Thousands of pinball enthusiasts and die-hards excitedly strolled through Banning, Calif. this past weekend for Arcade Expo 5.0, held at the Museum of Pinball.
The museum features 1,100 pinball machines and video games – from retro pins like Surfers (1967) by Bally to the newest selection from Jersey Jack, Stern and independent pin makers. Founder John Weeks and his co-founder Kenny Hardy discussed Arcade Expo’s growing community at the event, with people coming from far and wide to enjoy their extensive offerings.
A labor of love, Weeks started collecting pinball machines in 2004 when he had the idea to develop an arcade bar. That didn’t work out, but he kept collecting and collecting. So much so that he finally opened the 40,000-sq.-ft. warehouse after years and years of the games being held in storage. Now, they’re everybody’s.
Stay tuned for photos and additional coverage in upcoming issues of RePlay, and learn more about the collection of games at the Museum of Pinball at www.arcadeexpo.com.
