Flip Over This Kickstarter: Museum of Pinball

Long time readers of this site know what a complete retro arcade freak I am. It's one of the reasons I started the Arcade Spotlight series, so I could highlight arcade culture and help spread the word that arcades aren't dead yet. And if this new Kickstarter project passes, we'll have one more reason to bask in the glory days of gaming.

John Weeks owns over 500 pinball machines. That's right. 500. And he wants to put them all on display for everyone to enjoy in Southern California. He owns an 18 acre area with a building large enough to house this enormous collection, but he needs your help to renovate and get the museum going.

Right now they've got 40,000 square feet for the first phase of the Museum of Pinball, with another 87,000 square feet leased out to a local business. That's a whole lot of pinball real estate.

The Kickstarter goal is $150,000 for renovations. The Museum of Pinball will be located in Banning, CA. about an hour outside of Los Angeles. It's just a few miles from the Cabazon dinosaur exhibit. (You know it. They shot the last scene of The Wizard there.) There are various pledges, each with their own rewards. You can donate anywhere from $10 up to $10,000. The plan is to open in early 2014.

It's a large, and ambitious, project, but one that needs to succeed to help keep the arcade pinball culture alive in our country. Visit the Kickstarter page and please pledge! You can also follow them on Twitter and Like their Facebook page.

Take a look at the Kickstarter video below. Who wants to go play some pinball?