Musée Mécanique

I just love this place. Some of the antique machines are hilarious; watch an execution or an opium den (both dioramas, not real), for example.

Absolutely the place to check out if you are into vintage arcade games! Machines dating back into the 30’s and 40’s with some crazy themes. One called the opium den and another wan you can watch someone being hung! Crazy! Some pretty cool stuff for all ages. Definitely worth stopping in and playing these old games

Absolutely love this place, come in every time I’m in the area. Lots of old arcade games/​music boxes/​creepy mechanical dolls/​etc. Bring change or small bills, you’ll want to stick a few quarters in some of these antique machines. They’re starting to add some more modern stuff now as well (like from the 80s and 90s), so you can come in to play Pac Man or air hockey too.
Lots of history and lots of fun.

I can’t say much more than what others pointed out, except this was by far the best place we went to in the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf area … and it’s cheap! The place has a fantastic assortment of old arcade games over many many decades, and most are 50 cents or less. If you’re into vintage arcade, give yourself 1 – 2 hours here.

How can you not give this place five stars? I mean, really. It’s such a gem, located in a touristy area and does not even cost anything! Tons of antique games to play and the best part is, most of them are functioning perfectly. Laughing Sal is quite a scary sight for any child, but also a memorable one. I could easily spend an hour here.
If you are in Fisherman’s Wharf, this spot is a must. If you have kids or even want to revive your childhood memories, it’s a double must. Its so unique and interesting, i think it’s great to come reminisce the old days and see how your skills still stack up with a classic arcade game.

Wow! What a fun place to wax nostalgic! Unique ‘interactive’ assortment of famous (and maybe not so famous) carnival, arcade games and several wonderfully restored player pianos. Not only do you get to ‘see’, more importantly you get to DO!
Even better, the games are mostly $.25 — buyer beware, you’ll blow through a stack of quarters just like you did in 1978!
Not only was I glad to experience this, but my two teen boys absolutely loved it — as they have been raised in a world of Xbox, they were thrilled by the variety of old games, and even more thrilled to burn through Dad’s quarters.
A must for all kids, young, old and in-​between.

This place is so cool. So many old antique games. It’s so interesting seeing and being able to play them. They go from 25cents to a dollar. And it’s free to get inside :)

Musée Mécanique is a cool place to check out if you’re around the Fisherman’s Wharf. There’s free Admission, but you’ll need a sack of quarters to have some real fun. There are change machines at the entrance to get quarters. This is a great arcade type place for people that don’t really like to waste money playing games. Instead, you can waste money on superstition and try to believe the number of fortunes you’re going to have told to you during your visit. Pick a machine, put in a quarter, and cross your fingers (hoping it will work). There is a photo booth to take pictures with friends, they turn out old black and white, better for the complexion.
It’s convenient if you’re down in the Wharf/​Ghirardelli area. It’s next to some seafood restaurants and a giant Boudin. This is definitely one of the old gems of San Francisco — just for the oddness factor. Go with an open mind and you won’t be disappointed by the plethora of old-​time arcade games!

The Musee Mecanique is in a old Pier building, the temperature inside depends on what the outside weather is like. The games inside are a combination of old arcade games and antique nickle and penny machines. It is a neat experience being able to see all of these old machines, it is truly an interactive museum. Brought my parents here and they got a huge kick out of seeing and playing games that they remember from their childhood (50s and 60s). It is a fun place for people of all ages with games for multiple skill levels. The building itself is near numerous restaurants and other activities so it can be a part of a fun day out at Fishermans Wharf.
Change machines are available and you can ask the attendant to break large bills. There is no public restroom, but there is one in the building across the street (it is a nice clean one).

This place is awesome! I had wanted to visit this museum for years after seeing it on an episode of Modern Marvels and I finally got to visit back in February. This is the ultimate old-​school arcade with some games that are over 100 years old. Everything is coin-​operated and some of the old games are just so, so much fun. There are also a lot of short mechanical shows that you can watch for a quarter. It’s amazing that these machines are still working and it’s so very cool that you can still watch and play them. It’s also really cheap and most things cost a quarter, so it’s definitely an affordable activity. This is a must-​see if you’re near Fisherman’s Wharf and it’s a lot of fun!

This place will forever hold a special place in my heart, because upon my first time excitedly experiencing the place (I’ve heard many great things over the years), my fiancé proposed to me and captured the moment in one of the vintage photobooth machines!
I definitely felt a complete sense of awe and wonderment walking through the labyrinth of vintage games, old photos, and moving dioramas. It reminded me of my late Grandfather, as he collected similar little things like this and I knew he would’ve loved this place.
My fiancé and I will definitely be coming back here to play more games, have our fortunes read (loved those machines), and tell the story of our engagement to our little humans in the future.

This place is amazing! It transports you back to another time. I feel like Dave & Busters can take a note from this place, because almost every machine works! And some of these guys are pretty old!
I suggest taking a loop around first just to admire all the options, and then try a few games. It’s incredible to see what games and attractions were popular many years ago, most of which I thought were a little freaky, actually (laughing clowns, strange looking fortune tellers, etc)! Most games are 25 – 50 cents, which is a steal! We in total spent about $ 4 for an hour of fun and special memories… great deal in my books!

This is totally a hidden gem at Pier 39! Don’t miss out on a world of fun with classic, old school games, ranging from pinball to antique arcade cabinets. Games are usually fifty cents each and it’s a great place for kids including yourself.
There is parking in lots, but it’s probably cheaper on the street. Not much staff is around to prevent you from playing to your heart’s content.

I wanted to check out the place since we had time to kill while visiting San Francisco, not to mention I’ve played enough to get free play at my local arcade (I’m from LA), so I visited earlier today around 3 – 4 PM.
My S/​O is fairly fluent, but still doesn’t speak the greatest English, so she politely asked a guy with dark red hair and full beard/​mustache cleaning a display window where the restroom was, and she understood him to say there wasn’t one.
I went over and asked him if there was one nearby, then he mentioned — but never pointed at – a sign indicating where it was, and I never saw it, so he started answering my subsequent questions in a very smartassed and sarcastic manner. I didn’t hear his exact words, but he said something to the tone of «if you can’t find it then it’s on you». His attitude has killed all interest in being patrons of your business.

This is one of the first recommendations I make to anyone just visiting San Francisco. I’m fascinated by all these old machines, especially the puppet shows and nickelodeons.
Bring a pocket of quarters (and a few nickels, dimes, and pennies) and just explore!

There’s not much that can be said on top of all the other reviews of Musee Mecanique but if you’re in the area, it’s a must-​do. Even if you’re not in the area, it’s a must do! I lived in SF for 5+ years and never made it here but finally came in for a visit on vacay.
Located on the touristy piers, Musee Mechanique doesn’t look like much on the outside but inside it’s a veritable museum AND arcade of games, entertainment and more. Game machines, fortune telling machines, player pianos ranging from a century back to a handful of current games. Even an old Pong console! It’s like a step back through arcade game history. And some of these games pre-​date our politically correct sensibilities which can be hliarious…
Love the vintage games and fortune tellers, all of these machines have been meticulously maintained and function perfectly. How often do you get to play a game this old?! Really an eye-​opening and engaging experience at Musee Mechanique for those that are kids in the heart.

Im still sad they are no longer at the Cliff House, I used to go there monthly with my dad as a child. But this new location is HUGE, and they made use of all that space by bringing out even more machines!
The only downside is parking, we paid over $ 20 in parking to go spend $ 20 on playing games! Take the bus instead! 47 Van Ness gets you the closest, or the F Market trolly!

Awesome place to play SUPER antique arcade games. These are very dated games and most of which I’ve never seen. There even was one on the opium war haha. There are a few just for display and a few for a very cheap price to play (25 cents or so).
This place is like an interactive antique museum. There are a few games in the very back that are according to the present day but I barely saw anyone go to play there. Even I wasn’t interested in those.
Definitely a great place to immerse yourself for an hour or two. My friends and I absolutely loved the boxing ring one. It’s actually pretty difficult and worth the 25cents per game. We laughed so hard and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to play an arcade game so many times. The only reason we stopped was because I other people wanted to try. #1 game! haha.
I also got a gypsy fortune telling. I stood there thinking she would speak the words of wisdom since she did begin to move her lips but a card popped out instead. I would also recommend this one because it doesn’t seem as cliché as the ones you would see at the mall. The card was also surprisingly thick and I still carry it with me.

A large museum filled with various antique and vintage coin operated games. Free to enter and for pocket change, you can relive bygone days of automatons and puppetry as entertainment.
A lot of the «games» are definitely worth seeing but be forewarned that some do have morbid subject matter (opium den, executions, eg. hangings). Being able to actually try out the antique games was exciting… I mean, how often can one go to a museum and freely touch everything without being thrown out? It was especially interesting to see what people of the past found entertaining e.g. Caribou grazing… which I imagine was as exhilarating as watching National Geographic.
It’s near a lot of shops (mostly touristy) and cafes, so if you’re in the area, definitely check this place out!

This is one of my favorite spots at the Wharf. It’s fun to go with friends that are visiting San Francisco. My favorite is the electric shock machine, put it on hard and see how long you can last. Better yet, take out your camera and see how long your friends can last!
The highlight of the Museée are the antique exhibits. These are arcades or music boxes that are over 100 years old and you get to see it working!
Take some cash with you and use the on-​site coin machine to get some quarters.

What a cool place. Sure it has modern games as any arcade but what’s so great is that you can experience and play on 40, 50, 70 year old or more games. Many are really fun! The kids gravitated to the typical violent gun games but when they saw the adults playing the old world games, they wanted to play too! They quickly lost interest in the newer games and spent their quarter allowance on the old games. The owner and staff are very supportive when there’s a problem with the old games. A lot of fun!

The Musée Mécanique is truly a museum of hands-​on fun.
The arcade games span the decades with some dating back nearly 100 years.
Some of the games are truly bizarre by our standards (e.g., paying 25 cents to watch small figurines in an opium den). The standards of entertainment were so different before modern electronics and it’s fascinating to think about the shock value that some of these machines provided (e.g, pay 25 cents to see a horrible monster).
There are plenty of nostalgic electronic games (pong, Ms PacMan) that will provide lots of playing time and fun.
For anyone visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, the Musée Mécanique offers a truly unique experience.

I love the smell of old antique furniture! Not to mention, I also love how there’s many vintage arcade games to mess with! I can honestly say that Musée Mécanique is a hidden gem Fisherman’s Wharf has to offer!
Location:
MM (Musée Mécanique) is WAY past the street food of Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s buried in the far back that seems like a sketchy corner. As far as parking goes, good luck trying to find some «free parking»; otherwise, it’s best to have some pocket money ready just in case!
Ambiance:
There are many ages alike from tiny toddlers all the way to elderly folks taking a stroll down their memory lane. On a rainy day, MM gets extremely crowded; plus, it’s ideal to eat beforehand because I don’t think they allow food and drinks inside their arcade. Otherwise, most of the antique games are in the front and the fairly new arcade games are buried in the far back!
Variety of Games:
I’m just fascinated by the games a lot of the old folks used to play! However, I bet it would be super creepy to play games here late at night because of the scary looking puppets and what not. A lot of the antique games range from a quarter to a dollar, most of them is to see if you’re a good kisser or play a game of antique boxing. As far as the newly updated games, if the little ones think the vintage pieces are boring there’s always a couple new ones buried in the back.
Overall:
I wouldn’t mind coming back! Admission is free and I could possibly spend hours and hours of inserting quarters into those games just to watch puppets fight or see a piano play by itself!

This was in a strange little corner of Fisherman’s Wharf. I wouldn’t have known it was there if I hadn’t been walking directly in front of it. I’m glad we saw it and stopped in though.
It’s filled with old coin operated machines, fortune tellers, picture shows, and my personal favorite, the British Execution. For a quarter you can watch odd looking little doll people attend a hanging. A door opens, another odd little doll counts to three while a poor doll with a hood over his head and a noose around his neck awaits his sad fate. There’s no happy ending here. Once the count is done the floor opens beneath the hooded doll’s feet and he drops, one can only assume to his death since the door closes at that point.
We didn’t stay long, it’s not really a destination, more of a place to stop in, but I’m happy we did. They have lots of the silly penny press machines so we each made a couple. It was a fun place to kill 10 – 15 minutes.

Very interesting arcade! Lots of cool, old games that you would not be able to find elsewhere.
Located right up on the edge of fisherman’s wharf, it is set against a background of a WWII submarine and Alcatraz. Tons of games cost only 25 or 50 cents, and some of them are pretty funny (test your passion… what??)
Best game for groups is an old hockey Foosball machine in the center. It was super difficult to score, and the four of us had a great time playing it.

The Fisherman’s Wharf. Ahh, the area is starting to grow on me a little. Yes, it is loaded with touristy things and things that locals may just seem to brush off, but also, there is a lot going for it. If you peel the onion, there is more to it than just dining, wax figures, and shopping. There is also history here. And you can experience it for free.
The Musee Mecanique is one of those places. Nestled on the back side of the wharf (at the front of the actual pier), you can come and go as you please, as this place has free admission. Bring plenty of dollar bills though, as the machines cost about 25 – 50 cents to operate.
What machines do you ask? All sorts. from the arcades in the back to the old time games/​machines spread throughout. It is literally close to a century’s worth span of entertainment, housed under one roof.
I live for this kind of stuff. I have never seen such a vast collection of working vintage machines in my life. Also shows you how morbid people were back in the day. I went in with 4 dollars, and easily spent 3 of those on the execution and drinking machines.
I think it is also humbling for the younger generations to see this stuff, as they did not have computers and such back in the day. It was all about gears and switches and all things in between. Kids really do have it easier these days (especially to pass time!).
I don’t know if it is just the general age of the equipment or not, but this place does have an interesting smell to it. If you are a germophobe, I wouldn’t recommend coming in here. I am sure a lot of hands have touched a lot of machines. But duhh, I guess that holds true for all arcades!
I also kind of wish this place stayed open a little later, but oh well. There are restrooms inside and make sure no food or drink are brought inside. If you like the history of gaming, check this place out!

Ladies and Gentlemen. Hurry hurry, step right up to the greatest show in town. This is not your grandma’s arcade! Well, perhaps it’s your great grandma’s arcade…
Come see the bizarre attractions of the Musée Mécanique. This one-​of-​a-​kind landmark features functioning arcade games and attractions from the early 1900s for only a quarter per play.
Let your curiosity abound as you witness a french execution for only a quarter! See a horrible terrifying monster, find out what the belly dancer does on her day off, or visit the Opium Den.
The first time you come, you may just spend the whole visit taking it all in. You will truly feel as though you were transported to another time.
The best part is seeing the millennials and young generations enjoying these antique amusements so much– they leave their modern devices in their pockets!

If you don’t like this place, then you’re my mom.
Seriously, free admission and a lot of vintage (and some modern) arcade games. If you don’t feel like spending quarters to play the machines, then simply walking around the building is fun by itself!
This place has got to be subsidized by the city because everything is super inexpensive. Definitely a great place to visit, whether you’re a local or a visitor!

You have to come here! Really! You must! It’s one of my favorite places to bring out-​of-​town guests.
Visit on the cheap tip: follow other people and look over the shoulders. Let them spend their quarters! Yes, this would be invading their space. No, I’m not really suggesting you do this.

This place is awesome. In addition to many arcade games from the early to mid 1900’s, there is also a bevy of arcade games from my childhood (the 80’s). I ecstatically played Millipede, Centipede, Galaxian and threw a few quarters into fun old-​time games like «Opium Den», «The Barbershop ‘Quart’», «Old Time Basketball», «Saw Mill», «Skeeball», «Air Hockey» and something to do with a «Guillotine». There are so many fun games to play and interesting games to look at, it is definitely worth stopping in.

I love this place. I make sure to bring friends visiting from out of town here.
The museum is free, but to fully enjoy it be prepared to part with several quarters. Most of the attractions cost .50, some are .25. If you’re lucky you can watch on someone else’s ‘dime’. Ten dollars should be sufficient.
Some of the treasures are well over 100 years old. These are the ones I find most interesting. To me they are works of art. I am fascinated just looking at them. For a quarter or fifty cents I get to see the works of a long since passed artist spring to life.
The player pianos and calliopes should not be missed.
The museum is also filled with current pinball and video games.
Out back is a great view of the bay.

Wanna indulge your inner child with throwback games and entertainment? That’s exactly what I did on Saturday, September 12^th around 3:30pm. Rodney H and I were walking along the Embarcadero and decided to stop by. After all, there’s no admission, so why not?
Everything was 25 – 50 cents, I believe. We turned on the Carnival display and the Fun house made of toothpicks. I also raced Rodney in the Horse race game and won! Yay! We ended our brief journey into the past with Laughing Sal, which is one of SF’s most nostalgic landmarks. It was originally located at Playland at the Beach from 1940 to 1972, so it’s been well preserved. She can be a little scary, but she will laugh for a while, so well worth a couple of quarters.
There’s something so nostalgic and just plain fun about Musee Mecanique. If you’re ever in the area, just stop by. It’s free admission after all. Just bring a couple of dollars in case a machine calls to you. Wandering around, you never know what will appeal to the kid in you.

So, so fun! I wish arcades were still like this! My favorite parts had to be being able to use simple coins in the machines instead of having to exchange money for tokens. The games are all authentic, antique arcade games and they’re delightful. I saw people of all ages having a good time, though, I’m pretty sure the Millennials would tire of these after a couple of rounds of the place as the games are pretty archaic and more of a novelty. I don’t know how many people would be attempting to beat a high score on one of these, but hey, you never know.
Hubby tried a shooting game, complete with rifle you had to aim, but it appeared that he did not even hit the target, not once. I wish it had been less crowded and a bit cooler inside. There’s a lot to see, but you have to wait on a lot of them. If you’re a fan of novelties, this would be right up your alley.

Found Musee Mecanique a few years back when the kids and I were exploring Pier 45, (we checked out the submarine in the area) and walked in Musee Mecanique and just had a blast, and now every time I am in the city, I stop by Musee Mecanique
It’s an arcade, but so much cooler than a normal arcade, there is working history in this arcade, games from the roaring 20’s to now. Some are just a quarter and go all the way up to 75c.
They have so many interesting games, you can watch the big earthquake, can check out an XXX video (it’s really just a lady chasing a man in is undies with a fryin pan), when you walk in you can’t miss Laffin Sal (she is huge and some say creepy), there are some normal games, but the ones I like are the ones you didn’t expect to see as a game, like the handing or execution, for 25c you can see a doll hang or get beheaded, you also can spend 25c and watch some men at the Opium Den, I get a kick out of things like this, these were considered games back in the day, blows my mind haha.
In the middle of the arcade is a huge lay out of a carnival, it has the rides, the big tents, people it’s at least 4 to 5 feet long and 3 ft wide, and for 50c you can watch the entire carnival come to life, it’s pretty cool.
Musee Macanique has become a favorite of mine and hope others enjoy it too!

Pour les fans de jeux video rétro c’est l’endroit idéal. Les enfants vont adorer. L’entrée est gratuite et les parties de jeux sont à 25cts.

Ein Touri Spot mitten im Touri Spot. Museum ist ein wenig hoch gegriffen, es ist né Lagerhalle, in die man Spielautomaten verfrachtet hat. Lärmende Kinderhorden, Familien, und… Touristen.
Ein reizvolles Detail ist, dass tatsächlich auch uralte Automaten herumstehen, aus den 40ern und vielleicht schon vorher. Holztruhen mit wunderlichen Animationen, schön gearbeitete Hebel und Schalter. Einerseits. Andererseits stehen auch 80er und 90er Jahre Arcade-​Computerdaddelautomaten herum. Eintritt frei, und wunderlicherweise funktionieren die Kisten, auch die alten. Wenn man feste Quartrers reinschmeisst. Das finde ich an dem Konzept ganz nett, die alten Kisten werden weiter benutzt und stauben nicht nur rum. Die Präsentation ist… nicht vorhanden, alles steht einfach nur herum, Hinweise zum gerät, zum Alter oder der Funktion gibt es nicht, ganz zu schweigen von ner historischen Einordnung.
Fazit: Spielhalle mit teils neueren, teils historische interessanten Daddelautomaten. Kann man, wenn man eh da ist, nen Blick reinwerfen (koscht ja nix), muss man aber nicht.

Está clarisimo! 5 estrellacas! Sólo con esto ya ha merecido la pena venir a San Francisco.
El museo (de entrada libre) es un hangar donde encuentras máquinas recreativas desde tiempos ancestrales hasta actuales… y lo mejor de todo, que puedes interactuar con ellas!!! Vamos, que le tienes que echar los 25centavos de turno para poder jugar… solo decir, que me he dejado 4 $, pero que inversión!!!
Voy a hacer hincapié en las recreativas 80s, que me han hecho transportarme a mi infancia y me ha traído gratos recuerdos (momento klinex). Estaba el pacman, el metal slug, el pong!!!, el spy hunter (venga monedas de cinco duros), el star wars, street fighter, diversas maquinas del millón (pinball jajaja)…y me dejo algunas seguro.
Luego, las ancestrales, tienen su gracia verlas funcionar, pero nada como las 80s!!!
Vuelvo a ir seguro!!!