Pinball Paradise: Reliving Nostalgia at Main Street’s Gaming Wonderland

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Brian Heil, from left, Duane Felt and Nick Gerhart, alongside Kody McEdward (not shown), have introduced Main Street Pinball to downtown Austin. Photos by Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Co-owner Brian Heil engages with one of the many pinball machines at Main Street Pinball. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Main Street Pinball is a refuge for enthusiasts, established on nostalgia. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

A variety of pinball machines are available for players at Main Street Pinball in downtown Austin. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

At Main Street Pinball, machines like Godzilla are sure to invoke nostalgia and ignite imaginations. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Bonanza stands as one of the older machines offered at Main Street Pinball, representative of the wide variety of games available. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Main Street Pinball is a new venue in downtown Austin, creating a vibe perfect for Friday and Saturday night enjoyment. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

An entrance into Main Street Pinball represents a journey back in time, greeted by the sights and sounds of these machines from the early days of gaming.

More than 20  machines are set to be played in Main Street’s latest addition to Friday and Saturday nights in downtown Austin.

“A handful of us have been brainstorming for a while,” stated Duane Felt, who, alongside Nick Gerhart, Brian Heil, and Kody McEdward, launched Main Street Pinball at the beginning of this month. “We would host parties and believed it would be more exciting if we had a place where people could play. We sort of assessed the market. How could we make this happen?”

The concept of a venue centered around pinball began late last

summer and utilizes machines owned by the proprietors of Main Street.

With an abundance of machines available and the interest in pinball beginning to rise, the four felt enthusiastic about sharing their passion for the games with others.

“We’ve even mentioned that since we have all of this, why not take action?” Heil stated. “I believe we simply wanted to share our enjoyment. We wanted to forge new friendships and meet new individuals.”

And indeed, they encountered many people.

Jan. 3 marked their inaugural opening to the public, and anticipations going into the first weekend were relatively moderate. Until that point, the only significant notification had been a post on Eat. Drink. Shop. Austin.

What was anticipated to be a low-key opening, however, transformed into something resembling a grand unveiling.

They estimated that approximately 220 individuals attended during Jan. 3-4, and those were the ones who paid $10 for the band to play unlimited games throughout the day. More came simply to explore the venue.

“It was crowded here Saturday night,” Gerhart conveyed. “It reached a point where I was contemplating whether we should inform people that it was quite full, but folks kept arriving and departing. It was one of those instances.”

The machines available for play range from timeless classics that are sure to evoke nostalgia to modern machines equipped with LED screens and numerous new features.

In addition to the pinball machines, pre-owned console video games are for sale, along with a handful of arcade games to provide a different change of pace for an evening out.

The wristband permits individuals to play throughout a single day, allowing them to come and go at their convenience, making it an ideal setting for a weekend evening filled with food and entertainment in the city.

“I feel like the option to come and go alleviates the pressure,” Gerhart mentioned. “It’s something you just paid for today. You’ll get $10 worth of enjoyment in an hour.”

“It’s an affordable date night, which is what we kind of expected,” Heil added.

The four proprietors of Main Street Pinball also see the chance for broad appeal. Certainly, it will evoke memories from the early days when pinball was at its peak.

Yet, simultaneously, it is engaging new and younger audiences, which only enhances the popularity of the games themselves.

“We have many parents bringing their children,” Felt commented. “It’s quite enjoyable introducing youngsters to pinball because how often do you encounter these in real life anymore?”

And the responses have been incredibly gratifying.

“It was really exciting to hear. A lot of people are genuinely thrilled,” Gerhart shared. “Individuals who are entering their golden years used to play these games in public. The newer attendees thought pinball was outdated.”

Through this reconnection with the games, people are not only engaging with the machines they recall from their youth but discovering more to entertain themselves with.

“It was always a mix,” Heil stated. “We’re optimistic that people will uncover some new favorites.”

It remains early in the establishment’s journey, but those behind Main Street Pinball are already envisioning potential directions, including the possibility of renting the space for private gatherings and celebrations.

And naturally, they aim to ensure that the gaming experience remains fresh, hoping to rotate games over time, although they advise that changes may come gradually as they acquire the machines.

Even that aligns with the generally relaxed atmosphere.

“If this place breaks even, that’s kind of our goal,” Felt mentioned. “We’re not aiming to profit from this. Can we make this functional? Can we generate enough interest to draw people in at $10 a head to sustain that? We’ve noticed a lot of buzz, and many are pleased to see something like this in Austin.”

And they certainly do not seek to monopolize everyone’s time. They envision that Main Street Pinball will complement what already exists in downtown Austin.

“We want to promote collaboration downtown,” Gerhart said. “People coming and going. If individuals are visiting downtown, why not do something else?”

“If you come down for dinner, you can swing by here for entertainment,” Felt added. “If you visit here for entertainment, perhaps you’ll stick around for dinner.”

Main Street Pinball operates from 4-10 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, located at 221 Main Street North.