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Marsh's Free Museum
Rating Details »
Categories: Antiques, Museums, Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
409 S Pacific Ave.Long Beach, WA 98631
(360) 642-2188
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Marsh's Free Museum
You know what's cooler than perusing the crazy stuff in Marsh's Free Museum?
Perusing this stuff without any power. My latest trip really took the cake when the whole east side of the main street in Long Beach was out of power. All of the restaurants were closed, but not Marsh's. They opened their doors and let you wander around in nothing but the faint daylight pouring in through the front windows. It made everything a lot different, but almost just as fun.
The real bummer is you can't lose your pocket change in all of the random machines that are strewn about. Sometimes I just want to sit in the love chair for a quarter. Well, I do until some 8-year-olds jump on it once the power comes back on and get all giddy because the thing vibrates and tells them how much of a flirt they are. Then it kind of loses it's hilarity. You just kind of feel dirty afterward.
There are just as many things to buy as there are to look at. I have a feeling some of it it isn't encouraged to buy even if it does have a price on it. There was some "antique" looking glass plates. $22 for a plate? REALLY? I'm pretty sure I saw similar stuff at IKEA. You're not going here to buy anything like that, though. Sometimes you want your name on a flip flop keychain. Sometimes you want a bucket of salt water taffy. Sometimes you want a wind chime made of sea shells. Shark teeth? They have them. Children's toys? Have those too. It's so fun just to rifle through it all. I dare you to walk out without laughing at least once.
The power came on half way through to a bunch of cheering patrons in the store. Should you happen to checkout, be prepared to wait. It's definitely not a quick process.
You're at the beach, though. You shouldn't be in a hurry.
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According to every other review, rows and rows of novelty trinkets is "as good as it gets." Really? What do your houses look like? I guess I'll jump on the 5 star bandwagon, too.
Coast towns up here are weird. They're all so dependent on selling what is essentially junk that you really don't need. That said, it's still super fun to browse through the aisles of said junk until you find some gems, or find some items that you might as well buy because you're amongst aisles upon aisles of junk.
Case in point, after an hour or so of browsing passed dead infant sharks in jars, model boats and other randomness, my shopping basket contained a bad ass pair of aviator sunglasses for the low price of $8, a bitchin' kite for $2.99 and what turned out to be a really crappy harmonica for $1.25.
If I could go back in time, I'd buy it all again.
Alright, maybe not the harmonica.
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I'll jump on that 5-star bandwagon, too, 'cause I have definitely never been to a place like this before! There's a reason it is popular above and beyond just being the biggest store in town to buy souvenirs. Plus, it's been there since the 1930s, an institution in the town for sure.
I really, really, really dug the old timey mechanized gaming machines (and peepshows!). They also had an antique pinball machine... not quite pinball as we know it today, but a precursor, if you will.
There's crazy stuff to look at in every nook and cranny- don't miss the ceiling! Enough stuff hangs from that ceiling to have its own separate room. When we first got there, the power was out but that didn't stop us from carousing about, trying on "Women Love Me, Fish Fear Me" hats, sticking our hands into deep trays of tiny shells, and being thoroughly icked out by jars of tiny sharks. I held out hope that the power would again surge through, which it did, and the entire store let out a huge cheer when the store lit up and the arcade machines (fortune tellers, kiss-o-meters) flashed again.
It's a fun place to check out and free entertainment is my favorite kind. You can also pick up all sorts of tacky, silly junk like a personalized Long Beach shot glass and other typical souvenirs but go for the antiques for sure. I dunno about that Alligator Boy, though, I was standing right in front of it when the lights came back on and it scared the living bejeezus out of me. I'll stick to the "How Hot Are You" arcade game, thank you.
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Ooh this place looked interesting! And, we had all kinds of legal fun inside and left without spending a dime! The best kind of dive, tourist traps -- FREE!
Warning: If you have a crow-like impulse to gather future clutter, you will leave with armloads of stuff no one needs.
The reviews don't lie. This place pretty much is Long Beach.
Aisles of random stuff, mummified freaks, toys, test your ___ machines, all FREE... What's not to love?
If you're staying in Long Beach, you've definitely got to bring the whole family through hear. Find that little souvenir the kids have to have (you know you're going to have to get it somewhere).
Just be sure to bring the camera.
This place is waaaay cool. My boyfriend told me we had to drive a half hour out of the way to go to Marsh's and I'm glad we did. We say Jake the Alligator boy and used up all of our change on the quirky machines and nickelodeons. And we walked out paying under $15 (we did buy a poster). I almost gave 4 stars because a bunch of the machines were out of order but even without them, it was still totally worth seeing. A good shopper could probably spend hours in here.
I hope Marsh's stays in Long Beach forever! I absolutely love that tacky place! A trip to the town isn't complete without going to Marsh's and picking up some saltwater taffy and something tacky!
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Just my kind of place!
I was not going to leave the island without some salt water taffy so we popped in here. Also grabbed my nephew a shot glass with his name on it because, for some reason, he has a shot glass collection (he's 8). Can't believe I got my Christmas shopping done so quickly!
Bet this place is mobbed in the summer!
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There's nifty crap in here for everyone. And salt-water taffy. And Jake the alligator man. It may seem, and is, completely silly, but it's a great little institution, particularly for kids.
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This is the height of wacky/tacky in Long Beach. This is a great place to get in touch with your inner kid as you look around and giggle at the stuff on the shelves. The aisles are stuffed to the gills with weird knick knacks, costume jewelry (shell necklaces anyone?) and collectibles (don't know who would want to collect them?). It is a mixture of "antiques" (pop culture from the 20s, 30s and 40s) and beachy souveniers. I usually don't feel the need to actually buy something, but it is good for an hour of browsing. You also have to wave to Jake (the 1/2 man, 1/2 gator) right out of the National Enquirer.
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This tourist trap is full of trinkets, old music machines, other oddities like the 2 headed calf, shrunken heads, a fortune telling machine and Jake the 1/2 man & 1/2 gator. I love this place, absolutely love it! It's full of some of the tackiest stuff on earth; like the love seat where if you sit and put in a quarter it will let you know if you're a red hot lover or a cold fish. Where else can you buy a clamshell clock for your desk? There's penny candy, old fashioned flip card viewing machines, some very early mechanical video games and so much more. It's a fun place to spend your pocket change and pick up a souvenir to remember your trip to the beach. This store/museum has been around a long time and I hope it continues to be around for years. I loved this place as a child and hope to bring my children there someday. Located in Long Beach Washington right downtown!
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