Follow Traverse City Pinball League on Instagram for tournament updates.
If you have some extra quarters lying around, you might consider using them to join Traverse City’s emerging pinball scene ― which now includes weekly tournaments on Mondays at The Coin Slot and Thursdays at Right Brain Brewery. The two venues, along with others you can find on the free Pinball Map app, host an impressive array of classic machines alongside brand-new launches of modern marvels.
Writer Joe Beyer said he was fascinated by the discovery of such a dynamic and vibrant subculture of “pinheads” in the area. He suggests watching the new film Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game as a primer to the history of the modern pinball era, and some of its most colorful characters (the movie was suggested to Beyer in a cryptic note from Scott Pierson, owner and operator of The Coin Slot).
In addition to this active and growing community of players, there are chances to learn about pinball history at Right Brain Brewery if you can catch pinball expert and curator Scott Bright, who has over 50 years of passionate collecting, restoration, and game knowledge to share. Bright is a passionate advocate for the unique game designers who are increasingly being seen as artists in their own right.
