A hidden arcade is fueling Richmond's pinball revival
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The "King Kong" machine is one of the latest additions and the "RVA" sign was done by a member and his wife. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
Inside an unassuming storefront off Midlothian Turnpike, pinball is having a renaissance.
Why it matters: What began as a nostalgic passion for baby boomers and Gen Xers is now attracting 20- and 30-year-olds at a time when people are seeking connection after years of isolation.
State of play: The Richmond Pinball Collective started in 2017 when Clark and Laura Fraley had the idea to pool privately owned machines into a shared location.
- It's grown into a 2,400-square-foot space with 40+ free-to-play machines (no quarters required) — the largest collection in the Richmond area, per pinballmap.com.
- Members have loaned most of them.
- Though it briefly shut down during the pandemic, the collective has had the greatest boom in membership since then, board member Chris Terrell tells Axios.
What they're saying: "Everybody that's been shut up for so long in their houses wants to start doing things," says Terrell, who grew up playing Pac-Man and Asteroids.
- "They love the competition. They love the camaraderie."
Zoom in: The volunteer-run collective now has about 130 members, league nights that regularly draw over 60 players and a bar with craft beer and White Claws.
- The machines lining the walls date back to the 1970s and they're filled with pop culture references to famous movies, shows and bands like "Demolition Man," "Game of Thrones" and Metallica.
- Some are worth up to $15,000.
The intrigue: Players also span demographics and age groups, Terrell adds, and increasingly include women (pinball has long been a male-dominated hobby).
- Jeff Allen, a member, told Axios he's surprised at how many young people are into it. But he noted the game can be "almost therapeutic" and a break from screens.
- Since joining, he's brought in his son and even old friends he played football with 50 years ago.
Fun fact: Pinball was once illegal in Virginia and seen as a societal menace until the '60s.
- In 1946, police arrested 35 people in Henrico in a pinball raid, per the RTD archives.
- By 1978, Virginia's first state pinball championship was held at the Chesterfield mall.
The bottom line: Pinball isn't going anywhere.
- "If you were to say, 'What was the best day for the Pinball Collective?' I would say yesterday," Terrell says.
- "And what's going to be the next best day? It'll be tomorrow."
If you go: You can find the collective at 9550 Midlothian Turnpike #106. Hours vary.
- While the games are free to play, guests pay $15 a day for access. Members pay $25 a month for unlimited play.