Museum of Jurassic Technology
Culver City, CA 90232-2621
Phone: (310) 836-6131
- Cross Street:
- Bagley Avenue
- Hours:
- Thu 2pm-8pm, Fri-Sun 12pm-6pm
Editorial Review for Museum of Jurassic Technology – by Citysearch Editors
The Scene
Harkening back to earlier centuries when museums were the domains of idiosyncratic collectors and not state-run institutions, curator David Wilson presents a collection of curiosities geared more towards imparting wonder than knowledge. MJT's mysterious ambience and phantasmagorical blend of fact and fiction creates a dream-like atmosphere, like nodding off over a musty and questionable book of traveler's tales.
The Collection
A dark warren of galleries is filled with preternaturally glowing vitrines and the sound of tinkling bells. Studiously mounted displays clarify the nature of the Cameroonean stink ant. Wonder how bats use sonar to pass through solid matter? Find out here. Other extraordinary exhibits include microscopic portraits of Pope John Paul sculpted in a strand of human hair, a magnetic fortune-telling machine crafted by a 17th-century Jesuit and meticulous dioramas of trailers interpreted as Ark-like repositories of human culture. All this and not a single Jurassic fossil in sight.
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Insider Tips
Know Before You GoBe sure to hit an ATM--the museum accepts only cash for the admission fee, no credit cards.
User Reviews for Museum of Jurassic Technology
02/06/2008 Posted by caligari
If you havent been, dont try to understand beforehand, just go. It defies words or explanation. It's sort of like a temple for a secret society that you are initiated into on your first visit. Evokes the following feelings... JG Ballard, Mutter Museum, The Brothers Quay, Jan Svankmeyer, Alchemy, Max Ernst, Proust, Dystopia, Decay, Surrealism, Guy Maddin and Clever jokes...
11/26/2007 Posted by jhoolko
There are almost no words to describe this place. From the skeleton of a European mole to a miniature, lit-up model of a trailer park, the exhibits and displays in this museum range from incredible to useless to decaying and broken. It's almost pitch black in there and kind of maze-like, and once you're in you'll be caught in a world of weird you never saw coming from the outside. My favorite is the room dedicated to the canines of the Russian space progam, complete with a painted portrait of each pooch. Everything in here is bizarre, though not everything is completely baffling or incredible in the Ripley's tradition. This is more of an experience, where you have to wonder why these things are even in a glass case to begin with. Half of it is unlabeled or broken, and I still don't know if that's intentional or the result of minimal upkeep. An enigma at the very least, and one you might want to try bending your mind around on a rainy day.
Pros: If you like weird, you'll love this place
Cons: Don't come looking for a typical museum experience. Expect creepy and unexplained.
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