Musee Mecanique

Musee Mecanique is one of the world's largest collections of antique coin-operated machines, housed in a massive warehouse on Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf. Despite sitting in the most touristed part of San Francisco, this place is criminally overlooked by most visitors, who walk right past it to get to Pier 39. That is their loss.

For families, this is one of the most entertaining and affordable stops in the city.

The collection spans over 300 machines dating from the 1880s to the present day. The oldest pieces are hand-cranked mutoscopes -- you peer into a viewfinder, turn a handle, and watch a flickering sequence of photographs create a mini movie (think: flip book meets View-Master). Victorian-era coin-operated dioramas depict everything from a Wild West bar fight to a miniature carnival, springing to life with tiny moving figures when you drop in a quarter.

Mechanical fortune tellers dispense printed cards with your fate. Antique player pianos fill the hall with ragtime and jazz.

The star of the show -- and the source of nightmares for some toddlers -- is Laughing Sal, a six-foot-tall mechanical woman in a glass case who rocks back and forth cackling maniacally. She is a San Francisco institution, originally from the Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park that closed in 1972. Older kids love her; very young children may be startled by the volume and intensity of her laughter.

Beyond the antiques, there are pinball machines from every era, vintage arcade games, mechanical baseball and racing games, and even a few modern coin-operated amusements. The machines are meticulously maintained and nearly all of them work. You could spend an hour or three working your way through the collection.

The pricing model is pure genius in its simplicity: admission is free. You pay nothing to walk in, browse, and enjoy the atmosphere. Individual machines cost 25 cents to $1.00 each, with most at the 25-50 cent range. A family can have a thoroughly entertaining hour for $15-20 in quarters total. Bring cash -- the change machines accept bills but quarters are king.

The space itself is a large, open warehouse with concrete floors. It is not fancy, but the dim lighting and mechanical sounds create an atmospheric, almost carnival-like vibe. Strollers fit easily through the wide aisles. There are no restrooms inside, but public facilities are available on the pier.