marvin's marvelous mechanical museum

This is actually the size of a medium sized pizza parlor, but it literally blows your mind! Seriously, if you can find a piece of the wall or ceiling you're a really detailed inspector. There is more here than in any like themed museum anywhere I've been and I've been around the world.The best part is that almost everything still works and takes your money! if you're old enough to remember fortune telling machines, take you pick. Pinball? A whole lot of those, too. Electric shock or grip strength will test your hardiness while some skill machines give prizes. Again, like a pizza parlour, let your kids play and win tickets. They can turn them in for prizes (and they don't hype up their charges!). Posters, models, airplanes, trains, neon lights, if you're not at least over awed, your dead.Beware. Wheelchairs are definitely NOT recommended. Everything is so tight, it would be hard for one to get around inside. It can be done, but you'll have some tight corners, and problems meeting someone going the other way.

My husband and I embarked on a random Michigan wintertime vacation. (sometimes you just need to get away) We knew we wanted to check out the Eastern Market in Detroit and so were in the general area when this fun little place popped up on our Foursquare app. We side-tracked and boy are we glad we did! This is big fun packed into a hard to find storefront behind a giant mall. Make the effort to find it! Filled with various games and fortune telling machines from the past 100+ years it is impossible to see it all in one go-through. We got "married" at one machine (complete with wedding certificate - good only within 50 ft :) and rings; had our fortunes told by another - along with jokes. There is a thread of macabre and naughty throughout with several antique games depicting torture, etc. Truly, if you have a sense of humor, check this place out. They have coin machines scattered throughout the museum and games will run any where from 1 quarter to 8 or more quarters. There is a small food court too!

I lived in the area for over 30 years before I moved away and had never visited Marvin's. I came home for a Christmas visit and took my niece and nephew. Even my mom came along! What a sight to see. It had a carnival atmosphere-lights, sounds, smells. Everyone was happy and having fun. There were tons of vintage games and interesting collector pieces. We were very glad to have made the drive to Marvin's.

I was at Marvin's one time before many years ago. I went there with my girlfriend recently on a snowy day. It was the same collection of arcade games and automata. The only disappointment was the giant music player. Marvin's has a giant collection of automated musical instruments all wired together into one console. There is a player piano with bells and a full rhythm section. There is a clear cabinet full of dozens of instruments. Guitars, and other percussion instruments. There is a third cabinet with a steel drum and accordion in it. Normally, there is a huge selection of songs that can be played with all the instruments playing at once. This visit, most of the consoles were not playing. I had planned to sit with a stack of quarters and play song after song while eating popcorn. If you are planning to see this attraction, call before you go.

This place is a lot of fun for anyone who likes weird old stuff and videogames. There were great old timey machines - like the ones that tell your fortune - mixed in with brand new ones with touchscreens, like Fruit Ninja. At first my young kids were kind of shy about trying the games. There's just so much stuff, much of it kind of creepy looking, shoved together in such a little space. We started them off on the tiny merry-go-round and then their grandma played tic-tac-toe with a chicken and they were hooked. Many of the machines gave out tickets that could be exchanged for prizes and the kids got really into that. The prizes were a little more unique than usual, like fortune telling fish. I was more interested in the really old weird machines, like the one depicting a Spanish Inquisition torture scene with little dolls. There was an entire wall of pinball machines, with state of the art ones mixed in with old classics. There was also a love tester and a machine that claimed it could marry you and another that swore it would cure your fear of spiders. This place is really amazing and needs to be seen to be believed. All of our interactions with staff were great. We will definitely be back.

Let me start by saying that this place is not for the average person. This is for the type of person that can appreciate nostalgia and unique items. Now this is an arcade but its also a collection of amazing memorabilia from all over the world. I am in the tattoo industry by trade and meeting Marvin was fantastic. He was so kind to us and took the time to go into the back room to show us antique tattoo flash he had from the 1920s. I love his passion for all interesting things of value. As far as the arcade itself,its fantastic! If you are a fan of real nostalgia then you will love this place. Many of the machines are adult in nature and are just one of a kind amazing! While in Michigan we visited once and then came back to take our niece who had a great time playing Centipede for the first time. I grew up on the Jersey Shore and have spent many years of my life around machines and carnival games.(coney island) If you love that,you will LOVE Marvins. If you are looking for a Chucky Cheese this is not the place,if are looking for AMAZING....this is your place!

dont go to marvins because if you meet the jerk himself he will shoe you a way i have to say i like the atmosphre but you have to admit he is a horder i hate this place and will never go back becuase of the lack of the good service. and if your in a wheel chair dont even try gonig there you wont get thru.

Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, too much to see in just one visit. This is an interesting mix of arcade and museum of old pinball machines. Some are gory or not appropriate for young children. We had my son's birthday party here (used a Groupon) and it was so inexpensive. The owner was on site to help with any issues. Staff was very accomodating. The kids had an absolute blast. Recommended for a birthday party, snow day with the kids, or unique date night. Fun stuff!

Had a great time revisiting many old arcade machines. Only problem was we did NOT allow enough time to try many of the machines! And when I cashed in my tickets - the Tootsie Rolls I got we SOFT and CHEWY - NOT old and stale! Good times were had.

This is a place that grandchildren love. For adults it is very noisy, but it's fun to see the children enjoy it.

I hadn't been here for probably 15 years. Took my girlfriend for her first time there. We loved it! There is so much to look at everywhere inside. It looks like an eccentric hoarders house! Weird old fashion games, pinball machines, some '80's & '90's video games, a few rides for small kids & all sorts of other stuff. Don't bring kids here if they're expecting any sort of modern games!!! Also has ticket redemption counter. Good popcorn & cheap concessions!

Wow what a great collection of coin-operated machines and side show novelties that you can actually play. It's a bit hidden between two sections of a strip mall.

This place is great, lots of pinball, skeeball and other mechanical oddities. It's not huge, about the size of a typical arcade from the 80s. However, it is crammed full of stuff.The pinball selection is good and the machines were in great shape. A game or two ate my quarters, but otherwise no complaints.

Marvin's was better than I expected it to be. I decided to go there because of visiting a similar place in San Francisco on Fisherman's' Wharf. (It had more historical games.) I found what I was looking for--pinball. I like the older machines better plus their price was only a quarter per game while some newer ones were as high as $1.00. Even when several groups arrived, the pinball area was mostly empty, which was just fine with me. The crowds were mostly in other areas where players could win tickets for higher scores. Marvin expresses his humor with various signs around the place including in the restroom. Other than pinball, not much attracted me; but that's just fine since I found what I wanted. I even achieved my goal of getting a free game for having a high enough score. Now if Marvin's only had had a Gauntlet machine.

I've been going to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum since I was a teenager. Now, I'm 40+, married with 3 children and I take them there. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. You'll have A LOT of fun at Marvin's! Marvin, the owner, is as unique as his museum. If you are old or young, you'll find something to check out. It's free to enter and you can pay to play the games, see the robots work, etc. You could spend a lot of time just walking around looking at things and not have to spend a dime. It's better to show up with pockets full of quarters. It was fun watching some very old people walk in and you could see the sparkle in their eyes as they were transported instantly back into their childhood. Don't think of it as an arcade or a museum, it's an experience. You've NEVER been to a place like Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. It should be on everybody's bucket list! The owner is there a lot and always happy to talk with his guests. Marvin, you're the best!