The Qwirky Musee Mecanique

I visited the Musee Mecanique on a sunny Sunday afternoon, together with my husband and my daughter. It reminded me of the sounds at a County Fair, or of a Hollywood movie depicting the 1940s or 1950s.

The first sound that welcomed us was that of Laffin Sal. Just hearing that sound and watching the large automaton made me laugh. This place is amazing. There are so many different machines to explore. I began putting coins into the different machines, such as the Carnival. Suddenly, there was music, a little brass band playing, the carousel turning, the man trying his luck at the shooting gallery, so cute!

Then, more coins into the piano player, and that's when the music exploded. Ragtime! It was so much fun to watch little children studying the wheels and pedals and then mimicking piano playing.


The Royal Court, a mechanical diorama, played a Chopin Waltz, while the dancers moved round and round. According to the display, this mechanical diorama was originally displayed at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.

I also enjoyed reading the large displays with history of penny arcades in the United States. Wow! these machines used to work on just a penny? Now you need to pay one, two or three quarters to get them working. I put money into a music box, but it did not work!

I even found Regina music box, in beautiful condition. It was a darker color than the one pictured here, but still has a beautiful sound. I had recently seen an episode of "How it's Made" where music boxes were made. It is an intricate process and calibration is essential to get the most beautiful sound possible.

Another fun area had video machines. There was a ping pong video game and I also found a video game similar to one my father played once. You are a driver, and you control your car by turning the steering wheel. The better you drive, and the faster you go, the more points you make. If you are fast enough and don't "crash", you win! This brought back memories.

So, it was a fun visit and I recommend the Musee Mecanique for anyone who wants a bit of old fashioned entertainment. Entrance is free, but fill your pockets with quarters so you can feed the machines. Oh, and save two quarters and a penny to get your very own San Francisco souvenir.