Musée Mécanique
Encyclopedia
The Musée Mécanique is a for-profit interactive museum consisting of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts located at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California
. The museum owns over 300 mechanical machines, and is one of the largest privately owned collection of such games in the world.
. In the 1960s Playland closed and Musée Mécanique became a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
. The museum moved into the basement
of the famed Cliff House
, which is where Playland historically stood. Zelinsky's son, Dan Zelinsky, took a temporary job in the 1970s maintaining the collection. The museum was featured in the 2001 film The Princess Diaries
.
announced plans to relocate the Musée Mécanique temporarily to Fisherman's Wharf upon beginning renovations to the Cliff House. A portion of the $14 million renovation was devoted to the moving the museum, with support from the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and museum owner Ed Zelinsky.
The museum move instigated protests against the move by San Francisco locals. An online petition was created to protest the closure of the museum, with over 12,000 signatures being collected. Many of the protesters believed that the money was unavailable to fund the move and renovations, but, many were emotional due to the historical and nostalgic meaning of the museum due to its history at Playland. Many of the protesters were also unaware of the museum's for-profit status, and many attempted to donate to the museum to keep it at its current location. Despite public frustration, museum manager Dan Zelinsky remained excited about the move, understanding the historical and emotional connections that San Francisco locals held for the museum: "You have to understand that people grew up with these kind of machines...To the generation before, these were the video games. Many visitors haven't been here since childhood, but when they walk through that door, they are going back in time
." Original plans were slated to have the museum return to the Recreation Area in 2004, upon completion of construction, however the museum remains at Fisherman's Wharf. Despite the locals love for the original location, National Public Radio described the original space at the Recreation Area as "cramped, noisy, damp and a little dingy,"
called the Musée Mécanique one of the top three "Things to Do in San Francisco". SF Weekly
called it the "Best Old-School Arcade" for 2011.
, video games, love testers, player pianos
, peep shows
, photo booths
, dioramas and more. The museum displays about 200 of the machines at their current location.
The museum has many rare and historical pieces. A large diorama
of a traveling carnival
with a ferris wheel
and other rides with over 100 sits in the center of the museum. The museum owns what is believed to be the only steam powered motorcycle
in the world, built in Sacramento
in 1912. The Royal Court diorama features couples ballroom dancing and was featured in the Panama–Pacific International Exposition
. Laffing Sal
, which has been described as "famously creepy", is a 6 foot tall, large laughing automaton
which was originally located at the Fun House at Playland. The museum also owns a collection of machines made by prisoners at Alcatraz out of toothpicks.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The museum owns over 300 mechanical machines, and is one of the largest privately owned collection of such games in the world.
History
Owner Ed Zelinsky began collecting at age 11 and his games were exhibited in the 1920s at PlaylandPlayland (San Francisco)
Playland was a seaside amusement park located next to Ocean Beach at the western edge of San Francisco, California along the Great Highway where Cabrillo and Balboa streets are now...
. In the 1960s Playland closed and Musée Mécanique became a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
. The museum moved into the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
of the famed Cliff House
Cliff House, San Francisco
The Cliff House is a restaurant perched on the headlands on the cliffs just north of Ocean Beach on the western side of San Francisco, California...
, which is where Playland historically stood. Zelinsky's son, Dan Zelinsky, took a temporary job in the 1970s maintaining the collection. The museum was featured in the 2001 film The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 comedy film produced by singer and actress Whitney Houston and directed by Garry Marshall. It is based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name...
.
Move to Fisherman's Wharf
In 2002 the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
announced plans to relocate the Musée Mécanique temporarily to Fisherman's Wharf upon beginning renovations to the Cliff House. A portion of the $14 million renovation was devoted to the moving the museum, with support from the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and museum owner Ed Zelinsky.
The museum move instigated protests against the move by San Francisco locals. An online petition was created to protest the closure of the museum, with over 12,000 signatures being collected. Many of the protesters believed that the money was unavailable to fund the move and renovations, but, many were emotional due to the historical and nostalgic meaning of the museum due to its history at Playland. Many of the protesters were also unaware of the museum's for-profit status, and many attempted to donate to the museum to keep it at its current location. Despite public frustration, museum manager Dan Zelinsky remained excited about the move, understanding the historical and emotional connections that San Francisco locals held for the museum: "You have to understand that people grew up with these kind of machines...To the generation before, these were the video games. Many visitors haven't been here since childhood, but when they walk through that door, they are going back in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
." Original plans were slated to have the museum return to the Recreation Area in 2004, upon completion of construction, however the museum remains at Fisherman's Wharf. Despite the locals love for the original location, National Public Radio described the original space at the Recreation Area as "cramped, noisy, damp and a little dingy,"
Musée Mécanique today
The Musée Mécanique is a for-profit museum and is owned and managed Dan Zelinsky. The machines require constant maintenance, with some having undergone major restorations. More than 100,000 visitors a year visit the Musée Mécanique. While the museum is free, visitors must pay for use of the games out of pocket. In 2011 U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
called the Musée Mécanique one of the top three "Things to Do in San Francisco". SF Weekly
SF Weekly
SF Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper in San Francisco, California. The newspaper, distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area every Wednesday, is published by Village Voice Media, a 16-paper alt weekly newspaper chain that also includes the New York City Village Voice and the Los...
called it the "Best Old-School Arcade" for 2011.
Collection
The Musée Mécanique has a collection of over 300 mechanical games including: music boxes, coin-operated fortune tellers, MutoscopesMutoscope
frame|right|An 1899 trade advertisementThe Mutoscope was an early motion picture device, patented by Herman Casler on November 21, 1894. Like Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope it did not project on a screen, and provided viewing to only one person at a time...
, video games, love testers, player pianos
Player piano
A player piano is a self-playing piano, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via pre-programmed music perforated paper, or in rare instances, metallic rolls. The rise of the player piano grew with the rise of the mass-produced piano for the home in...
, peep shows
Peep show
A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. Though historically a peep show was a form of entertainment provided by wandering showmen, nowadays it more commonly refers a presentation of a sex show or pornographic film...
, photo booths
Photo booth
A photo booth is a vending machine or modern kiosk that contains an automated, usually coin-operated, camera and film processor. Today the vast majority of photo booths are digital. Traditionally photo booths contain a seat or bench designed to seat the one or two patrons being photographed...
, dioramas and more. The museum displays about 200 of the machines at their current location.
The museum has many rare and historical pieces. A large diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
of a traveling carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
with a ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
and other rides with over 100 sits in the center of the museum. The museum owns what is believed to be the only steam powered motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
in the world, built in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
in 1912. The Royal Court diorama features couples ballroom dancing and was featured in the Panama–Pacific International Exposition
Panama–Pacific International Exposition
The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California between February 20 and December 4 in 1915. Its ostensible purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely seen in the city as an opportunity to showcase its recovery...
. Laffing Sal
Laffing Sal
Laffing Sal is one of several automated characters that were built primarily for funhouses throughout the United States. Sometimes called "Laughing Sal",she produces a raucous laugh that sometimes frightens small children and annoys adults.-History:...
, which has been described as "famously creepy", is a 6 foot tall, large laughing automaton
Automaton
An automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
which was originally located at the Fun House at Playland. The museum also owns a collection of machines made by prisoners at Alcatraz out of toothpicks.