A pinball museum has opened in Athens, Greece.

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Over 100 tables from the ’50s to the turn of the millennium are on display in a basement property run by Panagiotis Pitarchas and his wife Chrysanthi.

Taking only 10 months to get to the stage of opening to the public, the venue is a labour of love for the husband and wife team who have persevered despite the harsh economic conditions in the country.

Pinball was once a popular pastime in the arcades and coffee houses of Greece throughout the ’80s and ’90s before it was banned as it was deemed a game of chance.  But it wasn’t just pinball. On February 22, 2002 the Greek government passed a law that outlawed all coin-operated amusement games. The only exemptions were kiddie rides, pool tables and foosball tables.

Over 2,000 arcades with an estimated 10,000 machines were affected.

Due to exorbitant licence fees of €900 per machine, unlicensed operations were rife and a media campaign led to the draconian legislation.

These days, however, things are different and the Pitarchas’ museum has all its machines on free play with a cover charge offering unlimited pinball. The centre even has a rare example of The Addams Family Special Collectors Edition, one of only 1,000 produced, and an estimated 300 still in circulation of the iconic Midway table.

Image: Athens Pinball Museum – Credit: Trip Advisor/Athens Pinball Museum