Eric J. Kos

Michael Schiess poses atop his collection of pinball machines. Against the left and right hand walls are the latest addition, 240 machines stacked four deep, donated by an East Coast collector.

Preservation of America's history hardly results in a limitless fortune. Most Americans help younger generations learn about our past mostly through passion, self-motivation and a selfless desire to give back. Michael Scheiss of Alameda is just such a person — driven to help Americans appreciate one of their unique art forms: the pinball machine.

He recently consolidated two significant collections of pinball machines in his warehouse on Alameda Point, and now it's nearly bursting at the seams with 240 new machines, most in exceptional condition, donated for posterity to Schiess's growing museum.

"We have a world-class collection that needs a place to live," said Schiess. "This recent donation fills a void in our collection, and will likely convince other large collectors to see us as a safe place to donate their collections."

These 240 new machines are more than likely the only collection of its kind in the world. Gordon A. Hasse, Jr. of Orlando, Fla. began collecting in the 1980s and set out with a specific goal to obtain every single-player woodrail-style pinball machine manufactured by the Gottlieb Company of Chicago. Pinball companies eventually phased out wooden frames for the top of the machines, changing over to chrome rails in the 1960s. Hasse's collection is complete from the years of 1945 through 1961 — 12 machines per year; even Gottlieb Co. itself didn't retain a collection as complete.

"We intend to be the Smithsonian of pinball museums," said Schiess. "This is an important part of American culture we'd like to help the public appreciate."

Schiess opened the Lucky Ju Ju Pinball Gallery to bring his passion — pinball as an art form — to people here in Alameda first. The gallery has since expanded twice — into adjoining rooms formerly inhabited by other businesses. In one of the new spaces, Schiess began his passion, the Pacific Pinball Museum.

The nascent museum displays pinball machines dating back to the 1930s and various kinetic exhibits designed to help the average person understand the mechanics, physics and electronics behind the pinball machine.

"With Hasse's collection, we can now present a complete timeline of the art of pinball and other gaming machines, from every era to the present," said museum board member Jem Gruber.

Now more than ever, Schiess needs to expand. In June, Schiess took an epic adventure to the East Coast, renting a 16-foot truck and two tractor trailers to pick up Hasse's collection located in three separate warehouses: in Orlando, outside Philadelphia and in Poughkeepsie, and move it to Alameda.

Schiess and his board members prefer a reused building at Alameda Point as the ultimate home of their collection where every one of their 700 machines will be set to free play for one admission fee.

"We're interested in Building 3's rec center," said Schiess. "But Cupertino and San Francisco have already offered us free space. If we can't find a suitable location at Alameda Point, we will begin entertaining those offers."

The board of the Pacific Pinball Museum approached SunCal regarding being included in SunCal's redevelopment plan for Alameda Point. But according to Schiess, SunCal did not fully consider their wishes.

Eric J. Kos

Michael Schiess inside the Lucky Ju Ju Pinball Gallery. This month's exhibit features this room of machines designed by the same artist: Christian Marche.

"They shoehorned us into a new building when we told them we wanted to reuse a historic building," he said, "We're in the plan, but we've never been contacted."

The museum's board members include famed local artists, skilled pinball technicians and players and even a member of the Strehlow family that founded Neptune Beach, the bathing resort and amusement park that was an early haven of the pinball machine on Alameda's south shore. Recently board member Jim Dietrick was invited to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. to speak on the history of the pinball machine.

This past weekend Schiess announced to the Alameda Sun that another expansion into the storefront currently housing the Record Gallery on Webster Street is about to take place.

The Record Gallery will move to another location in Alameda. The Ju Ju will display more pins and add a gift store with a presence on Webster Street itself.

"Cupertino and San Francisco saw the value of what we are doing," said Schiess. "We love Alameda, and hope someone here will be willing to take the risk on an organization like ours that has this much momentum to get it done."

Contact Eric J. Kos at