Krakow Pinball Museum

The Basics

There’s a significant charge to enter the Krakow Pinball Museum, with family tickets available at a discount. That gets you a wristband good for all-day entry, meaning you can pop out to eat, sightsee, or check out of your accommodation, then return for more fun on the machines. All games are on free play mode, meaning you can play for as long as you like without a single coin, and options run the gamut from Indiana Jones to the Addams Family.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Krakow Pinball Museum is a must for gamers of all ages.

• As the machines date back decades, you’re not allowed to place drinks on the exhibits.

• The museum is down a set of steep stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.

How to Get There

The Krakow Pinball Museum sits in a basement on Stradomska Street, a stone’s throw south of Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow Old Town. It’s an easy walk from most historic attractions, or catch the 19 tram from Krakow Glówny Station and get off at the fifth stop.

When to Get There

The Krakow Pinball Museum is open from noon until late in the evening seven days a week. Arrive earlier in the day and during the school and working week for maximum choice of machines.

A Short History of Pinball

Pinball originates from an old-fashioned European wooden game known as bagatelle. Players pulled a lever to release balls then moved the board to steer them into scoring slots. The earliest electronic versions featured bumpers but the invention of the flipper in 1947 revolutionized gameplay. In the 1970s circuit boards enabled a new level of play, with light and sound effects, and it’s these immersive pinball machines that the Krakow Pinball Museum celebrates.