TEXAS PINBALL MUSEUM

Date: 21st March, 2019
Location: Suite 2102, 2100 N Hwy 67, Midlothian, TX 76065, USA

Just before this year’s Texas Pinball Festival, we had the opportunity to visit the new Texas Pinball Museum which opened its doors in the city of Midlothian eight weeks earlier.

We were shown around by Kim and Ed Vanderveen who own and run the Muesum.

The Museum is located out-of-town on a light-industrial park in the unit nearest the road.

On entering the Museum, you come to the lobby where there is seating and the entry desk.

Entry to the collection costs $10 for adults or $7 for kids under twelve-years-old. At present the Museum is only open on Saturdays, but Ed and Kim hope to expand that soon to include Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons too.

Once into the Museum there are twenty-six pinball machines and a few other amusement games to play. The pinballs range from the oldest – a 1974 Dolphin by Chicago Coin – to the newest – a 2018 Deadpool from Stern.

Games in the Museum's collection — Games in the Museum’s collection

The games are arranged along the side and back walls, with a back-to-back row in the centre of the room.

A row of older machines, all in great condition with some lovely restorations too

Here are the twenty-six pinballs available to play.

Harley Davidson (Bally)
Indiana Jones (Williams)
Pirates of the Caribbean (Stern)
The Avengers (Stern)
Deadpool (Stern)
Terminator 2 (Williams)
The Addams Family (Bally)
Dr. Dude (Bally)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally)
NASCAR (Stern)
Capt. Fantastic (Bally)
Diner (Williams)
The Amazing Spider-Man (Gottlieb)
Black Rose (Bally)
Space Mission (Williams)
Sharpshooter (Game Plan)
Cherry Bell (Sonic)
Dolphin (Chicago Coin)
Hi-Deal (Bally)
Galaxy (Stern)
Sorcerer (Williams)
Doctor Who (Bally)
The Incredible Hulk (Gottlieb)
Judge Dredd (Bally)
The Lord of the Rings (Stern)
Deadpool (Stern)

Deadpool is currently the newest game in the collection

Our visit was right before the Texas Pinball Festival, so a couple of the backglasses (Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings) had been removed so they could be signed by the actor John Rhys-Davis who was a guest at the show.

There is a Pac-Man video and an Ice Cold Beer skill game to play too

There is also a Super Hang-On in the back corner and an Asteroids in the other corner — There is also a Super Hang-On in the back corner

The final pinball cabinet is from Kosmic Khaos which was a concept shown at the Texas Pinball Festival 2017. Only a cabinet and some conceptual artwork exists at this stage. It may be developed further, but probably not for a while.

A multi-game cabinet and a Gorf sit next to the Kosmic Khaos cabinet

If refreshment is needed then a vending machine in the lobby serves snacks and soft drinks. If anything more is required then a short trip back into town takes you to numerous eateries.

Ed and Kim plan to increase the amount of pinball-related artwork and memorabilia on the walls, as well as add information about the games in the collection. The TPF show has been their focus recently, and the Museum’s office also acts as an office for the show during the run-up. A few of the Museum’s regular exhibits, such as a Safecracker, had been taken out so they could be at the show but would return shortly.

Midlothian is about 30-minutes by car south of central Dallas. If you are visiting the city on a Saturday then it is well worthwhile making the trip to play the machines at the Texas Pinball Museum.

You can hear Ed Vanderveen talk about the Texas Pinball Museum in a special bonus edition of the joint podcast we record Jonathan Joosten of Pinball Magazine.

You can play or download the podcast here.