Pinball and beyond: Enthusiasts have plenty of options in Lafayette

BY GREG LINDBERG

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

The opening of Main Street Amusements in downtown Lafayette’s Arts & Market district in January 2012 brought a flurry of pinball machines in a single space, helping to ignite a passion and buyin for many locals to indulge. Dan St. John opened the space with his own passion for repairing these complex machines, which also helped to bring in a variety of older, rare machines mixed with brand new pop-culture themed games.

Lindsey Sickler of Lafayette had limited experience with pinball and arcades until 2022, when she ventured with her bowling league friends into the fun, hangout atmosphere of Market Square Lanes and North End Pub, which features more than 20 pinball machines. This led her group to continue to go to Market Square Lanes, but for pinball instead of bowling.

“Right away, I discovered how welcoming the pinball community at North End Pub is. Everyone was happy to help new players, whether it was tips on flipper skills or strategies for scoring more points,” Sickler says. “I learned about an international group called Belles and Chimes, which was created to encourage more women to get involved in pinball. At the time, there were chapters in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, and I thought it would be great to bring something like that to Lafayette.”

In May 2023, Sickler did just that with the launch of the Lafayette Belles and Chimes chapter and has held monthly events since. Sickler emphasizes, “Our events are super laid-back and welcoming, especially for women who are brand new to pinball. We play together for about two hours, and it’s a great way to learn the game in a fun, supportive environment.”

Another local staple in the pinball community is Tommy Skinner, who became heavily invested in pinball after Main Street Amusements opened. Skinner says, “My uncle had an old EM (Electro-Mechanical) pinball machine in his house, and I grew up relatively poor at times, and I remember my parents not having 50 cents to give me to play an ‘Addams Family’ pinball machine at a local pizza place. It wasn’t a big deal but obviously something that stuck with me.”

Now Skinner competes and helps host regular tournaments and competitions at North End Pub. “Lafayette is very spoiled by our pinball scene, and you can’t really lose going to either North End Pub or Main Street Amusements,” Skinner says.

“I’m the operator at North End Pub, and I have a silent partner who helps me obtain games for the location, and really our community helps keep it going. Michael (Alexander), Brett (Heininger), and Dan St. John, who is the owner of Main Street Amusements, have all helped me work on the games at North End Pub to keep the spot up and running.” Skinner, Alexander and Heininger are members of the Lafayette Pinball League.

Discussing his favorite games, Skinner was quick to remind that the pinball community frowns upon calling these machines “cabinets” or “tables,” primarily due to their complexity. Conflicted on his favorite, he decides, “My favorite game is probably ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon.’ It is the first game that I really learned everything about and mastered the rules, but it is DMD era, essentially the ‘90s to 2019-ish in design.” (Dot Matrix Display — DMD — is a screen that can show characters, symbols or simple graphics on a pinball machine.)

But pinball isn’t all that Greater Lafayette has to offer. Jason and Barbara Whiteknight are co-owners of Game On Arcade & Bar. It opened last year in downtown Lafayette and features freeplay of more than 50 vintage arcade games for a flat fee of $20. The arcade also includes a party room for birthdays, concession-style food and a full bar.

Detailing the journey, Jason Whitenight says, “Our first venture was The Spinning Axe also located in downtown Lafayette. We believe in providing wholesome family fun where adults and kids alike can play and enjoy time together.” Whiteknight continues, “Additionally, we wanted to bring back the nostalgia of a retro arcade with some modern titles to the next generation.”

When asked his favorite games to play at Game On, Whiteknight says, “My favorite to play is ‘PowerPutt’ because I love mini golf. Barbara’s favorite is ‘BurgerTime’ and Skee Ball. The best game I’ve ever played is ‘Gauntlet 2.’ ” Their adoration for classic arcade games shows with their enthusiasm to bring families and friends a space to relax and enjoy the surrounding lights, sounds, joysticks and buttons.

Looking toward the future for Game On, Whiteknight adds, “We are currently working on a ‘Mario Kart 8’ tournament for this summer as well as monthly ‘Killer Queen’ tournaments. We will be adding cosplay and costuming events throughout the year with different themes, discounts and drink specials.”

All of these local arcade game enthusiasts make one thing clear: that gaming environments bring families and friends closer together. Sickler adds, “Pinball is also a great way to bridge generational gaps. In a world where video games and online gaming tend to dominate, pinball offers a nostalgic, hands-on experience that people of all ages can enjoy.”

Reminiscent of his pinball journey, Skinner adds, “Main Street Amusements has some amazing machines, especially ‘Big Bang Bar’ that make it an amazing location. Main Street Amusements offers weekend pinball and North End Pub offers pinball 7 days a week with weekly events on Thursday nights.”

Skinner continues to be excited and passionate about the pinball community but also with working with charities to create excellent fundraising events. “Every December we host a charity event that raises money for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. If you are only coming to one event for the year that is the one to be at. We put all the machines on free play for the day, and it’s just a donation to play. A lot of kids in our community have received a bed to sleep in thanks to the efforts of our community!”

Skinner knows his passion for pinball wouldn’t be possible if not for St. John’s efforts to bring such a vibrant establishment to the city. “If it wasn’t for Dan opening Main Street Amusements all those years ago, I never would have gotten into pinball, and North End Pub wouldn’t exist.”

St. John says, “To say that I’m surprised by the growth in pinball’s popularity over the past decade or so would be an understatement. When I was toying with the idea of opening Main Street Amusements my expectation was that it would be a flop, and that I would just end up with my own personal pinball place/man cave. And, actually, I would have been okay with that. To think that we’re still here 13-plus years later is pretty amazing. That’s the second longest I’ve ever held a job.” ★

Pinball facts (courtesy of Lindsey Sickler):

» Fort Wayne is home to Wizard World, which has a collection of more than 140 pinball machines ranging from classics to modern, and is an awesome place to check out if you are a pinball enthusiast.

» Chicago is considered the pinball capital of the world and many of the leading manufacturers are headquartered there.

» Pinball was outlawed in major American cities between the 1940s-1970s, as it was viewed as a form of gambling. In the 1970s, a pinball enthusiast demonstrated in court that pinball is not just luck, and rather requires a lot of skill, and was able to overturn the ban. (There’s a cool movie about this called “Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game,” available on Hulu and Disney+)

Additional information:

Main Street Amusements, 642 Main St., Lafayette. Hours: Weekends only, Friday 7 .-11 p.m., Saturday 5 -11 p.m., and Sunday 7 -11 p.m., mainstreetamusements.wordpress.com

North End Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette. Hours: Weekdays 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sundays noon to midnight.

Game On Arcade & Bar, 209 N. Fifth St., Lafayette. Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 3 p.m.-midnight, Friday 3 p.m.1 a.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Belles and Chimes meets on the second Sunday of each month at North End Pub (21+). Check them out on Facebook at Belles and Chimes Lafayette, IN or on Instagram @Belles.and.Chimes.Lafayette.IN