Pinball machine restoration club offers Winona students valuable skills (2024)

Brightly colored paint, flashing lights, loud sounds and fast-paced action characterize play on pinball machines. The mechanics behind these classic gaming machines also offer a learning opportunity for those looking to restore the consoles to their former glory.

About three years ago, a passion for pinball machines was sparked in Winona Area Learning Center teacher Matthew Wagner after he worked with a friend to restore one that had been sitting in his garage.

Now, Wagner’s sharing that passion with his students.

Wagner started the Winona Pinhawk club this year, where students restore pinball machines and then sell them at the annual Winona Area Public Schools Foundation auction.

“My main goal is to get it to work just like it did when it came off the line,” Wagner said about the machines.

Wagner finds pinball machines in the area through websites like Pinside and Facebook. He then asks the machines’ potential sellers if they are willing to donate the machines for the club.

"I know people donate cars to colleges. They'll donate boats. Why could they not donate a pinball machine?” he said.

Some sellers agree to the request, in some cases even with an original sale prices as high as $1,000.

“They have just surprised me that they're willing to do that because I think they see the value in the opportunity it'll provide for students, and that is pretty cool,” he said.

After picking up a pinball machine for restoration, Wagner takes advantage of the flexibility offered by the learning center to work with interested students on the machine in classes like his work skills course.

“Our building is really flexible and accommodating. It provides a lot of unique opportunities to just pursue different interests, but also try to connect it to different careers,” Wagner said.

Students are able to complete tasks that are applicable to other jobs in the future, like repairing lights and other machine parts, restoring paint, cleaning and more.

Wagner has learned online what skills and steps are needed to fix problems with the machines, and he spent this school year sharing that knowledge with a group of five to seven students interested in the process.

“Any career is going to have problem solving. It's not just pinball, so I think that's kind of a good skill that will help everybody in their future,” Wagner said.

Club members and junior students Corey Duncan and Avrie Hernstine agreed skills they learned can help them in their future careers.

Duncan, who wants to be a mechanic, said problem-solving skills are necessary in life.

“You might as well work on it as you can in school before you have to really,” Duncan said.

He said he’s also learned patience as addressing some of the problems with the pinball machines can be frustrating.

Hernstine said she learned trial-and-error as a way to figure out something by trying variations of a solution over and over again until the machine actually works.

Hernstine plans to study cosmetology but said the pinball machines match her interests because of her love for art.

“I just think it's a great opportunity to learn perseverance,” Wagner said.

By overcoming and learning about many potential problems with pinball machines, Wagner is now able to look at one and feel more comfortable and confident in finding solutions to get it running again.

“My goal isn't to turn everyone into pinball technicians. It's just to provide a unique opportunity that might have some small connections to things that they do in the future,” Wagner said.

In May, the students saw their hard work pay off, when one of the club’s pinball machines sold at auctioned for $2,200, Wagner said.

“I always thought this group was a good idea, and students have enjoyed it when they are participating in it. But it was cool to see that the community also responded to it in a way that was so positive and so supportive,” he said.

This year’s money earned will go toward the club and its expenses, but funds from future auctions will also help support the Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools, he said.

The foundation has supported the club in its first year and provided a $500 grant to the club for supplies and other expenses.

Before this year's pinball machine went to auction, staff and students had the chance to play it.

The work of the students has also been recognized by people outside of the community.

Wagner said club members were invited to visit Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul for free in June to play games, meet technicians and learn about careers in machine and arcade repairs.