When you hear the word “museum,” you think of history, fine works of art and security people yelling, “You can’t touch that!” At the Miami Pinball Museum and Bar, it’s already different because “bar” is in the name, and they’re people encouraging you to touch everything.
It’s wall-to-wall pinball machines, and you can play until your fingers hurt.
Elton John may be hailed the official pinball wizard, but I got a pinball lesson from an expert.
David Paz: “We’re gonna hit all three green lights.”
Chris Van Vliet: “Oh, OK.”
David Paz: “Then it’ll change to yellow.”
Welcome to the Miami Pinball Museum and Bar in North Miami.
There are countless machines in here. Actually, there are 165 of them — we counted.
And unlike other museums, this one encourages touching.
David Paz: “You walk in, you pay the cashier your $10 and you go and you play pinball all day long.”
That’s right. No quarters needed to do as much of this as you want.
Go old school with the vintage machines … or try a newer and flashier one.
Chris Van Vliet: “I’m just trying to stay alive. I like that you’re suggesting I aim at things, but I’m just trying to make sure the ball doesn’t go down.”
With these more modern machines, there’s a trick.
David Paz: “The newer games, the lights tend to flash on the shots that you need to make.”
And it can get competitive in here.
David Paz: “It’s a sport.”
Chris Van Vliet: “There’s gonna be a lot of people that watch this and go, ‘That’s not a sport.’ What makes it a sport?”
David Paz: “They can come out and play me and find out!”
That sounds like a challenge!
Chris Van Vliet: “There’s a way to become a great pinball player — what makes you different from other people?”
David Paz: “You just have to practice, you have to play.”
I took his advice, and I’d say it worked.
Take that, Sir Elton! We here at Deco Drive are the real pinball wizards.
The museum also sells machines, so if you want to buy one, they’ll even re-furbish it with whatever bells and whistles you’d like to add.
FOR MORE INFO:
Miami Pinball Museum and Bar
2000 NE 146th St.
North Miami, FL 33181
(786) 458-0726
www.miamipinball.com
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