Free Gold Watch

What you need to know

What Makes It Worth It

The pinball selection is better than most dedicated arcades. Machines range from classic 1970s electromechanical tables to modern Stern releases, and they are all well-maintained. Games cost 50 cents to a dollar per play. The atmosphere is casual. No flashing neon or token systems, just a room full of pinball machines in a converted storefront.

The screen printing side is legitimate. 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 goods: posters, shirts, and other merch.

The location is a good stop on a Haight-Ashbury afternoon. Play pinball for half an hour, walk a block north to Haight Street for food and record shopping, then continue to Golden Gate Park.

Skip this if you do not like pinball. The screen printing is interesting but not a standalone draw.

Visiting

Address: 1767 Waller St, San Francisco

Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury

Cost: Free to enter. Games are $0.50-$1.00 per play (quarters and dollar coins).

Hours: noon-8pm. Hours can vary, so check Instagram or call ahead.

Best time to go: Weekday afternoons when the machines are available. Weekends get busier.

What to know: Bring quarters. The shop is small and can feel crowded with more than 10 people. The entrance is unassuming, so look for the signage on Waller Street.

Getting There

Transit: Muni N-Judah to Cole & 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.