About This Website

Our Mission

Preserving pinball's visual history through high-resolution photography and making it accessible to enthusiasts, researchers, and curious minds worldwide. This digital archive ensures that the art, mechanisms, and cultural significance of pinball machines remain available for future generations to study and appreciate.With over 870 machine galleries and thousands of high-resolution images, you can explore every detail—from backglass artwork to playfield mechanisms—with zoom capabilities that reveal details you might miss even when standing in front of the actual machine.

This site is very much a work in progress. Really, it's a fancy proof of concept. Please bear with us as we update content and dial in all the fiddly bits. This is largely a volunteer effort, so we'll get to it when we can.

How to Explore

Browse the Collection — Start with the manufacturer and era menus at the top.

Zoom Into Details — Every image supports deep zoom, letting you examine artist signatures, wear patterns, and mechanical details.

Discover Connections — Use the search to find machines by theme, visual characteristics, or historical connections across decades of pinball design.

The People Behind This Project

Michael Schiess originated this project and coordinated the extensive photography sessions that captured the collection. His vision was to create a comprehensive digital reference for pinball enthusiasts and researchers worldwide.

Rob Perica captured thousands of detailed images that form the heart of this collection, documenting each machine with museum-quality precision. He was assisted by Melissa Harmon, Chris Rummell, Jim Strehlow and Michael Schiess.

Evan Phillippe, Executive Director of the Pacific Pinball Museum, supports ongoing efforts to preserve and share pinball history through both physical exhibits and this digital archive.

Geoff Butterfield designed and developed this site, building the image viewing systems and search capabilities that make exploring 870+ machines both intuitive and powerful.

Enough can't be said about the Museum's volunteer maintenance staff who keep these machines in working condition. They are top-notch technicians and vital to ensuring both museum visitors and this digital archive experience pinball history as it was meant to be played.

The Collection

The Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, California maintains one of the world's largest public collections of pinball machines. From 1930s woodrails to modern solid-state games, the museum preserves playable examples spanning the entire history of the medium.

Visit the Museum

Plan your visit to experience these machines in person, or support their preservation work to help keep pinball history alive.