PAWTUCKET – Some said a pinball museum where people play all day for one low fee could never work, says Mike Pare, co-owner of the Electromagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration, but five years in, they’re proving all doubters wrong.
Pare and co-owners Emily Rose and David Paquin hosted an anniversary party to mark five years on Sunday, July 5. Pinball enthusiasts and families played for as long as they wanted for the standard EMP fee of $10.
As this writer wrote when EMP was first preparing to open, the idea has always been for a low-cost entertainment option, and the price to play hasn’t changed.
In a video, Pare thanked everyone who has made EMP the success that it is, from 700 square feet and 30 pinball machines in 2021 to 10,000 square feet and about 90 games. He thanked those who have donated their machines and time over the years. Critics said this success wasn’t possible, he said, but everyone has jumped in to help exceed all expectations.
EMP is about much more than pinball, he explains, with nostalgic arcade games throughout. Linked Rush racing games and Skee-Ball machines are eternally popular, he said.
Three years ago, EMP expanded into the former Lighthouse Skate Park, a 5,000-square-foot space within the Creative Commerce Center at 881 Main St. in Pawtucket, effectively doubling its space within the former Vitrus Building.
