The Traveller's Magazine
We’re not strangers to odd or even the world’s strangest museums. But it’s great when a small and unusual museums become hit attractions. That’s just what happened to the Pinball Museum in Budapest.
It’s the museum that almost wasn’t thanks (or no thanks) to Hungary’s tax authorities. That all changed this month after a court ruling saved it from being closed. Now, it’s a huge hit, ranking 18th out of 420+ things to do in Budapest on TripAdvisor.
This basement museum is home to some 130 pinball machines. The owner, Balazs Palfi, says it’s the largest collection of its kind in all of Europe. Visitors can play as much as they like for the admission fee of 2,500 forints (about £5.75). The museum opened in the spring of 2014, featuring Palfi’s private collection. The oldest model dates back all the way to 1871 but the first modern pinball machine is from 1947.
This sounds like a great way to spend a rainy day in the Hungarian capital! If you’re booking flights to Budapest in November, head over the museum to watch its first ever pinball tournament.
