National Pinball Museum headed to Georgetown?

Soon Georgetown may be host to just about the most fun national museum in Washington: the National Pinball Museum. A product of one man's nearly lifelong love of the game, the museum right now is a collection of more than 800 pinball games stored in a warehouse behind David Silverman's Silver Spring home. Silverman hopes to set up a museum proper in the Georgetown Park mall this summer.

Taking over the space previously occupied by an F.A.O. Schwartz, the National Pinball Museum would be a multifaceted shrine to what is personally my favorite way to spend a few quarters. The museum would include a theater showing movies about pinball, classrooms and teaching areas, a permanent exhibit on the history of pinball, and, best of all, a rotating collection of playable pinball games.

There would be about 60 of these games and they would represent all of pinball's eras, from the 1870s to the modern day.

Besides just being fun to play, the best pinball machines are a delightful mix of engineering and graphic art that reflects the changing tastes of American culture. They are more than worthy of a museum in their honor. But it isn't a done deal yet. Like most new museums, Silverman is looking for financial support for his vision to come into fruition.

Topher Mathews blogs at The Georgetown Metropolitan. The Local Blog Network is a group of bloggers from around the D.C. region who have agreed to make regular contributions to All Opinions Are Local.