Museo del Recreativo

Preserving Arcade and Video Game History

Museo del Recreativo is devoted to the cultural and technological history of arcade machines and video games. Its collections bring together arcade cabinets, pinball machines, simulators, prize games, home computers, and a documentary library.

Machines and Technologies

The collection categories range from electromechanical arcades and CRT displays to 3D, multi-screen, JAMMA, cocktail-table, and music games. Pinball machines include mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic models. Other sections cover consoles, virtual reality, claw machines and other prize games, jukeboxes, vending machines, and microcomputers.

Archives, Activities, and Education

The library preserves manuals, schematics, magazines, ROMs, installation CD-ROMs, and system descriptions. The museum accepts documentary, material, and financial contributions and publishes a guide to its machines. Its activities include events, workshops, and a pinball tournament organized with Asociación Pinball Biar. It also describes educational and technical programs, retro-equipment rentals, and video game experiences adapted for people with disabilities.

Stories Behind the Machines

Historical features include the 1941 electromechanical game Ace Bomber and Halley Comet, a pinball machine made by Juegos Populares in 1986. The museum also collaborates with Recreativas.org on preserving Spanish arcade machines.