The collection was originally interpreted through a chronological history of the American glass industry, the rooms in the museum designed to display the pieces in period style.Įvolving with the changes in audiences and their interests over the past 50 years, Wheaton Village became WheatonArts, broadening the mission beyond its historical emphasis to focus on engaging artists and audiences in an exploration of creativity. The building currently housing the museum opened in December of 1973, representative of the era in which it was made when bicentennial fever fueled an interest in faux-historical settings. One of only 9 museums in the state of New Jersey to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, it offers over 18,000 square feet of exhibition space, a collection over 20,000 pieces strong, as well as a research library and archives. Among the pinball games I played were old favorite Flash from 1979 and one I didn't remember, the new wave looking Oxo, which was ironically from 1973.The Museum of American Glass, celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship of American glass, is at the core of WheatonArts. I was sad to learn that I have completely and embarrassingly unlearned everything I know about playing Mario Bros., Joust, Gyruss, Road Blasters, Elevator Action, and other games I used to be good at and play for hours, but I still have it with Qix, Galaxian, Galaga, and Tempest. One could say that even though the machines were few in number, some had entire arcades from the 1980s in them that one could choose from. Some of the videogame machines were not just one game, but many in one. The Bride was in heaven - pinball and Journey. The actual soundtrack of pinball must be Journey because we heard four of their songs on the overheard speakers in the two hours we were at the Silverball Museum. Fantastic with Elton John, as well as KISS from 1979 and Ted Nugent from 1978.

They had music-based machines like Beat Time with the Beatles, and Capt. There were pinball machines featuring made-up superheroes like Capt. There were licensed properties like 'The Sopranos,' 'The Simpsons,' Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Rocky, ' Doctor Who' (featuring all the Doctors, including a paper doll of Peter Capaldi some true fan must have added), 'Charlie's Angels,' Elvira, even Playboy, and my favorite, one based on the 1994 film version of The Shadow. The variety of pinball machines was incredible, as I mentioned they spanned several decades. We paid a small flat fee and were able to play any machine we wanted for a couple hours, which was awesome. Each pinball machine had a placard over it detailing its history, completing the museum concept, the perfect please-touch interactive museum.

Dominated by pinball machines from every era, there were a handful of videogames and even a few skeeball lanes as well, there are well over two hundred amusements there. Set on the Boardwalk, this place is an old-fashioned arcade, just like the kind that used to be around in the 1970s and 80s. So the following Sunday, we embarked on a mystery road trip to the Silverball Museum Arcade in Asbury Park NJ.

After seeing this place on the New Jersey episode of 'Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown' (which we talked about on The GAR Podcast right here), I just knew it would be the perfect place to surprise The Bride with.

New jersey pinball museum