Pinball enthusiast shares passion by opening new arcade in Girard
The doors opened at 3:15 p.m. June 1 at Girard’s newest attraction on State Street called Past Times Arcade.
Owner Rob Berk welcomed pinball enthusiasts, the mayor, and the Girard community crowd who could hardly wait to get in.
Meet Rob Berk, owner of Past Times Arcade
Mahoning Matters met Warren business owner Rob Berk, the founder and owner of Past Times Arcade.
Starting in childhood, Berk’s fascination for the art of pinball game design grew.
He’s using his collection of pinball machines to create a new piece of history in Girard.
Berk and the Past Times Arcade staff maintained over 300 pinball machines and over 150 classic arcade games, all on display in Girard.
“We’ve got games here from the 1930s to the newest games of today; there’s something for everyone,” said Berk. “[Pinball is] something fun to do, something different to do, and something to relax, revive their pasts....whether they’re young kids, parents, grandma, grandpa, we’re going to have games for everyone, many that the parents and grandparents played back in their lifetime.”
Rob Berk is a Pinball Expo founder, record holder
He’s known for founding Pinball Expo, a Chicago-based convention celebrating game designers worldwide.
Berk’s event, which has run for 38 years, won the world record for the longest-running pinball convention.
“It’s a dream convention show because you’ll see everything there. We tour a pinball factory and meet these designers firsthand. It’s really exciting,” he said. “People get really into it and catch the bug, get the fever, and this kind of blossomed from that.”
The founder has opened an arcade in Girard, allowing Mahoning Valley to enjoy his expansive collection. Guests can roam the aisles of pinball machines, a collection 50 years in the making.
“We have a lot of games to learn, a very unique, rare number of games made; people are gonna find games here they’ve never seen;, this whole row, a lot are pinball machines from Spain,” said Berk. “The response from the community has been great, you know, from the mayor who was here for the ribbon cutting to just seeing people I haven’t heard from in a long time. It’s been fun.”
When are they open?
Girard’s Past Times Arcade will be open on Thursdays and Fridays at 4 p.m., then on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m.
Visit the website for rates and hours and about hosting events at the arcade.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2023 at 5:04 PM.