Pinball Over Politics! Where to Play Pinball Around Washington DC

Prefer partaking in pinball parlors to perusing the political pulse of the United States capital? Please, ponder these playgrounds in Washington, DC. 

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Places like the punk rock venue Black Cat, The Eleanor DC bowling alley, or out on the wharf at Boardwalk Bar & Arcade all have a few pins to play while you pay no mind to politics.

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Perhaps the most unique place in The District with a small pinball collection is The Mansion on O Street. While not explicitly a destination for playing pinball in particular, you will find pinball machines in seven of the mansion’s themed rooms and behind their secret doors. In addition to playing a little pinball here, you can also search for hidden doors, leaf through manuscripts, touch sculpture, hear rare studio cuts, and tour legendary themed rooms — like the Log Cabin, the John Lennon Suite, the Safari room, and Mrs. Rosa Parks' room (the mansion was her home-away-from-home for nearly 10 years).

Where to Play Pinball in Washington DC

Step into these popular Washington D.C. pinball parlors to find plenty of pins in nation’s capital city:

MOM's Organic Market (College Park, MD)

• Address: 9801 Rhode Island Ave., College Park, MD 20740
• Pinball machines: 40

Have you ever had a crush on a grocery store? You might develop one at MOM's Organic Market in College Park, MD. Sure, it is a fresh fruit and veggie store with an in-store build-your-bowl-to-order restaurant consisting exclusively of vegan options. But behind a partition on the left wall of the market, a paradise of silver balls, flippers, and blinking lights awaits you. A local destination for pinheads, this lounge has free coffee and around 30 quarter-play pinball machines. Do try the cooked edible insects like mealworms and crickets while you’re in the grocery store, won’t you?

Lyman's Tavern

• Address: 3720 14th St NW., Washington, DC 20011
• Pinball machines: 11

Lyman’s Tavern is The District’s most well-known pinball venue – a dive bar with Pabst Blue Ribbon on draft and WhizBang The Pabst Can Crusher pinball machine to play while you drink it. Their pinball lineup is respectable with machines representing the last five decades, from a solid state version of Williams 1977 pin Hot Tip to a couple of new Limited Edition Sterns. Lyman’s also has a 4-player Atari Gauntlet and a TV live-streaming one of the pinball playfields from their current lineup.  

Player's Club

• Address: 1400 14th St NW., Washington, DC 20005
• Pinball machines: 6

Players Club pays homage to the golden age of video games, the 70’s and 80’s, and the music and culture of those decades. It's like drinking in your parent's basement – only with local craft beers, specialty cocktails, and a Shake Shack. This rumpus room for adults offers multiple pool tables, foosball, skee ball machines, a lineup of old-school arcade games, and a few popular modern pinball machines. There’s also a nice rooftop bar where you can order some Evelyn Champagne King for your crew.

Atlas Brew Works

• Address: 2052 West Virginia Ave NE., Washington, DC 20002
• Pinball machines: 6

Located in D.C.'s Ivy City neighborhood, Atlas Brew Works is a neighborhood brewery with an ever-changing lineup of beers inspired by the city, from local favorites like Dance of Days and District Common to special releases and seasonal offerings. This 100 percent solar-powered facility has a small but surprising lineup of choice pinball machines like Bride of Pinbot and Centaur. Grab pizza by the slice and you can bring your dog!

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District pinball players - did we miss anything good? Drop us a line and let us know!