Dutch Pinball Museum in De Dubbelde Palmboom is officially open

What started as a temporary infill in 2020 has grown into Europe's largest pinball museum after years of expansion and renovation. Dutch Pinball Museum will be officially opened on Friday 26 September by Mayor Carola Schouten in the former warehouse the Dubbelde Palmboom. The warehouse exists exactly 200 years this year and Dutch Pinball Museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Since the museum's inception, the collection has grown tremendously to over 120 playable pinball machines from 1950 to the present, supplemented by dozens of historical specimens that are no longer allowed to be played but show the history. This unique historical collection is located on the ground floor where visitors start their experience. With a timeline on the origins of pinball, an oldest collection piece from 1853 and fine American classics, the versatility of the collection is immediately apparent.

Also on the floors, you can see that the collection has been carefully curated over the years by founder Gerard van de Sanden. With pinball machines from various time periods, as well as a wide variety of themes. Masterpieces include The Big Lebowski (after the film classic) and the museum's self-built pinball machine The Matrix. Besides playing, education and experience are also central: visitors discover how pinball machines have developed over the decades and experience the magic of the game up close.

The top floor remains free of pinball machines. The fifth floor is the last to be added to the museum with a spectacular glass floor over the central void It has been created a wonderful space to receive groups. There is increasing interest in the unique collection from the business community, for example. They can be received here for a presentation about the museum or combine this with their own meeting and then visit the museum. The room has a glass floor so that the collection can already be partly seen, without the sound of the pinball machines disturbing the reception.

History of Pakhuis de Dubbelde Palmboom

Pakhuis de Dubbelde Palmboom is located in historic Delfshaven. Now in the middle of Rotterdam-West but created in the 14th century as the port of Delft. With many monumental buildings from the 18th century, Historic Delfshaven has the attractive atmosphere of Delft or Leiden. Amidst the small-scale buildings, a huge warehouse was suddenly built there in 1825 by merging a number of plots. At the time, it was called 'Denmark', referring to the origin of the grain stored here for the gin distilleries. In 1860, a facade stone was placed with the name 'De Dubbelde Palmboom' and a representation of two palm trees. At the time, 'doubled' was a common alternative for 'double'.

In the early 1970s, the warehouse is converted into a museum and the Historical Museum Rotterdam opens in 1975. In 2012, this museum has to close its doors due to municipal cutbacks and it sits empty for eight years. Historic Delfshaven is struggling at the time. There are more vacant buildings and tourists visit the old harbour only briefly.

Monument organisation Stadsherstel Rotterdam is in talks with the municipality in those years, advocating a publicly accessible function with attraction for the area. In 2019, Stadsherstel Rotterdam is buying in the hope of realising this plan. Initially, the Dutch Pinball Museum is started as a temporary function on the ground and first floors not knowing that would grow into the largest pinball museum in Europe.

Step by step, investments were made in overdue maintenance, restoration, preservation and conversion work for the new function. The installations were renewed and made more sustainable including the addition of solar panels. The architectural design and incorporation of the museum while preserving the monument was done by Stadsherstel itself (Menno Spoormaker and Luc Thomassen).

A new glass entrance has been made on the Voorhaven side. In a number of places, the wooden shutters have also been wired in and fitted with glass fronts. They not only provide more light in the museum but also offer spectacular views of Historic Delfshaven and the Centre. The outdated toilets have been completely renovated with a nice nod to their new function. These include neon lighting in the shape of pinball bumpers and pubic partitions at the urinals made from old playing fields.

The final part of the work involved installing a steel structure with a glass floor on the top floor over the void in the middle of the warehouse. Visitors who dare can walk across this with a view down to the ground floor of the museum.