Where to Play Pinball in Indianapolis: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
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Indianapolis has quietly developed one of the Midwest's more interesting pinball scenes. The recovery started after the 2008 recession, when local enthusiasts salvaged machines from closing arcades and built a community around them. Today, that effort shows in venues ranging from a literal bank vault in Fountain Square to a three-story entertainment complex in Bottleworks District.
The geography matters here. Fountain Square, about a mile southeast of downtown, has become a pinball hub with multiple spots within blocks of each other. Bottleworks District offers a more polished entertainment experience. And out in Castleton, there's an all-ages arcade in the mall.
| Venue | Area | Machines | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The PinLodge | Irvington | 70+ | Pinball arcade |
| Pins Mechanical Company | Bottleworks District | 30+ | Entertainment venue |
| Pin-Vault | Fountain Square | 20+ | Pinball arcade |
| Tappers Arcade Bar | Fletcher Place | 20+ | Barcade |
| Boss Battle Games | Castleton | 10+ | Retro arcade |
| Wild Fyre Tap | Fountain Square | A few | Sports bar |
Here's where to find pinball across the Indianapolis metro.
Barcade · Fletcher Place
Tappers Arcade Bar was Indianapolis's first retro arcade bar and remains a reliable destination for pinball in the city. The back room houses a rotating selection of machines, while the main floor offers free-to-play arcade classics with any purchase.
Sports bar · Fountain Square
Wild Fyre Tap is a newer sports bar in Fountain Square with pinball as part of its game offerings.
Pinball arcade · Irvington
The PinLodge operates out of the Irvington Lodge on East Washington Street, housing one of the largest collections of publicly accessible pinball machines in Indiana. The space hosts Indy Pinball events and tournaments, with machines spanning classic electromechanical titles to modern releases.
Pinball arcade · Fountain Square
Pin-Vault occupies a historic bank vault on the second floor of the Murphy Building. A group of local collectors maintains this space, where all machines operate on free play after admission.
Retro arcade · Castleton
Boss Battle Games brings unlimited-play arcade gaming to Castleton Square Mall. A single admission covers all-day access to arcade cabinets, console gaming stations, and pinball machines.
Entertainment venue · Bottleworks District
Pins Mechanical Company occupies a three-story space in the Bottleworks District, combining duckpin bowling, bocce, foosball, and ping pong with a substantial pinball lineup. Recent titles include Jaws, John Wick, and Pulp Fiction.
Families will find the most options at Boss Battle Games and Pins Mechanical during daytime hours. Pin-Vault's Third Saturdays also welcome all ages. For the deepest collection, The PinLodge's event nights are worth planning around.
Know of a spot we missed, or has something changed? Send us a note.
Last updated: January 2026
Colin is the chief pixel pusher at Kineticist. He's a lifetime gamer who became enamored with pinball after taking in a family copy of the 1979 classic Joker Poker (the EM version). Since then he's bought, sold and repaired many machines, competed in all kinds of tournaments, and contributes to This Week in Pinball, the New England Pinball League, and Pin-Masters of New England. Previously, Colin spent over a decade working in marketing for agencies and tech startups. He also started and ran a music blog, happy hour website, and wrote a regular craft beer review column for Central Track in Dallas. Once aspired to be an artsy film director.
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