# CHICAGO AREA PINBALL SITES 2017

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2017-10-03  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2017/10/03/chicago-pinball-sites-2017

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## Analysis

A 2016-2017 Chicago area pinball venue guide documenting 20 locations featuring pinball machines, including barcades, arcades, and bars. The guide lists venue names, locations, and current machine selections, highlighting popular destinations like Logan Arcade, Emporium Arcade Bar, and Galloping Ghost Arcade. Notable machines mentioned include recent Stern releases (Star Wars Premium, Game of Thrones Premium) and classic titles.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Logan Arcade features Aerosmith LE, Attack From Mars Remake, and Star Wars Premium — _Listed as updates to Logan Arcade's collection in 2016-2017 guide_
- [HIGH] Galloping Ghost Arcade's pinball collection was reduced to three machines: Creature From the Black Lagoon, Twilight Zone, and a non-working Funhouse — _Explicit update noting reduction in collection at this venue_
- [HIGH] Level 257 added the new Dialed In pinball machine to their collection — _Listed as update to Level 257's machine selection_
- [HIGH] Blind Robin location is now closed — _Explicit note in venue listing_
- [HIGH] Headquarters Beercade expanded to a second River North location featuring over twenty pinball machines — _Documented in venue listing with website reference_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Logan Arcade | venue | Chicago-based pinball arcade with multiple machines including recent releases |
| Emporium Arcade Bar | venue | Wicker Park location in Chicago with pinball machines and arcade games |
| Galloping Ghost Arcade | venue | Brookfield arcade venue with reduced pinball collection in 2016-2017 |
| Replay | venue | Two Chicago-area locations: Lincoln Park (formerly Headquarters Beercade Lakeview) and Andersonville |
| Headquarters Beercade | venue | Chicago barcade chain with River North location featuring 20+ pinball machines |
| Bottom Lounge | venue | Chicago bar/music venue with pinball machines including Metallica and Funhouse |
| Lemming's Tavern | venue | Chicago tavern with Game of Thrones Premium and Whitewater |
| Brixie's | venue | Brookfield venue with five-machine wall featuring Aerosmith, Game of Thrones Premium, Ghostbusters Premium, and others |
| Level 257 | venue | Schaumburg arcade venue with dozen pinball machines including Dialed In |
| Brauer House | venue | Lombard venue with five pinball machines after remodeling |
| Pinball News | organization | Publication providing venue guide and reporting |
| Star Wars | game | Stern Premium pinball machine at multiple Chicago venues |
| Game of Thrones | game | Stern Premium pinball machine at multiple Chicago locations |
| Ghostbusters | game | Stern pinball machine (Pro and Premium versions) at multiple venues |
| Aerosmith | game | Stern LE pinball machine at Logan Arcade and Brixie's |
| Dialed In | game | Pinball machine newly added to Level 257 |
| Attack From Mars Remake | game | Recently released pinball remake at Logan Arcade |
| Metallica | game | Pinball machine at multiple Chicago venues including Bottom Lounge and Brauer House |
| Creature From the Black Lagoon | game | Classic pinball machine at multiple Chicago venues |
| Twilight Zone | game | Classic pinball machine at Galloping Ghost Arcade |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Chicago pinball venue ecosystem, Barcade culture and popularity, Machine availability and rotation
- **Secondary:** Stern recent releases (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters), Venue closures and changes

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0) — This is a factual venue guide with no apparent editorial commentary or opinion. Tone is informational and cataloging.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Headquarters Beercade expansion to second River North location with 20+ machines indicates barcade chain growth and investor confidence in pinball venue viability (confidence: high) — New location documented with website and significant machine collection
- **[community_signal]** Chicago area demonstrates sustained pinball venue ecosystem with 20 documented locations offering pinball, supporting active location-based play community (confidence: high) — Comprehensive listing of 20 venues across Chicago suburbs with regular machine rotation and maintenance
- **[market_signal]** Venue closures (Blind Robin) alongside operational continuity and expansion elsewhere suggest market consolidation and venue volatility (confidence: medium) — Blind Robin listed as closed; other venues expanding or maintaining operations
- **[market_signal]** Galloping Ghost Arcade's pinball collection reduction from larger selection to three machines suggests venue-level business or operational challenges (confidence: medium) — Explicit note of collection reduction with non-working Funhouse remaining
- **[market_signal]** Documented presence of recent Stern releases (Star Wars Premium, Game of Thrones Premium, Ghostbusters Pro/Premium) across multiple Chicago-area venues indicates strong market penetration and operator adoption of new titles (confidence: high) — Multiple venues feature these recent releases; indicates operators are investing in new machines

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## Transcript

Date: October 2016 Location: Various, Chicago, IL, USA There is a large selection of pinball machines on location in the Chicago area thanks to the continued popularity of barcades. Here are the ones I have enjoyed visiting so far. Some of the sites articles are by M.G.Brown. Pinballmap.com has many more pin locations listed on their website. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Logan Arcade – Chicago See report Update: An Aerosmith LE, Attack From Mars Remake and a new Star Wars Premium are the newest additions. | | | Logan Arcade Logan Arcade 2. | Replay (Lincoln Park) – Chicago See previous report Formerly Headquarters Beercade (Lakeview). Fourteen pinball machines available to play. | | | Replay in Lincoln Park Replay in Lincoln Park 3. | Emporium Arcade Bar (Wicker Park) – Chicago See previous report Update: A Stern Star Wars has been rotated into their line-up this year. | | | Emporium Arcade Bar (Wicker Park) Emporium Arcade Bar (Wicker Park) 4. | Lemming’s Tavern – Chicago See previous report Update: Game of Thrones Premium and Whitewater are the current pins. | | | Lemming's Tavern Lemming’s Tavern 5. | Brixie’s – Brookfield See previous report Update: An awesome wall of five super clean pins. Aerosmith, Game of Thrones Premium, The Hobbit, Ghostbusters Premium and Medieval Madness are the current pins. | | | Brixie's in Brookfield Brixie’s in Brookfield 6. | Galloping Ghost Arcade – Brookfield See previous reportUpdate: Their pin collection has been reduced to a Creature From the Black Lagoon, Twilight Zone and a non-working Funhouse. | | | Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield | | | | --- | | | | The pinballs were busy Gameworks in Schaumburg 8. | Level 257 – Schaumburg See previous reportUpdate: The new Dialed In! pin has been added. A dozen pins to play there now. | | | Level 257 Level 257 Chicago Street Pinball Arcade Chicago Street Pinball Arcade 10. | Bottom Lounge – Chicago Website: bottomlounge.com Pinball list courtesy of Gavin Miller: Bobby Orr Power Play x 2, Seawitch, The Addams Family, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Funhouse, Gilligan’s Island, The Champion Pub, Metallica and Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Ball. Bottom Lounge in Chicago Bottom Lounge in Chicago | | --- | 11. | Blind Robin – Chicago Update: Now closed | 12. | Headquarters Beercade (River North) – Chicago Website: hqbeercade.com/rivernorth Headquarters’ second location features over twenty top pins which are listed on their website. Ghostbusters Pro and Game of Thrones Premium have been rotated into their collection. | | | Headquarters Beercade (River North) Headquarters Beercade (River North) | | | | --- | | | | Emporium Logan Square Emporium Logan Square --- | 14. | Brauer House – Lombard Website: brauerhouse.com Update: After the pins being unavailable for a while during remodeling, five pins are back again. They are: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Guns’N Roses, Kiss (Bally) and Metallica. | | | Brauer House games Brauer House games Five & Dime Five & Dime --- | 17. | FTW – Chicago Website: ftwchicago.com Update: Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Medieval Madness are the current pins. FTW in Chicago FTW in Chicago | 19. | Replay – Andersonville Website: replayandersonville.com Update: Ghostbusters Premium, Kiss Premium and X-Men LE 20. | Rock Island Public House – Blue Island Website: rockislandpublichouse.com Update: A wall of seven well-maintained pins. Rock Island Public House in Blue Island Rock Island Public House in Blue Island | |

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: d0f176e4-3f70-4d75-82a8-f3a6023c1b7b*