The intrigue of tilt and kaboom

What can you do in Las Vegas when you need a break from the casinos and buffets?

How about a museum? One is devoted to the frivolous pursuit of navigating a steel ball against the relentless press of gravity, and another that pays tribute to the potentially most dangerous force on the planet.

Pinball Hall of Fame

The Pinball Hall of Fame's more than 200 Gottliebs, Williams and Ballys are a flashing, beeping, nostalgic reminder.

Tim Arnold, 53, is the collector/curator/repair guy who operates the hall. He has about 1,000 machines. A couple of years ago, he drew from that impressive cache to open the Pinball Hall of Fame, about 3 miles east of the Strip.

"This isn't a look-at museum, it's a play-it museum," he said. Admission is free, but the machines must be fed -- 25 cents for the older ones, 50 and 75 cents for newer models (profits go to the Salvation Army, Arnold says).

Atomic Testing Museum

In the 1950s and early '60s, about 100 above-ground atomic tests were conducted north of Vegas. This museum recounts that history and puts the testing in the political and cultural context of the day.

The three-year-old museum features a half-dozen videos and scores of artifacts, from scientific to kitsch. One of the more compelling exhibits is the Ground Zero Theater, with a simulation of an atomic blast as experienced by those who watched from a bunker in the desert.