Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum facts for kids
| Location | Farmington Hills, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Founder | Marvin Yagoda |
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum is a super fun arcade and museum. You can find it in Farmington Hills, Michigan. This special place is full of old-fashioned, coin-operated machines. It has many mechanical figures that move and talk, cool games, and other interesting items.
For example, you might see a classic Romani Fortune teller machine. These machines used to be popular at carnivals. Most of the machines at Marvin's still work, and visitors are welcome to play them! The museum is open every single day of the year. It is currently in a building about 5,500-square-foot (510 m2) in size.
In late 2023, there was a plan to build a new Meijer store. This plan would mean tearing down the building where Marvin's is located. The city council of Farmington Hills approved this idea on February 14, 2024. However, the museum's owner has said that Marvin's will move to a new location. So, the fun will continue!
About the Founder
The museum was started by a man named Marvin Yagoda. He collected amazing mechanical items for over 60 years! Marvin graduated from the University of Michigan and became a pharmacist. He took over his father's drug store in Detroit.
Marvin Yagoda was known as an expert in old mechanical and electrical games. He even helped value items for the TV show American Pickers. Marvin passed away peacefully on January 8, 2017, when he was 78 years old. His son, Jeremy, grew up helping with the business. Jeremy now continues his father's amazing work.
What You Can See
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum has a truly unique collection. You can see a copy of the famous Cardiff Giant. There's also an automaton "food inspector" that continuously "vomits" into milk bottles (don't worry, it's just a machine!).
The museum also has many modern coin-operated arcade games. You can win tickets and trade them for prizes at the counter. Plus, the museum has a collection of Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre animatronics. This includes almost all of the Pizza Time Players characters and even Madame Oink!
See Also
- List of magic museums
