the speakers hanging on the walls. Suddenly I was thrust back in time to the days we hung out at Dadeland Mall, in Miami.

I wondered if I could reclaim my crown as the Queen of Galaga. I found the game in the arcade room, pushed the start button and started playing. I started firing away at the descending alien ships, moving left to right avoiding their missiles. I avoided being bombed. Stage one complete. Stage two mastered. Challenge sequence. Stage three done. I was unstoppable until suddenly I wasn’t and GAME OVER.

Then the screen flashed...I was the TOP SCORER for the day! Still the queen!

I played a few more times, went back to Frogger, then Ms. Pac-Man, and Centipede. I walked up to one of the older pinball machines. It was made by Bally’s Manufacturing in 1977 and had those bumpers that made that boing sound each time the ball bounced off it.

This is how I remembered pinball.

Then I found another pinball machine from 1996 with my favorite B movies emcee – Elvira Mistress of the Dark. If the ball went into the coffin the whole machine lit up. Red, green, blue, yellow. Then it spit out two balls bringing double the action and points.

They opened in 2018 and that all the machines were from one private collector.

Suddenly, it was two hours later. As I prepared to leave, I asked Lee how the museum came to be. He said they opened in 2018 and that all the machines were from one private collector. He said there were 60 more machines in the basement and they periodically rotate machines. He said the machines are constantly maintained. You could tell. The machines were in pristine condition. As I walked out the door, he reminded me that I could come back until closing time at 9 p.m.

For two hours I was transported back 40 years. If you enjoyed the arcade games from the past or even if you’re a current streaming gamer, this place is a must visit.

Seriously make a day of it.

Eat beforehand, play some games. Visit Rocket Fizz candy shop next door, go back and play more games. Grab some Bobba tea also within a few feet of the museum, go back and play more. Finish the day by getting Moon Pies at Life is Good Chattanooga two doors down from the museum.

Classic Arcade and Pinball Museum