Free Gold Watch
The Verdict
"Around 60 pinball machines tucked behind an active screen printing shop at 1767 Waller, with games at 50 cents to a dollar. Some tables come on rotating loan from the Pacific Pinball Museum. Bring quarters, one block south of Haight."
What you need to know
What’s There
Free Gold Watch is a screen printing shop at 1767 Waller Street that also runs a pinball arcade in the back. The screen printing business came first. The owners added pinball machines to fill unused space, and the arcade became a significant part of the business. The collection runs to roughly 60 machines, including classic 1970s electromechanical tables and modern Stern releases, with some on rotating loan from the Pacific Pinball Museum. Games cost 50 cents to a dollar per play.
The screen printing operation is active. Free Gold Watch prints for local bands, businesses, and artists, and you can often watch the press running while you play. They also sell their own printed posters, shirts, and merch.
The shop is small and can feel crowded with more than 10 people inside.
Visiting
Address: 1767 Waller Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free to enter. Games are $0.50 to $1.00 per play (quarters and dollar coins).
Hours: Approximately noon to 8 PM. Hours vary, so check Instagram or call ahead.
Best time to go: Weekday afternoons. Weekends get busier.
What to know: Bring quarters. The entrance is unassuming, so look for the signage on Waller Street.
Getting There
Transit: Muni N-Judah to Cole and Carl, then walk 5 minutes south. Bus 6-Haight/Parnassus or 7-Haight/Noriega runs along Haight Street one block north.
Parking: Free residential street parking on Waller and surrounding blocks. Easier to find than Haight Street parking.
Walking: One block south of the Upper Haight commercial strip. Combine with Amoeba Records, Buena Vista Park, or Golden Gate Park’s Panhandle.