Pinball Playfields Opens Feb 27 The Strong Museum Partners With Stern For New Exhibit

ROCHESTER, NY -- Stern Pinball Inc. and The Strong museum, home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and the World Video Game Hall of Fame, announced a partnership that supports the opening of a brand new museum exhibit. The Pinball Playfields, a permanent exhibit, opens at the Strong here on Feb. 27.

The exhibit will include a cluster of popular games donated by Chicago-based Stern Pinball.

"This exhibit explores the history of pinball and traces the evolution of the pinball playfield," said Jeremy Saucier, assistant director for Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games. "Stern Pinball has been an influential leader in the pinball industry and community for decades. Partnering with Stern will be vital to the Strong's efforts to preserve and exhibit this important form of play."

Pinball Playfields visitors will have a chance to experience more than 80 years of pinball history, ranging from countertop games of the 1930s to the electronic versions that remain popular today. Pinball artifacts on display include such original machines from the Strong's collections as Fireball and Hercules and some of Stern Pinball's recent games, like Game of Thrones, along with pinball fanfare that highlights the technology, evolution and fun of the game, including an oversized pinball machine flipper that is perfect for a unique photo opportunity.

Notable games on display are Whiffle (1931), one of the earliest pinball machines; World's Fair Jigsaw (1933), which features a mechanical jigsaw puzzle on its playfield; and Humpty Dumpty (1947), the first game with flippers. Artifacts include reproductions of original playfield design drawings from the museum's Williams Pinball Playfield Design Collection and an original prototype playfield for the Lord of the Rings (2003) pinball machine, created by revered game designer George Gomez.

"The exhibit illustrates how quickly the pinball playfield evolved from a relatively simple board with pins and scoring holes to a popping and flipping electromechanical marvel," Saucier said. "And these are just a sampling of the more than 250 historically significant video arcade and pinball machines collected by the Strong in recent years."

Pinball Playfields is produced by Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games. The exhibit is sponsored in part by Stern Pinball.

"We are honored to partner with the Strong museum and have Stern Pinball machines on display in the Pinball Playfield exhibit," said chief executive Gary Stern. "Pinball has been a favorite global pastime for decades and this exhibit is an awesome way to show the growth of pinball over the years."

Museum hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission: Age 2 and older, $14; under age 2, free. Playable machines in Pinball Playfields require purchased tokens.

GETTING READY: Strong's Martin Reinhardt repairs a pinball machine for display at Pinball Playfields.