Where to Play Pinball in Richmond: Arcades, Breweries, and Record Shops with Machines
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Richmond's pinball scene centers on two dedicated spots with large collections: a member-run collective in Midlothian and a horror-themed arcade inside a Scott's Addition record shop. Both operate on free-play admission models, making them destinations for extended sessions.
Beyond the dedicated arcades, breweries in Ashland and Henrico offer pinball alongside craft beer, while an arcade bar in Short Pump provides a suburban option. The region's offerings span from vintage machines to modern releases.
Here's where to find pinball across the Richmond metro.
| Venue | Area | Machines | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Pinball Collective | Midlothian | 40+ | Arcade |
| Wax Moon | Scott's Addition | 30+ | Arcade |
| Center of the Universe Brewing | Ashland | 10+ | Brewery |
| Draftcade Richmond | Short Pump | 10+ | Arcade Bar |
| Back to the Media | Winchester | A few | Entertainment |
| Final Gravity Brewing | Henrico | A few | Brewery |
Pinball-focused arcade · Midlothian
Richmond Pinball Collective operates as a non-profit social club with the largest pinball collection in the Richmond area. The 2,400-square-foot space houses vintage and modern machines, all set to free play. The collective runs league nights, tournaments, and an all-women league called Belles and Chimes, with beer and snacks available.
Record shop with arcade · Scott's Addition
Wax Moon combines a horror-themed pinball arcade with a metal and goth-leaning record shop in Scott's Addition. The 3,000-square-foot space expanded to house 30+ machines alongside vinyl, VHS, and collectibles. Monthly tournaments run the last Saturday of each month, with a separate women's tournament series.
Arcade bar · Short Pump
Draftcade Richmond operates in Short Pump Town Center with a rotating pinball collection alongside classic arcade games. The venue offers unlimited play wristbands and approximately 60 beers on tap, drawing crowds for casual nights and group gatherings.
Brewcade · Ashland
Center of the Universe Brewing Company pairs craft beer with pinball in a brewcade-style tasting room north of Richmond. The Ashland venue includes a beer garden, live music, and a rotating lineup of machines from vintage to modern Stern releases.
Brewcade · Henrico
Final Gravity Brewing offers a relaxed taproom in Henrico with pinball, dartboards, and arcade games. The dog-friendly patio welcomes outside food, and the rotating craft beer lineup complements the mix of vintage and modern machines.
Retro shop · Winchester
Back to the Media operates about 90 miles northwest of Richmond in Winchester's Old Town district. The boutique retro shop stocks video games, vinyl records, and comics alongside a small pinball arcade with modern and classic machines.
Richmond's pinball options reward different playing styles. The Pinball Collective and Wax Moon both offer free-play models ideal for extended sessions, while the brewcades provide a casual few games alongside craft beer. Wax Moon's horror theme and tournament scene draw a dedicated crowd, while the Collective's league nights attract competitive players.
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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