Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, is an arcade/museum devoted to a large collection of coin-operated animatronic dummies, mechanical games and other oddities. Exhibits include, for example, the classic Romani Fortune teller machine that used to grace many a carnival sideshow. Most of the machines still function, so visitors are encouraged to bring change.[1] Marvin's is open 365 days a year.

For the album by Tally Hall, see Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (album).
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
LocationFarmington Hills, Michigan
Coordinates42.5253°N 83.3618°W / 42.5253; -83.3618
FounderMarvin Yagoda
Websitewww.marvin3m.com

The museum's founder, Marvin Yagoda, had been collecting the items that populate the 5,500-square-foot (510 m2) museum for over 60 years.[2] He graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as a pharmacist taking over his father's store, Sam's Drugs in Detroit. Yagoda was a recognized expert in the field of mechanical and electrical game apparatus; he has been involved in appraisal of such items for the television series American Pickers.[3][4] Yagoda died on January 8, 2017, at the age of 78.[5] Marvin's son Jeremy grew up in the business and carries on his father's legacy.

Amongst the collection is P. T. Barnum's replica of the Cardiff Giant,[6][7] one of Sing Sing Prison's electric chairs in which 30 people died,[8] and an automaton "food inspector" is set up to continuously vomit into a pile of milk bottles.[9] There are also various modern coin-op arcade games, and a prize counter to exchange tickets. The museum also hosts a collection of Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre animatronics with a complete set of the Pizza Time Players (excluding Chuck E.) with one of the guest stars Madame Oink and the clapper board.[10]

In 2005, Tally Hall, a band from nearby Ann Arbor, titled an album after the museum. The logo of the attraction was used on the main album cover.

See also

Notes
  1. Semion, Bill (2000). Fun with the Family in Michigan: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids (6th ed.). Globe Pequot. pp. 59 of 352. ISBN 978-0762708086.
  2. Godfrey, Linda S.; Moran, Mark; Sceurman, Mark (2006). Weird Michigan: Your Travel Guide to Michigan's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (hardcover). New York: Sterling Publishing. ISBN 978-1402739071. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  3. Marvin Yagoda (2008). "1972 Nutting Associates Computer Space". Archived from the original on January 30, 2009.
  4. Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum spot on American Pickers television show
  5. Wisely, John (9 Jan 2017). "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum founder dies". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  6. "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum". RoadsideAmerica.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  7. Nicklell, Joe (May–June 2009), "Cardiff's Giant Hoax", Skeptical Inquirer, 33 (3)
  8. Faraci, Devin (December 16, 2011). "Hit The Road: Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum". badassdigest.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  9. "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  10. Pizza Time Theatre Animatronics at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, retrieved 2023-04-09
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