What do you do when you want to take a break from these anxiety-inducing times of rapid change and political uncertainty? I suppose one way is to turn back time. Since I don’t have a time machine, I did the next best thing: I went to a room filled with machines dating back to the 1800s!
Located at Pier 45 in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf since 1933, Musée Mécanique is an antique arcade featuring a private collection of over 300 working coin-operated machines from 19th-century musical instruments through present-day video games.
Admission to Musée Mécanique is free and you only pay for the games you want to play. There were several vintage pianos, mechanical music boxes, a handful of lifelike fortune tellers, and a few peep-show Mutoscopes, which you crank by hand to flip a series of cards to create moving images.
When I saw the warning, my jaded mind thought the machine would depict something physically abusive or racist. Bracing myself for the worst, I inserted a quarter and guess what happened? (Spoiler alert: the machine made farting sounds.) I didn’t expect that at all, but it made me laugh. How wholesome to think that in the 1800s, the natural and normal act of expelling gas would be so offensive that it needed a disclaimer!
Speaking of which (regarding the next three images)…
⚠️ content warning: death, violence
Surprisingly, there were a few machines that didn’t have a warning, but should’ve, like the ones depicting executions (including one by guillotine). Who knew there was such a strong appetite to view that type of violent content (as entertainment) back then.
Animation machines
Musical machines
More fun artifacts
After spending about 75 leisurely minutes in there, I felt awe knowing today’s handheld devices can do many of the things these massive machines of yesteryear used to do: inform, entertain, and even illuminate — instantly and on demand! I imagine a hundred years from now, when our phones, tablets, and smartwatches have fallen into obsolescence, people will be delighted by such curiosities, too.
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Bonjour: A Francophile Blog 
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Thanks for reading and sharing, Don!
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I saw the Musée Mécanique whilst strolling SF last spring, but I didn’t go inside. Looks really cheeky, though, and a lot of fun! I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m in your neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing, Darlene!
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The day I went to Musée Mécanique happened to be the same day as the Hands Off protests taking place in San Francisco and around the country. It really was like traveling back in time – a simpler time when the world made sense, I imagine! Operating the delicate machines made me slow down and escape the current reality, if only for an hour or so. Thanks for reading, Rebecca!
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I would love to visit the Musée Mécanique. We went to Pier 45 when we were in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, but unfortunately didn’t get to visit this museum. I like the Tiffany Light, too!
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I like how Tiffany lamps are timeless and beautiful. Thanks for reading, June!
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