Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan pinball, released by Bally Manufacturing in 1965, captured the American folklore of the legendary giant lumberjack and his blue ox Babe. This electro-mechanical pinball machine emerged during a period when themed machines were becoming increasingly popular and manufacturers were exploring distinctly American subjects.

The machine's artwork and playfield design celebrated the logging and frontier heritage of North America, featuring colorful depictions of Paul Bunyan, forests, and logging camp scenes. As an electro-mechanical pinball machine of its era, it utilized relay-based scoring mechanisms and chimes, creating the distinctive sounds that characterized pinball machines of the 1960s.

While not considered one of Bally's breakthrough titles, Paul Bunyan represents an important piece of pinball history as it exemplifies the industry's move toward more elaborate themed machines and demonstrates how manufacturers incorporated American folklore into their designs. The machine helped establish a pattern for future games that would blend entertainment with cultural storytelling.

Production numbers for Paul Bunyan are not definitively known, but like many machines of this era, it was likely manufactured in quantities of several thousand units. Today, surviving Paul Bunyan machines are considered collectible pieces that represent both pinball history and American cultural heritage of the 1960s.