In this edition of PinSpotting we visit three unique gaming destinations in the heartland of America, all founded by a man who, since he was a youth, has been obsessed with coin-op games.
Route 66 Arcade Museum114 S.W. Arch Street, Atlanta, IL 61723, USA(217) 648-5077
It has been celebrated in song, story, poem, and yes, even a Route 66 TV show (1960-1964); historic U.S. Route 66 was established in 1926 and ran east-west across the central United States.
The stars of the Route 66 TV Series on the cover of TV Guide
According to the popular song Route 66 by John Mayer “…it winds from Chicago to LA, more than two thousand miles all the way”. 2448 miles or 3,940 kilometres to be precise.
Tourist attractions designed to get a motorist to take a break from their journey (and spend some cash) along ‘the mother road’ or the ‘main street of America’ are scattered here and there among the small towns that are found along Route 66.
One of these attractions is the Route 66 Arcade Museum located in the prototypical small town of Atlanta, IL.
The town of Atlanta, Illinois on Route 66
The Route 66 Arcade Museum sign
At the Route 66 Arcade Museum it is possible to misspend your youth all over again; one quarter at a time! The Museum is chock full of vintage pinball and video games from the 1930s to the 1990s.
Batting Practice (Irving Kaye, 1965)Block-A-Shot (Brunswick, 1976)Cover Girl (Kenney, 1947)Cue Ball Wizard (Gottlieb, 1992)Dew-Wa-Ditty (Williams, 1948)The Getaway: High Speed II (Williams, 1992)Jacks to Open (Gottlieb, 1984)Raven (Gottlieb, 1986)Space Mission (Williams, 1976)Star Lite (Exhibit, 1935)
The Route 66 Arcade Museum building
The Route 66 Arcade Museum is only open during the tourist season from April through September. The museum is opened and closed by a third party but is usually open from 9am to 4pm in season. Hours are currently impacted by Illinois state COVID-19 regulations for entertainment businesses so please check before your visit.
Local Atlanta, IL businesses have gotten into the spirit of gaming, and places such as The Palms Grill Cafe just down the street from the Route 66 Arcade Museum
