I am  having this battle in my head whether or not to keep our pool table up or to break it down and store it somewhere. 

We have had the pool table for 9 years - it's an 8 footer and it takes up a good space in our bonus/great room in the basement.

Here is what I am thinking:

Pros of taking it down:
My kids, 5 and 7, could really use that space in the basement for playing.
It would move many of the toys cluttering their bedrooms to the basement.
It would create a playroom and perhaps the living room- the room you see when you open the front door....won't be so messy

Pros of leaving it alone:
It's probably close to $300 to break it down and store it
Will the kids play in the basement?  It seems so secluded from the rest of the house and it seems like a dark dungeon down there.
If the kids do play down there, Jeff's office is across the hall- and if he works from home, they will be a distraction- only on the days when they are not in school, but still...

Would love to know what you are thinking out there...
What are your experiences, if any?