While Myrtle Beach is best known for golf and miniature golf, way off the beaten path there is another memorial to pop culture.
The Myrtle Beach Pinball Museum is the result of a labor of love. A local real estate agent bought a pinball machine to keep the children of his clients entertained. One machine begat another begat another, and the genesis for the museum began. Opening in 2018, the museum has been open as an on-profit enterprise benefitting local charities in the Myrtle Beach area.
There are over two dozen machines in the facility, all of them playable for your $12 per hour entry fee. The machines span the history of pinball, from the present day all the way back to the machines of the 1970’s. My favorite machine was this Elton John-themed machine from 1976, full of the bells, whistles and mechanical objects you expect from a pinball machine. None of the pushbutton ball launching or video elements you see on newer machines.
While not as big and flashy as its Las Vegas equivalent, it is a fantastic way to spend an hour at the beach away from the traffic of Kings Highway or the mass of humanity at the beach. Reservations are required, so be sure to set aside some time on your next trip to Myrtle Beach.