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The Pinball and Modern Art Museum “Dino Merluzzi” A SPACE WHERE CULTURE, EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT MEET
A space where culture, education and entertainment meet. All of this is enclosed in the “Dino Merluzzi” Pinball and Modern Art Museum, which celebrates its debut on Saturday, February, the 18th, in an official ceremony crowned by the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Umbria Region. The Museum is dedicated Dino Merluzzi, one of the first Italians collector of vintage gaming machines, nurturing the dream of being able to put them in a museum one day. Today that dream is being realized by the Ifpa Italia Association, in cooperation with the Municipality of Terni, the Marmore turist office and the ARCI of Terni, which thanks to the contribution of the Fondazione Carit, has managed to make the Pinball and modern ant museum real, dedicated to the passed away collector from Terni, in the spaces of the former elementary school of Marmore, in Via Montesi 59.
Today, the Museum is a unique place in Italy and aims to perform various functions, in the cultural, educational and recreational fields. Promising to obtain a role of attraction at national and international level, since it is in an already tourist context such as that of the Marmore Falls, going to be one more reason to go to this wonderful place, contributing to the further enhancement of the territory.
From a cultural point of view, it is a real museum of modern art, able to offer a series of pinball machines from different eras: from the very first examples of the 1950s to the current ones of our times, covering all the different eras that have occured (60s and 70s electo-mechanical ones, 80s and 90s electronic ones, modern, 2000s), in a thematic itinerary in which set the technological progress that has taken place over the last seventy years, describing in detail the change of the customs and traditions of society during the same period, described through the settings of pinball machines and other material of the time proposed together with the gaming machines (posters, window decals, records, books, vintage juke boxes and various vintage material). In addition to offering old movies on the history of the pinball machine.
From an educational point of view, the Museum offers a permanent location that aims to become a point of reference for schools and institutes in the area (and beyond), for a real and concrete approach to understanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Creating a “EduFun” program that would provide an exciting opportunity for teachers, students and various stakeholders to look at the inner operation of real, working pinball machines and learn how thousands of files and of electronic and mechanical parts work together to create complex electromechanical systems.
From a recreational and social point of view, the Museum offers a permanent location for organizing entertainment events, which perfectly fit with the tourist destination of the area. Also hosting international pinball tournaments, through the permanent activity of Ifpa Italia. All this in order to exploit the unique power of the pinball machine, which is one of the few games capable of being used by both children and the elderly people, belonging to practically any era.
Over 25 amusement machines are inside the building, including pinball machines, juke boxes and various types of vintage games, together with other collector’s items, including rare ones. But the permanent collection will be continuously enriched and updated thanks to loans and donations. The Museum is a non-profit one and even the recreational activities do not require payment for the game to play, but can be freely tested by visitors. It is therefore an ideal location for families and for any type of user. The entrance is totally free, by reservation only. The facility is temporarily not open to the public.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE MUSEUM
The museum is spread over a total area of over 260 square meters, located on the first floor of the building of the former Marmore elementary school. The structure consists of six different rooms, thematically organized.
The first is the “Electromechanical Room”, dedicated to these games, hosting pinball machines from the 60s and 70s and other vintage games (such as Rotamint and Rotomat and other automatic games).
The second, which represents the main room, is the “Electronic Room”. Here you can find over 15 games from the 70s to the 2000s, with some collector’s items.
The third is the “Projection and Conference Room”, where there is a multifunctional space used as a cinema and conference center, where movies, documentary or historical movies, presentations, debates and various activities are held.
In the “Arcade Space” there are some video games from the 80s and 90s, available to the visitors of the Museum.
The Museum is also equipped with a “Restoration Room”, located next to the Electromechanical Room, where repairs and maintenance of individual devices are carried out.
While in the “warehouse room” games and various materials are kept for future installations and updates of the permanent collection.
All the games shown in the Museum are fully working and can be evaluated in terms of their game dynamics. The venue does not pursue any profit: it is not a game room or a private club and does not require the payment of any ticket.
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