The institution on Radnóti Miklós Street, together with its event venue, the Game Galaxy, now welcomes visitors with more than 230 carefully selected machines from gaming history, with new additions regularly joining the collection.

Europe’s most beloved pinball museum

Based on visitor feedback, the Pinball Museum remains Europe’s most popular exhibition of its kind: it maintains a 4.9 average rating on Google with more than 7,200 reviews, and has consistently ranked among the top attractions in Budapest on Tripadvisor for 12 years, among more than 1,100 attractions.

Behind the success lies not only the machines on display, but also the extensive behind-the-scenes work that remains invisible to visitors. The museum’s team has invested thousands of hours in maintaining and restoring the machines — including not only pinball tables, but also video game cabinets, shooting games, and other arcade machines — ensuring an authentic and unforgettable experience every time.

Events and competitions

The past years have not been without challenges: despite the Covid period and other difficulties, the museum has repeatedly reinvented itself.

As part of this, the book The Pinball Museum, exploring the history of Hungarian arcades, was published in both Hungarian and German. Between 2016 and 2019, the Arcadia exhibition was held multiple times, becoming Central Europe’s largest arcade event at the time.

Community experience continues to play a central role. The museum regularly organizes competitions and events, including the “Stern Army Tuesday” series created in collaboration with the world’s leading manufacturer Stern Pinball, which will continue in the future.

These events attract not only local players but also international participants who return to Budapest year after year.

International media attention, films and productions

Over the years, the museum has become a true international meeting point, welcoming visitors from nearly every country in the world, as well as global celebrities, film crews, artists, and public figures. Its unique media presence in Hungary further strengthens Budapest’s position on the international cultural map.

A milestone in the museum’s history came in 2020, when David Guetta and Barbara Palvin broadcast the MTV Europe Music Awards from the venue.

Numerous leading Hungarian and international media outlets have covered the museum, including BBC, CNN, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and French public television. Most recently, the The Jerusalem Post visited, soon to be followed by Italy’s La Stampa.

Hollywood actor Adam Driver, known from the Star Wars saga, also visited the museum during his stay in Budapest, relaxing here with his family after filming. He joins a list of American actors such as Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Kelly (from the House of Cards), and Leland Orser.

The Game Galaxy venue has also served as a filming location, most recently appearing in the Hungarian feature film Zajkapitány.

Birthday surprises

The present is not only about looking back. Looking ahead, the museum team has prepared new surprises: to celebrate its 12th anniversary, several iconic and long-awaited pinball machines have been added to the collection — including Medieval Madness, Cactus Canyon, Monster Bash, and NBA Fastbreak — further enriching the experience for both returning and first-time visitors.

These machines are highly sought-after and difficult to acquire, with prices typically ranging between 3 and 5 million HUF.

The 12-year story of the exhibition in Újlipótváros is one of perseverance, community, and continuous renewal. The games of the past come alive as experiences of the present at the Budapest Pinball Museum.

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Budapest Pinball Museum
1137 Budapest, Radnóti Miklós utca 18.