Amy McDonough didn’t set out to build a pinball destination. She just kept getting “one more machine,” and then a few more after that. What began as a collection became a place people didn’t want to leave.

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It started at home. Games in great shape. Doors open. Tournaments that were competitive but welcoming. New players alongside seasoned ones, learning from each other, cheering each other on, and coming back for more.

Through those home tournaments and Northampton Belles & Chimes, a local chapter of the international women’s pinball organization, Amy helped build a community around a simple idea: everyone should feel like they belong. Whether you’re figuring out what the flippers do or chasing your next tournament win, there’s room for you here.

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As the collection grew, so did the idea of giving it a home beyond Amy’s house. Tilted Orbit in North Amherst is that next chapter. It’s a bigger space with the same care for the games and the people who play them. Some will come for the competition. Others will be trying pinball for the first time. The hope is that everyone feels as comfortable side by side as they did at those home tournaments.

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Because the best rooms feel like home.

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The mothership has finally landed.