Tucked into one of Brooklyn’s most distinctive waterfront neighborhoods, the Red Hook Pinball Museum is a celebration of pinball history, mechanical ingenuity, and the community spirit that makes Red Hook feel unlike anywhere else in New York City.
Located at 362 Van Brunt St, the museum opened in October 2025 after founders Wesley and Kevin turned a shared love of pinball into a growing collection of rare and historically significant machines. The museum offers a uniquely hands-on way to experience Brooklyn.
We spoke with the museum’s founders about how the space came to be, the machines guests love most, and why this small, donation-supported museum could only exist in Red Hook.
What inspired the creation of this space?
Both Wesley and I fell in love with pinball at an early age. Upon meeting in New York in 2020, we realized our shared passion and decided to buy a machine together. They soon multiplied, and our restoration skills and appreciation for the history of the game rapidly grew. After keeping the machines in the back of a friend’s bar for several years, we were able to open our own location at 362 Van Brunt St in October 2025, where we’ve been able to expand the collection and showcase an increasing number of historically significant and rare machines.
What do guests usually react to most when they visit?
People are often blown away by the earliest machines from the 1930s – beginning as simple gambling devices, they became exponentially more complex and engaging in the first four years of the game, 1931-1935. This was pinball’s true “Golden Age,” with the most machines ever produced (up to 70,000 of one model), and the most public locations to play. We feature six machines from 1931-35, as well as a 1924 slot machine, and other 1930s/40s penny arcade games that are some of the most addicting and mechanically clever games in the museum.
What makes your museum feel especially “Brooklyn” or “only in NYC”?
We’re lucky to exist at all, and the community in Red Hook has helped us out beyond words. Having a funky small museum and surviving almost entirely off donations is something that relies on the culture and community here, and would be hard to replicate in any other neighborhood, let alone city.
Make a day of Red Hook
The Red Hook Pinball Museum is a natural stop for travelers who want to experience a side of Brooklyn that feels local, creative, and off the beaten path. Rather than treating the museum as an isolated attraction, consider pairing it with a neighborhood exploration that brings together Red Hook’s food, history, waterfront scenery, and independent businesses.
Our Private Red Hook Brooklyn: Behind the Scenes Neighborhood Tour is designed for exactly that kind of visit. A private itinerary can combine neighborhood storytelling with local food and beverage stops, waterfront views, and distinctive Red Hook experiences. Depending on the group’s interests, timing, and availability, the day can be customized around stops such as a local pizza tasting, Steve’s Key Lime Pie, Red Hook Winery, or a visit to the pinball museum.
Red Hook is best enjoyed at an unhurried pace. Give yourself time to look closely, talk with local makers and business owners, and appreciate the neighborhood’s unusual mix of maritime history, industrial architecture, food culture, and art.
