Entry No. 73 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: arcade-play
Colorado Pinball Pub
A pinball-and-arcade pub on Highway 105 with around a dozen machines that rotate often, blending modern Stern hits with older classics. Play runs on a mix of tokens for some games and hourly freeplay for others (think renting a bay at TopGolf). The bar is a serious operation with 200-plus whiskeys plus local beers, cocktails, and food. It stays family-friendly until 11pm, when it shifts to 21-plus, making it an easy all-ages-then-grown-up spot.
The story
Dan and Holly Nikolich spent over two decades anchoring Colorado’s competitive pinball scene as organizers of the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown before deciding to bolt a top-shelf bar program onto a room full of flippers. After establishing their original taproom in Littleton, they brought the concept south to a roadside storefront along Highway 105 in Monument. You won't be wrestling with jammed quarter slots or carrying pockets of change here—the game room runs primarily on an hourly unlimited-play model (roughly $15 an hour per person) alongside token play for select cabinets, functioning more like renting a bay at TopGolf than feeding a quarter-eater.
The machine floor holds roughly a dozen rotating pinball tables, balancing high-end modern Stern hits like Foo Fighters and Ghostbusters against late-20th-century Bally and Williams classics like Cactus Canyon and Creature from the Black Lagoon. The real curveball, though, is behind the bar: they hoard over 200 whiskeys alongside local craft taps. You can order four-pour flights ranging from allocated Kentucky bottles like Weller Special Reserve and Colonel E.H. Taylor to Colorado distillers like Stranahan’s, Laws, and Axe and the Oak.
What it's like
When you pull off Highway 105, the exterior looks like standard strip-mall retail, but inside you're hit with the clatter of silver balls, arcade chimes, and the smell of house-baked pizza. It draws a steady mix of families and local pinball heads, but the hourly pay structure keeps the line moving so nobody squats on a single table forever. Grab a seat on the mountain-view patio with a local draft or a 'Ball Saver Mule,' then buy an hour pass to run through the rotation. Keep an eye on the clock if you bring kids—you didn't hear it from us, but at 11 p.m. sharp, they clear the room of under-21 players and shift strictly into a grown-up drinking hole.
The move: Buy an hour of unlimited play and run a best-of-thirteen pinball tournament between you, breaking for whiskey flights and pub food.
📍 Before you go Unlimited play is roughly $15/person/hour; family-friendly until ~11pm.
- 📍 Monument
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 303 W Hwy 105, Monument, CO 80132
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Estemere — Drive three miles north to admire Palmer Lake's ornate 1887 Victorian mansion before settling in for whiskey flights and pinball off Highway 105.
- Palmer Lake Star — Pair an hour of fast-paced pinball resets with a short night drive to view the giant 1935 illuminated star mounted on the mountain above Palmer Lake.
- U.S. Air Force Academy Planetarium — Contrast 8K digital cosmic projections under the Air Force Academy's dome with analog tilt mechanics and a 200-whiskey bar six miles up the road.
- The Control Room — If you're building a full-day barcade run, follow Monument’s hourly-play whiskey spot with an east-side arcade bar known for retro cabinets and spiked slushies.
Good to know
How does paying for pinball games work?
Main floor machines run on an hourly fee—roughly $15 per person per hour for unlimited play—while select cabinets use tokens.
Are kids allowed at Colorado Pinball Pub?
Yes, the venue is family-friendly during the day and evening until 11:00 p.m., when it strictly turns into a 21-plus spot.
What food and drinks are available?
The bar features over 200 whiskeys with curated flights, craft beers, and specialty cocktails. The Monument kitchen bakes pizza in-house alongside pub snacks like pretzels, empanadas, wings, and waffle fries.
What games are in the machine rotation?
The pub rotates around a dozen pinball machines, combining modern Stern titles with older classics.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · gazette.com · kineticist.co · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23