CORBIN, Ky. (LEX 18) — From the Ninja Turtles to Elton John, the Addams Family to Family Guy, all characters coexist at the Pinball Museum of Corbin.
“We’re big on nostalgia here,” said owner Jim Bruso, dozens of pinball museums surrounding him.
A New Yorker originally, Bruso remembers the first time he stepped into an arcade.
“Every Thursday, my father went to the bank and cashed a check, and he gave me quarters to play air hockey and bumper cars,” recalled Bruso.
When started with quarters spiraled into collecting. Bruso fell in love with pinball in the 70s.
Eventually, work brought him to Kentucky, and a few years ago, he opened Kentucky’s largest assemblage of pinball machines in downtown Corbin.
“12,000 square feet and 10,000 square feet of that is games,” said Bruso.
The Pinball Museum of Corbin houses 141 pinball machines. Vintage, limited edition, high tech, you’ll find it all down 'Pinball Alley.'
“Here’s the world's largest pinball machine. This is Hercules from 1978,” said Bruso, telling the story and stats of each machine in the facility.
In a town known for fried chicken and Cumberland Falls, Bruso feels he’s bringing something new to the table.
“We have a lot of out-of-towners, and they want something to do, and they’re like, ‘Hey, for $18, I can play pinball all day.’”
But don’t be fooled; while the museum is relatively new, the fun will always be old school.
“When you look at the old machines from the 50s and 60s, when you hear the bing bong and the bells, you’re brought back to an older time,” said Bruso.
