Liberty Belle

Liberty Belle was a classic Americana-themed electro-mechanical pinball machine produced by D. Gottlieb & Co. during the early 1960s, capturing the nostalgic spirit of the American frontier and riverboat era. The machine's artwork and theme celebrated the iconic paddle wheelers that once dominated the Mississippi River, with the Liberty Belle riverboat as its centerpiece.

The game featured traditional electro-mechanical gameplay elements typical of its era, including pop bumpers, kick-out holes, and scoring lanes. The playfield layout was designed to be challenging yet accessible, encouraging players to develop skill-based shooting techniques. Like many Gottlieb machines of this period, it utilized the reliable mechanical score reels and chime-based sound effects that characterized early pinball machines.

Liberty Belle represents an important period in pinball history when manufacturers were creating increasingly sophisticated electro-mechanical games, yet before the advent of solid-state electronics. The machine's theme resonated with players during a time when Americana and frontier nostalgia were popular in American entertainment, coinciding with various Western TV shows and riverboat-themed attractions at emerging theme parks.

While production numbers are not definitively known, Liberty Belle is considered a moderately rare machine today, with surviving examples being sought after by collectors who appreciate its historical significance and classic mechanical engineering.