International Arcade Museum !!top!! -

Because it is attached to a functioning arcade (Nickelmania), the museum doesn't feel "sacred." Teenagers will run past a 1915 Mutoscope to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . That could annoy a purist, but it actually makes the place feel alive. History isn't roped off; it's just the weird corner of the party.

The Premise: Most museums tell you not to touch the exhibits. The International Arcade Museum (IAM) hands you a roll of nickels and says, "Go break history." international arcade museum

Walking in is like falling into a time machine built by a clockmaker with a gambling problem. The air smells of ozone, old wood, and popcorn. The lights are low, but the ding-ding-ding of mechanical reels is deafening. Unlike the dark, chaotic rhythm of a 1980s arcade, this place has the frantic, percussive energy of a thousand pocket watches all going off at once. Because it is attached to a functioning arcade

Just don't try to cash out your winnings. They pay in tootsie rolls. The Premise: Most museums tell you not to touch the exhibits