A penny arcade on the Embarcadero
In an era when retro is the new cool, there’s no finer, more evocative time machine than the Musée Mécanique, which you’ll find in an old warehouse on Pier 45, close to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a showcase for hundreds of coin-operated machines dating back to the 19th century, and one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. The Musée captures that particular form of magic—the kind made from sprockets, cogs, levers, and pulleys—that spun out of the industrial revolution. Its roots, however, go back to the compelling illusion of the Mechanical Turk. First exhibited in 1770, the Mechanical Turk appeared to be an automated chess-playing device with a mind of its own, when in fact, a human chess master was hiding inside the cabinet, controlling every move.
At Musée Mécanique the magic is entirely mechanical. The machines, which need constant maintenance, cost a quarter. You can play music or baseball, or find out your fortune. There are “love testers” and a Mutoscope with a peep show that reveals the “secret lives of belly dancers.” Many of the machines include elaborate dioramas and some are made from toothpicks and were built by prisoners at Alcatraz. Of special interest to people in San Francisco is the six-foot-tall lady named Laughing Sal, with her bloodcurdling chortle. There are also a variety of nostalgic pinball machines and vintage video games from the eighties and nineties.
Info
Address Pier 45, Shed A, San Francisco, CA, 94133, www.museemecaniquesf.com, +1 415.346.2000 | Public Transport Streetcar: F-Line (Jefferson St & Taylor St stop); Bus: 39 (Powell St & North Point St stop); 47 (North Point St & Mason St stop) | Hours Mon–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat & Sun 10am–8pm| Tip Aquatic Park, with its small sandy beach, is a nice spot to enjoy some sun, check out the boats, or watch the Dolphin Club members swimming without wetsuits in the chilly Bay waters.
The idea for this museum began in the imagination Ed Zelinsky (1922–2004), who became transfixed by mechanical intricacies when he was a boy, and went on to amass a collection of over 300 coin-operated games and amusements. For years the exhibit was a fixture at Playland, the city’s beloved former amusement park. Playland closed in 1972 and the Musée found a new home in the Cliff House basement. In 2002 it was moved to Pier 45. Admission is free; the machines are not.
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