Right next to the Pampanito and next to Fisherman's wharf is the Musee Mecanique; a museum of antique amusement arcade devices. It's really a large private collection that has been made into a museum. Admission is free but but there is a revenue stream. Virtually all the old machines are kept in working order and can be activated by the drop of a coin.
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Here was one of the very few electronic arcade machines on display; "PONG". And yes it still works.
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While I was close by I walked through the tourist trap known as "Fisherman's Wharf". One of the piers (number 39) was long ago taken over by seals. Naturally these protected animals could not be disturbed of chased off so the boats were moved and the seals became a tourist attraction.
Most of the machine far pre-date the electronic age. What sort of machines were they? Some were mechanical music machines like player pianos or large music boxes or even a full mechanical ensembles. Many were puppet shows. The one at left purported to show the viewer what happened in an opium den. It wasn't very exciting. A tiny skeleton comes out of the closet door and a sort of snake or dragon pokes it head from the curtain. Not exactly "Guitar Hero" or "Grand Theft Auto" but it is a piece of history.
