Musée Mécanique, San Francisco: A Whimsical Glimpse into the Past

If you're a tourist staying in San Francisco and are anywhere near Fisherman's Wharf, a visit to the Musée Mécanique is definitely in order. This is true whether you are young, or just young at heart.

Tucked away from the hustle of the tourist traps on the Embarcadero at the far end of Pier 45, the Musée Mécanique is a fascinating and completely free attraction. You'll pass by many seafood restaurants with stacks of crabs calling to your attention; ignore those and keep going until you get to the end of the pier.

The Musée Mécanique, or Mechanical Museum, houses one of the largest private collections of mechanically operated musical instruments and antique arcade machines. These machines are only a representation of the ones collected by Edward Zelinsky. The rest, including more rare and valuable apparatus he keeps at home. Mr. Zelinsky had a lifelong fascination with all things mechanical, and began collecting this assortment of antiques at a young age. Many of the items came from Playland at the Beach, which was an amusement park located at Ocean Beach. The park was in operation from 1928 until its demolition in 1972. From the looks of things, Mr. Zelinsky had a nose for discovering vintage arcade games that were destined for destruction. He has had a remarkable knack for being in the right place at the right time when it comes to making a deal.

Once housed in the lower level of the famous Cliff House, the Musée Mécanique moved to its current Fisherman Wharf home in 2002. Take a step inside, and you'll instantly be drawn into the world of one hundred years ago. Though currently inside Pier 45, you'll think you're inside a circus tent. "Laffing Sal" greets you at the door, and the sound of old-time music fills the air.

The museum tells the story of the mechanical age of the turn of the century. Like any good museum, there are plenty of displays and information panels. Before the advent of radio, television and Internet, people amused themselves with skill games and the sounds of nickelodeon music. In case you're interested, the arcade games here all work! There are several "fortune telling" machines if you care to try your luck, hand-cranked racers, a full-sized mechanical carnival, or have your fortune told while finding out how much you weigh.

I was especially intrigued by the player pianos and orchestrations. One of the machines survived the 1966 fire at the Sutro Baths. The outside wood is severely scorched, but put a quarter in and it plays like a dream. Recordings of the many ragtime tunes from the Wurlitzer, Seeburg Style K, Cremona and Orchestrion are available on CD for purchase either at the museum or online.

Mr. Zelinsky is also the proud owner of the only steam motorcycle known to be in existence.

I was amazed at the sheer size of the collection. The Musée Mécanique is a great place to discover the past if you're young, or remember it fondly if you're a bit older.

More information on the Musée Mécanique can be found here: http://www.museemechanique.org. The Musée Mécanique is open daily.