Fun Fair

The Fun Fair pinball machine, designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Art Stenholm and released by Gottlieb in June 1968, is a cheerful piece of electro-mechanical (EM) pinball history. With its carnival shooting gallery theme, players are transported to a vibrant fairground setting where they must pick off targets to achieve high scores. An Add-A-Ball game, it rewards good shooting with extra balls rather than free games, and it saw a confirmed production run of 2,601 units.

Key gameplay features include two flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, two spinning targets, two standup targets, and a playfield spinner — all contributing to fast-paced, target-focused play. An outhole kick-up feature adds an extra flourish as balls are returned to play.

Fun Fair has an interesting place in Gottlieb's catalog: it is a version of Gottlieb's 1968 'Fun Park' made for Italy, and it was soon followed by Gottlieb's 1968 'Tivoli,' which differed only in its backglass and playfield artwork. For fans of late-1960s Gottlieb add-a-balls, Fun Fair is a colorful and engaging example of Krynski and Stenholm's carnival-themed work.