bonniegrrl | Memories of The Musee Mechanique

Awhile ago I went with friends down to Fisherman's Wharf to get a halfway decent Irish Coffee and get a glimpse into a time I was never a part of with a trip to The Musee Mechanique.

I had never visited it when its home was the Cliff House by the ocean. So I'm sure purists reading this realize that I missed my chance to truly appreciate all these antique coin-operated games and attractions in a proper setting. Nonetheless, I take it anyway I can get, and this was just fine.

I spent hours roaming among the jumping marionettes, animatronic fortune tellers and drunk elves. If I had my way, my apartment would look a lot like this place. I could imagine how many kids these things entertained over the years before children became bored with reality and demanded pixelated pastimes.

Regardless, I loved these attractions more than any arcade or amusement park I had been to in years. These games had a history. They were made by hand. And they were creepy as all get out.

So I took pictures and plenty of them, to remind myself that tucked away in the most touristy part of San Francisco, there's still some soul left to dispense -- one quarter at a time.

Behold the The Musee Mechanique photos on Flickr here.