Stand like a statue. Become part of the machine.

Brendan and I were lucky enough to get an invite from Marilyn to visit our sister office Shore Fire South. Once out of Brooklyn we sojourned down the Jersey Turnpike and before you could say “GPS” we were there. After spending the morning getting some off site work done. We took in the sights of the beautiful little town of Ocean Grove and were treated to a Zagat approved lunch at The Windmill. There I had a hot dog that would have given Nathans’ Famous a run for its nitrate soaked money. After a walk around the beach, Brendan and I took off on our own. The Asbury Park boardwalk was within minutes of the Ocean Grove border and serious business was afoot.

Just past the iconic Stone Pony and smack dab in the middle of the Asbury Park Boardwalk is a place unlike any other that I had ever seen before. A place full of sounds and blinking lights. A place full of silver plated balls and nostalgia. A place where fun can be had one quarter at a time. Of course, I’m talking about the Silverball Pinball Museum and Hall of Fame.

For a measly $10 flat fee that you pay at the door you get 2 hours of all the pinball you can stand. That’s better than going to the movies in my book. Cheaper these days too. Plus this place had over 100 different pinball machines. Games dating back to 1910 all the way up to a rad brand new The Simpsons game. The layout of the place is pretty bare bones and simple. Just rows and rows and rows of games waiting to be tilted.

There were games that revolved around such past times as fishing, casinos, sports, and big game hunting. Games where you fought aliens, or took a spin through the Wild West. Quarter eaters that were dedicated to such luminaries as Hugh Hefner, The Terminator, The Devil, and my personal hero Evil Kinevil. However, I think the game I played the most was the Charlie’s Angels game. Mainly for nostalgia reasons because the pizza parlor around the corner from my house growing up had that very game in it’s lobby.

There were also a bunch of music themed games. here are some pics Brendan took ….

All in all though, almost every game was unique and fun and Silverball is definitely a great place to kill an hour or two. Here’s a link to see more.