Game On, Loop: Chicago's Only Pinball Museum Is Leaving Pilsen for a Massive New Home at Block 37

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/The Loop · May 14, 2026

Pinball is coming to The Loop — and it's arriving in a big way. The Flip, Chicago's only dedicated nonprofit pinball museum, has announced it is relocating from its original Pilsen home to Block 37 in the heart of downtown, with plans to open this summer. The new space will be quadruple the size of its current location, giving founder William Pietri the room to dramatically expand what is already a one-of-a-kind Chicago institution.

The move feels especially fitting given Chicago's deep-rooted connection to the game. "Chicago is the home of pinball," Pietri has said — and he means it literally. The first commercial pinball machine was made in Ohio in 1931, but the industry rapidly took root in the Chicago area throughout that decade. Even today, the Chicago suburbs are home to Stern Pinball, the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines. Fascinatingly, pinball was actually banned in Chicago — along with Los Angeles and New York — for nearly 40 years because it was considered a form of gambling, making its triumphant Loop debut feel like a long-overdue homecoming.

Pietri launched The Flip in Pilsen in July 2024 after volunteering at a pinball museum in the Bay Area and deciding to bring that experience back to his adopted hometown. With Block 37's higher foot traffic and the Loop's growing reputation as a destination for one-of-a-kind experiences, expect The Flip to become a downtown favorite fast. Stay tuned for an opening date — and visit loopchicago.com for the latest Loop news.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/11/chicagos-only-pinball-museum-moving-from-pilsen-to-the-loop-this-summer/