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New Jersey beach town museum offers retro thrills for pinball fans

The museum home to more than 150 fully functional pinball machines, some dating from the 1950s, where fans can go back in time -- and, in some cases, relive their childhood.

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The pinball museum opened in 2009. Before then, co-founder Robert Ilvento's daughter, who has autism, really loved playing pinball, so Ilvento, 57 started collecting pinball machines and built a collection. His longtime friend and business partner, restaurant owner Steve Zuckerman, also had a pinball machine collection. They combined their collections, and Silverball Retro Arcade was born. "Even for all of us, and for young people now, it is a very tactile game," said Patty Barber, the museum's senior vice president. "All of these different arcade games ... you really have to use all your senses."