Photos for this post provided by Trey Lankford.
Shreveport-Bossier resident Trey Lankford is really, really into three things: pizza, the music of Rush, and pinball. Possibly not in that order. In fact, Lankford enjoys pinball so much that he has compiled a very handy list of pinball machines that can be played by the public in Shreveport-Bossier. There are more machines – and a wider variety of them – than I ever would have imagined. I spoke to Lankford about the list, and his love of pinball. Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you’re just looking for the list. Please note that pinball machines will move around from time to time. This list is current as of August 2015. Please note that some pinball machine locations are private clubs or bars.
20×49: How did you create this list?
Trey Lankford: I can’t really take any credit for the list. There’s a local gentleman who operates pinball machines and arcade games all over town. His business is called Charlie’s Novelties. I actually got to meet and talk with him, and I said: ‘Look, do you have a list of the locations where you have these machines?’ Eventually, he sent me the list through a series of text messages.
20×49: Do you have any favorite machines on the list?
TL: For sentimental value, my favorite local game would be the Pin-Bot at Smitty’s Pizza on Mansfield Road. I went there and probably put five bucks worth of quarters in the very first time that I played it. The Mata Hari machine in Highland is a true classic from my era; I believe that it came out in ’78 or ’79. I remember playing that machine when it was new. The Jurassic Park machine that you can play at The Sand Bar or Geek 4 Life is really cool, at one point a dinosaur comes out and eats the ball.
20×49.com: Why did you feel like it was important to document the location of pinball machines?
TL: Just being a fan of classic pinball machines, the list is gold to me. But also, it takes a lot of effort to install and maintain these machines. So, I wanted to encourage people: If you’re going out to eat, find a restaurant that has a pinball machine and go play it. It’s nostalgia for those of us who grew up with pinball, but people who didn’t grow up with pinball will also enjoy it.
UPDATE: For another fun local perspective on Shreveport-Bossier’s pinball machines, check out this article from local magazine Heliopolis.
Ark-La-Tex Pinball Games/Locations
Pinbot – Smitty’s Pizza, 9375 Mansfield Road, Shreveport
Jack Bot, Jurassic Park, Bride Of Pinbot – The Sand Bar, 415 Spring Street, Shreveport
Lethal Weapon 3 – 24/7 Laundrymat – 163 E. Kings Highway, Shreveport
Mata Hari, Slugger Baseball – Highland Laundromat, 3001 Highland Avenue, Shreveport
No Good Golfers, Jurassic Park – Elk’s Lodge 310 E. Preston Avenue, Shreveport
Fish Tales – Fud’s 2459 E. 70th Street, Shreveport
Lethal Weapon 3 – Good Times Billiards, 2648 Barksdale Boulevard, Bossier City
Force 2 – Soap Opera, 1210 Airline Drive, Bossier City
Police Force – Soap Opera, 901 Benton Road #A, Bossier City
Jurassic Park – Geek 4 Life, 1902 Alfred Lane, Bossier City
Black Water – Soap Opera, 8150 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport
Riverboat Gambler – Pizza Hut, 2525 Southside Drive, Shreveport
Tri Zone, Riverboat Gambler – Speed Brite Laundry, 9095 Mansfield Road, Shreveport
Doctor Dude – All Star Lanes, 9130 Mansfield Road, Shreveport
Flintstones – Rotolo’s Pizza, 1409 E. 70th Street, Shreveport
Whirlwind, No Fear – Johnny’s Pizza, Highway 1 at I-49, Shreveport (Note: We’re not certain which Johnny’s Pizza this refers to. -20×49.com)
Doctor Dude – Soap Opera, 3103 North Market Street, Shreveport
Game Show – Speed Brite Laundry, 1721 North Market Street, Shreveport
Hurricane – Superior Car Wash, 4020 Hearne Avenue, Shreveport
Party Zone – Shane’s Seafood & BBQ, 9176 Mansfield Road, Shreveport
Millionaire – Dunn’s Pizza, 350 E. Texas Avenue, Waskom, Texas
Road Kings – Supercenter Laundry, 6259 W. Port Avenue (Pines Road), Shreveport
Sharkey’s Shootout, Eight Ball Deluxe – Sam’s Southern Eatery, 6122 Greenwood Road, Shreveport
Star Wars – Hangar 21, 616 Commerce Street, Shreveport
Spider-man – Johnny’s Pizza, 1120 U.S. Hwy 80, Haughton
Monopoly – Cajun Airsoft Park, 8070 E. Texas Street, Haughton
Roller Coaster Tycoon – Coupes Café and Gameroom – Texas exit 540 off I-20
Sharkey’s Shootout – Relay Truck Stop, 9110 U.S. Hwy 79, Bethany
20×49.com would like to thank Trey Lankford for sharing this list, which was clearly the product of a lot of effort.
