A pinball machine photography setup with lights and reflective background

About This Website

Over nine hundred machines. Millions of pixels. One obsessive love letter to pinball.

Geoff Butterfield |

Our Mission

High-resolution photography meets pinball history. We're building a digital archive for enthusiasts, researchers, and the just plain curious—over 900 machine galleries with thousands of images that let you zoom into details you might miss in person. This is still a work in progress, so you'll find some galleries more complete than others as we continue photographing and cataloging.

Close up detail of backglass

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, developed, and administers the Atlas website.

  • 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 experienced.

PPM space

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.

If you have feedback on the Atlas website, you can touch base with the developer. Use the contact links in the footer for contacting the Museum.