archive: the musee is not saved yet!
Backstory: I tried to drum up some interest in fighting the dismantling of the Musee Mecanique in San Francisco. This wasn’t as protracted and as supported a fight as was the fight for the Giant Camera, a couple years before. The Musee was moved to a “temporary” location in Fisherman’s Wharf, where it resides and (kind of) thrives today. The “Visitor’s Center” at the Cliff House was indeed built, and the Musee was not invited back.
THE MUSEE MECANIQUE IS NOT SAVED YET!
Reports are in: San Francisco’s beloved Musee Mecanique has been saved. The National Park Service has “promised to find a home” for the machines while the new Visitor’s Center is being built.
Don’t believe the hype! This thing has NOT been resolved yet. The National Park Service supposedly was earmarking a portion of the Musee’s rent for the Musee’s inclusion in the Visitor’s Center. This has not happened, and plans for the Center have stalled. It could be years before this plan is executed.
This is classic government bureaucracy. The NPS is making these grand statements that they will do what they can, but these promises can and will slip through the cracks as soon as no one is looking. Until we see a firm timeline, budget and contract, nothing is for sure.
I know this from experience: our Friends of the Giant Camera had to put two years of steady pressure on the NPS for them include the Camera on the National Register of Historic Places.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Sign the online petition below [not available]. This is only a first step. The Friends of the Giant Camera found that — although petitions can be effective — letters, calls and appearances are key in keeping the issue active and in the public eye. Choose your method! Write a letter to an editor. Bring the issue to the attention of an interested collectors’ or historians’ society. Begin an email campaign. Attend Supervisors and GGNRA meetings that include this issue on the agenda: sign up to be a participant and make a speech. Organize a group.
PRESS
“Musee saved — 3 cheers for all of us: 20,000 protests deluged park service”
“Laughing Sal has tears in her eyes: Cliff House arcade mustn’t close down”
“Support for saving arcade housed at Cliff House: Supervisors debate how S.F. can help”
“Old and in the way: The Musee Mecanique will soon be history”
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Associated Press article. This is just PR fluff.
SF’S POPULAR MUSEE MECANIQUE SAVED BY NPS 03.15.02 SAN FRANCISCO -(AP)– San Francisco’s popular Musee Mecanique has been spared. The National Park Service promised yesterday to find a home for the antique arcade attractions while the Cliff House at Ocean Beach is being renovated later this year.
When the work is finished, the park service says the collection will be returned to a new visitor’s center to be built nearby.
Ed Zelinski’s family has overseen the penny arcade collection for decades. He said after the announcement that he’s encouraged by the news. The collection will be housed temporarily either on federal park land or on port property at Fisherman’s Wharf.Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Form letter from Brian O’Neill of the National Park Service that is sent to anyone posting a concern about the Musee to the NPS web site. Again, this gives us no concrete information that guarantees the Musee’s safety:
Dear Interested Party,
Thank you for your comments regarding the Musee Mechanique. Due to the upcoming renovation of the Cliff House, the Musee Mechanique will need to relocate from its current premises. It has been the intent of the National Park Service to relocate the Musee Mechanique and the Cliff House Visitor Center to a new facility at the Merrie Way parking lot east of the Sutro Baths. The facility may include a visitor center, a museum (to include Musee Mechanique), restrooms, and a small cafe, as identified in the 1993 Sutro District Comprehensive Design and Environmental Assessment. The relocation will create better access, improve visitor safety, enhance visibility, and streamline traffic flow.
The NPS is looking at several options for temporary placement of the visitor center and the musee during the interim period, while the Cliff House is undergoing renovation and before visitor services are established at Merrie Way. We are aware of the Musee’s needs and are trying to work together to find a solution. We are exploring a range of short-term options including locating the Musee within the Presidio, temporarily.
The Musee has been an NPS park partner for over 25 years, and we are working in partnership to find an arrangement that is amenable to everyone. Negotiations with the Musee have been ongoing. The goal of the NPS has always been to provide a more highly interactive, safer, more accessible environment for the Musee.
Sincerely,
Brian O’Neill | General Superintendent