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RIP Museum of Pinball (2012 - 2021)

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Post #1 · Posted at 2021-06-29 01:19:14am 2.7 years ago

Offline midnightclubx
midnightclubx Avatar Member
1,080 Posts
United States
Reg. 2014-06-06


Last updated: 2021-06-29 01:19am
I don't know if making a thread just about a certain location closing is acceptable here, but considering the importance of this place, and the fact that no one else is even talking about the MoP permanently closing, I feel like I needed to make this post and make a "eulogy" - a "celebration of life", so to speak:

So, long story short, the MoP was originally going to move to Palm Springs, going against the owner's previous claims that they would expand upon their Banning facility in the long-term; they gained ownership of the former Desert Sun printing press across from Palm Springs International Airport and everything. Almost a week ago, however, those plans were cancelled due to the fact that they realized relocation and renovations would take a year and a half, instead of the 7 months they had anticipated, and the cost of shipping containers to house all those games skyrocketing. They claimed that if they didn't receive a corporate sponsor in the next week, they were "done". ( https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2021/06/20/pinball-museum-cancels-plan-move-banning-palm-springs/7758137002/ )

Today's local paper came, and from the looks of things, they didn't get the corporate sponsor they desperately needed, and are now going to repurpose the facility into a marijuana growing facility, instead:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/589314623673729045/857924483604283432/20210625_030448.jpg

I am absolutely bummed from hearing about the news. This was one of (if not the only) thing that the entire Pass area had that could be absolutely proud of. I first heard about the MoP when I saw a video on Tommy Tallarico's Facebook page, back in 2015, where he showed off pinball machines almost as far as the eye could see, and the fact that this behemoth place was in my backyard, instead of some big city, was absolutely exciting!

I met a lot of cool people there; the developers at FarSight Studios, back when they cared about The Pinball Arcade, Billy Mitchell (yes, that Billy Mitchell), and Tommy Tallarico, among others in the video game and pinball industry! 95% of the pinball and arcade games were well-kept and had a decent-sized staff of technicians taking care of things, but even if one game was broken, they made sure that you could just move on to another that was right next to it. I got to see games and pinball tables I only ever seen online, like Chiller, or that gigantic pool cue-for-a-ball pin we call Hercules. They even had games I never even knew existed, like a fully-working Ace Combat 22 cabinet, and even had 2 working Mambo A Go Go cabinets!

It didn't matter that the owners kept upping the price, or the fact that it only opened 2-3 times a year, this place was a literal pinball and arcade Mecca, and I am so glad to have been there for most of its existence.

I can only hope that one day, we will see another Museum of Pinball open up shop here; maybe in a building more suitably made for something like this, and maybe run by an owner who wants to be here, and build upon the foundation that this place crafted.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the article I posted a picture of, the other day.

https://www.recordgazette.net/news/game-over-for-pinball-museum-which-will-cultivate-pot-instead/article_54b9a3e6-d5ea-11eb-846f-a765d305fa1c.html

Post #2 · Posted at 2021-06-29 04:51:30am 2.7 years ago

Offline hollandaze
hollandaze Avatar Member
474 Posts
United States
Reg. 2011-01-19

I hope that Big Bang Bar machine makes it's way up to the Alameda Pinball Museum...
https://i.imgur.com/oePVKaz.png

Post #3 · Posted at 2021-09-20 04:34:05pm 2.5 years ago

Offline SocialDragon322
SocialDragon322 Avatar Member
255 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2019-09-13

I hope some of the machines come to different locations now there is no hall of fame.
THE 4 TIME TRIPLE MATCH MIDNIGHT HEAVENLY SUPREME SOCIAL DRAGON ALL-ROUNDER:
SocialDragon368- Part of the SD368 Group

Post #4 · Posted at 2021-09-20 05:51:25pm 2.5 years ago

Offline hollandaze
hollandaze Avatar Member
474 Posts
United States
Reg. 2011-01-19

Quote: SocialDragon322
I hope some of the machines come to different locations now there is no hall of fame.

I was talking to the guy who runs my local pinball arcade, apparently even common machines were getting auctioned at 3x the price. It's unlikely :/
https://i.imgur.com/oePVKaz.png

Post #5 · Posted at 2021-09-21 04:57:24am 2.5 years ago

Offline midnightclubx
midnightclubx Avatar Member
1,080 Posts
United States
Reg. 2014-06-06

Quote: SocialDragon322
I hope some of the machines come to different locations now there is no hall of fame.

Well, there's the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, but that's a bit of a drive from where I live. >>

Post #6 · Posted at 2021-09-29 06:08:02am 2.4 years ago

Offline Raspberry Heart
Raspberry Heart Avatar Member
1 Post
United States
Reg. 2021-09-29

I made an account on here just to say my piece. I'm so disheartened with the state of the arcade industry right now, especially after learning of MoP's closure.

I was looking forward to visiting them again and supporting them after everything returned to some sense of normalcy post covid. The location was the only spot in Southern California I knew of left with a working Para Para Paradise 2ndMIX and Mambo a Go Go cab, and after the closure of Arcade Infinity in 2011, and Japan Arcade in downtown LA, this became my go-to place for reliving the glory years of Bemani games. Even James Games in Upland is now shuttered... which had a wonderfully maintained pop'n music tune street + beatmania 7thmix cab, and playing pop'n at my local Round1 hurts my soul everytime buttons start sticking with the strength of gorilla glue. If anyone reading this knows of any local SoCal spots with older Bemani cabs (even privately owned ones!), please hit me up. Even if it's years from now. Rest in peace Museum of Pinball. Cry
I'm drifting through the mists of love~
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