This is the final location on last weekend’s Fall Arcade Road Trip and man is in an interesting one. To say that I was shocked by what I found is an understatement.
I’ve been to the state of Delaware a number of times over the past year, taking my sons to the numerous lacrosse tournaments in the state. Every time I’m there, I’m disappointed by the extreme lack of location pinball. There is one spot though that stands out on Pinball Map as being intriguing, the Red Lion Inn.
Red Lion is a 21 and over liquor store / bar and I’ve always had one of my sons with me while driving through the state so I’ve never been able to see what it was all about...until now.
Red Lion looks like a typical drive up liquor store that you might see in the South on the outside and sort of like the “Double Deuce” from the classic Patrick Swayze movie Road House on the inside. The clientele consists of mostly older, male, somehow Southern sounding regulars, even though we are in the North. Rob and I didn’t exactly get the most welcoming vibe from the place. I’d say it was a mix between indifference and “Why did these guys come into our place and start taking pictures of these old pinball machines?” 😂
Needless to say, the first thing I said when we walked in was “I’m going to need a beer.” The female bartender was super nice and poured me a tall Stella in one of the brand’s official chalices from a dedicated Stella beer machine. Impressive.
Onto the reason for this post, the pinball machines. I have never been so shocked in my entire arcade going time to come across such a huge, beautiful, immaculate collection of pinball machines. The juxtaposition was astonishing. The Red Lion Inn has sooooo many gorgeous electromechanical pins. And they all worked flawlessly for a quarter per game! Unbelievable. Check our this list of games, courtesy of Pinball Map:
Big Indian (Gottlieb, 1974)
Cleopatra (Gottlieb, 1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Gottlieb, 1978)
Dragon (Gottlieb, 1978)
Fast Draw (Gottlieb, 1975)
Hot Shot (Gottlieb, 1973)
Jack in the Box (Gottlieb, 1973)
Joker Poker (Gottlieb, 1978)
Sheriff (Gottlieb, 1971)
Sinbad (Gottlieb, 1978)
Surf Champ (Gottlieb, 1976)
Target Alpha (Gottlieb, 1976)
Vulcan (Gottlieb, 1977)
So many games that I’ve never played before in such great condition. A couple of beers in, was transported from Rural Delaware to Pinball Heaven. Check our these pictures!
Red Lion Inn was the final stop on this Fall’s trip and it was an extremely pleasant surprise. I wouldn’t go there with kids. I probably wouldn’t go there with my wife, but if you are in the area with a buddy or two and are looking for an interesting experience make sure to check it out.
While the write ups from the trip are over, make sure to follow the Knapp Arcade page. While I was writing this, I got a call from FedEx Freight. Something awesome is headed this way tomorrow. I’ll share pics then.
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