Tucked away in scenic downtown Opelika is a pinball arcade that’s offering its visitors of all ages, whether they’ve played pinball for decades or are trying it for the first time, a chance to have a little fun of the retro variety.

Rock ‘N Roll Pinball in Opelika opened in November of 2020. But for owner Ernie Rains, who is originally from California but moved to Alabama in 1986 while serving in the United States Air Force, it’s been in the works for much longer. While Rains was first introduced to pinball, like most people, when he was kid, the idea to someday have his own pinball machine came along later in life.

“When I was overseas with the Air Force, there was a captain in my squadron. And he had a pinball machine in his house and I was like, ‘Oh, this is so cool,’” said Rains, “and so that kind of planted the seed that maybe someday I would get one for my home…then, you know, when you get to be in your mid-60s, you start thinking about what you want to accomplish, what you want to have done before you kick the bucket. And so, one thing that I had on my list still was to have a pinball machine for the house.”

Rains bought his first pinball machine, a brand new Beatles game made by Stern Pinball, in 2018 and, after sharing videos of himself and friends playing it online, quickly became engaged in a pinball community with enthusiasts from all over the country. While he originally planned to simply have a pinball machine in his home, an invitation to visit a pinball arcade in Asheville, N.C., got him thinking bigger — and Rock ‘N Roll Pinball was on its way.

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Today, Rock ‘N Roll Pinball has dozens of pinball games, which customers can pay $10 to play for an hour or $20 for the day. They range from that first Beatles game to games themed after “Attack From Mars,” “Jurassic Park,” KISS, Led Zeppelin, “The Mandalorian,” “Star Trek” and many more. While Rains said that “Jurassic Park” is often a favorite among customers, it’s the Aerosmith game that stands out as a personal favorite for him, though it has little to do with the band itself.

“The band Aerosmith, they have a pinball machine that of course plays their music, but I’m not a big Aerosmith fan,” said Rains. “I just love the way the machine plays. It slings a ball through the air into a toy chest, and once you accumulate three balls in the toy chest, it gives you the option of dumping them all out for what we call multi-ball, which you know if you can imagine. You’re normally just, you know, hitting one ball around, but now you’re hitting three or four or five or six, even. So, you know, if you’ve got six going all at once, your heart is just pumping. You know, it’s just going crazy. said Raines. It’s been my favorite for a long time.”

In addition to Rock ‘N Roll Pinball, Rains also opened The Jailhouse, which serves as a music and event venue attached to the arcade that offers live music, karaoke and more for customers 19 and up. While Rains said opening a lounge wasn’t part of his original plan, it has proved to be an exciting addition that offers Opelika another option for entertainment.

Ultimately, Rains said his favorite part of opening Rock ‘N Roll Pinball has been being able to see how a simple game has bridged relationships between different generations, making an afternoon at the arcade a popular pastime for families once again.

“An arcade like ours, and even the venue of The Jailhouse, we sell fun,” said Rains. “A lot of people will come here, and they’ll leave with nothing extra in their hands, but they’ll have had a fun experience, and I see this time and again. I’ll see grandparents bringing their grandkids in, and the grandkids are like, ‘Oh, okay, they want us to go in this place and there’s something called pinball.’ And then when they’re leaving, the kids are just thrilled, and it is the most wonderful thing to see. They’re leaving with big smiles on their faces, wanting to come back, and to see that joy that they have experienced? It’s my favorite thing to see.”

Rock ‘N Roll Pinball is located at 815 South Railroad Avenue in Opelika. It is open with varying hours Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit its website.