Banning Pinball Museum a Highlight of Modernism Week

BANNING, CA- For the first time ever, a Banning location is being included in Palm Springs’ famous “Modernism Week.”

Thanks to the town’s new pinball museum, art lovers will venture out of the Coachella Valley and into the Pass to check out The Museum of Pinball in the nostalgic 1950s compound located south of Interstate 10, near the Banning Municipal Airport.

An event description lays out the festivities as follows:

Experience Retro Pinball Mania like never before! The Museum of Pinball is one of the greatest kept secrets of the midcentury modern revival and Modernism Week has an exclusive invitation for you and your friends to play the night away! This place is so incredible your head might explode from all of the fun! The Museum of Pinball is undiscovered, like a hidden treasure, and we are opening the doors only for this limited engagement to benefit Modernism Week. You wont believe how addictive the pinball and vintage arcade games are, for the novice or expert! Dont miss this rare and special opportunity to revel in an evening of partying and free-play on more than 700 beautifully restored, pristine arcade and pinball machines lit up and ready for your high score!

The Museum of Pinball is located in a nostalgic 1950s compound in the outer limits of Palm Springs Modernism in nearby Banning. We will transport you back in time as you enjoy a short 20-minute ride to Banning aboard a luxury motor coach from Modernism Week CAMP in Palm Springs, only made better upon arrival at the Museum with an open bar including Mad Men-era cocktails, craft sodas, and retro-carnival style fare.

The classic pinball machines display bewitching original works of art, many hand-painted and dating back to the 1960s-1990s. This unforgettable night will be a party for the ages and is sure to bring out the kid in everyone! The lights, the music, the action, the bellsits a spectacular pinball paradise!

The pinball excursion is unlike any other of the 250-plus events featured this year, and costs $125 to attend (includes round-trip bus trip from Palm Springs). As of Thursday, tickets remained available, but Patch is told that sales are going strong.

“The Pinball Museum is something that came to the attention of our Board President who saw the place and fell in love with it,” organizers tell Patch. “It’s a good fit for the mid-century vibe of Modernism Week, and it’s quite different from anything we’ve offered previously.”

Modernism Week celebrates the popular design aesthetic from the 1950s and ‘60s. Over the years, it’s grown exponentially.

Event publicists for the annual 11-day festival say 2016’s Mondernism Week “...features a rich array of events including the Modernism Show & Sale, tours of iconic homes, architectural walking, biking and double-decker bus tours, a world-class lecture & film series, tours of the historic Annenberg Estate at Sunnylands, a Palm Springs Walk of Stars dedication, vintage fashion, classic cars, garden tours, a vintage travel trailer exhibition, and much more.”

Ticket prices vary and many events are sold out.

More information and tickets are available online at modernismweek.com.

(Photo courtesy Museum of Pinball)