Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on September 11, 2024.
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As budding pinball fans, we decided to start checking out places to play pinball in Pittsburgh. Over time, one spot came recommended to us again and again- the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo in Bellevue.
This modest pinball hall features two rooms loaded with roughly 50 machines, all set to free play mode after your initial ticket fee, and, best of all, is BYOB and BYOB friendly!
So on one rainy Friday night we made our way over to the dojo to check out a free play night and we have to say, we can understand why this one is so popular.
All You Can Play at the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo
After paying your fee to enter the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo, you have free play of the machines for the entire evening (which, during our visit, ran from 6 pm to 11 pm).
The facility’s two rooms feature approximately 50 pinball machines, 10 or so retro arcade machines, and other games like pool, table tennis, foosball, and darts. But the name of the game here really is the collection of pinball machines, whose origins run the spectrum of styles, themes, and eras over the last eight decades- all set to free play mode!
The machines are placed randomly throughout the building, so you may catch yourself playing a modern pinball machine with all the bells and whistles before stepping to the next machine over for a relic from the 1950s or 60s, complete with manual noisemakers like bells and other chimes (it really is hard to beat the old school pinball noises).
While the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo may not be the largest pinball house in the area, they make up for it with having a varied selection, with nearly all the machines in working order during our visit (only two or three out). During the course of our roughly three hour stay, it was pretty easy to try every machine at least once, and then spend a great deal of time perfecting our moves on the handful of machines that we found ourselves enjoying just a bit more.
Those machines, for the record, were World Cup Soccer 94 and the Wizard of Oz. The former was quite fun because the machine featured a built-in goalie and you tried to shoot goals to gain points via the pinball, and the latter was a modern machine with a built-in TV screen, microgames, and every bell and whistle we could think of. Another fun machine of note was Whirlwind, which, well, just play that one if you spot it and you’ll see why we like it!
Going beyond the games, the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo is a BYOB and outside food-friendly business. While they have limited snacks available, most guests were simply bringing a four-pack of beer or other beverages to enjoy while playing, storing them in the dojo’s on-site fridge, and really making a night out of it. Really, when you average out the entry price for what is typically five hours of unlimited play, you really can’t beat the deal when it comes to playing at the dojo!
Finally, for those who wish to visit the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo, it is worth highlighting that the facility is also open for rentals for private events. As such, you would do well to check their website prior to visiting as the homepage is clearly updated for the hours of open play for the week and when they are closed for private functions. They even keep an updated game inventory to check out, too!
Overall, there is a lot to love about the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo. From an approachable price for all-you-can-play entry, to being able to work the room and hone in on your game, and even bringing some beverages along for the ride, this one makes for a fun evening out in the city and we look forward to returning again soon!
The Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo is located at 2 N Balph Ave in Bellevue, PA.
