Marsh’s Free Museum

I was a little confused by this place. I’m glad it’s free because it’s not much of a museum. We stopped in to see Jake, which by the way is super creepy. There was a little boy hiding behind his dad and peeking around to see it, it was pretty funny but I’m sure he had nightmares later. Some of the stuff was kinda cool to see, but it is packed in there with a lot of unnecessary items. It would’ve been better if we could’ve gone to see all the museum like items and then they had a gift shop on the other side, but I think the trick is to mix it all in to get people to buy the random tourist items. As a kid I’m sure I would’ve come out of there with some weird seashell item, but as an adult it was too much. I think we were there for about 10 – 15 minutes and then it was on to get some coffee. If you want to kill some time, I would say check it out. Otherwise stick to the beach, people watching and kite flying is way more interesting.

You might as well. You are here. Most unusual things to see and learn. Don’t miss it.

There is a disturbing and racist music machine here which must go (or have a sign detailing our nation’s tragic racial history). We talked to the manager about it and she claimed she had no power to take the machines down or put up a sign. Has no one else really ever complained about the machine (a little black boy in a box playing «plantation» music) before? If you do go, please politely ask the manager to take it down. Thanks!

Total tourist trap. But it’s awesome I always leave buying an unnecessary about of salt water taffy and seashells! When I’m in Long Beach it’s a must! My boyfriend just loves it lol.

As a kid, it was an interesting/​creepy place.
As an adult, I needed to get out of there after about ten minutes. We happened in on a day when the place was swarming with tourists (mostly tourists with children), which added a whole level of overwhelming onto an already sensory-​overload experience. Of course Marsh’s is not really a museum; it is a gift shop with lots of alarming and non sequitur crap tacked on the walls. Some of this crap is awesome, and some of it is silly. The souvenirs are likewise a mix of crap /​silly crap /​seashells /​candy /​children swarming the candy and seashells.
I appreciate the quirky roadside attraction vibe… but twice in a lifetime is completely sufficient for me.

It’s a giant tourist gift shop and not really a museum. There are some old fashion arcade machines in the back but other than that there is not much here that you would not find in any other vacation town gift shop. The alligator man attraction is a National Enquirer /​Coney Island type exhibit that you might look at for 30 seconds. It is on the main strip of town so not hard to get to but don’t make this a destination stop on your vacation.

Kitschy, tourist-​trap fare but a lot of fun. Curiosity shop junk along the back walls, gift shop with just about everything you want inside. Plus some fun posing statues outside to add to the touristy experience. Don’t miss Jake the Alligator Boy.

Like a lot of similar attractions in small tourist towns, Marsh’s is really not so much a museum as it is a gigantic gift shop, thus putting the word «free» into serious dispute. There’s all kinds of chintzy insanity here, including shells that are found nowhere near Long Beach, ribbon candy, and purity bracelets, plus lots of XXXXXL t-​shirts in neon colors. If you can muscle past all that, and the tourists with kids whose names are Kodey or Montannah, then there’s actually some pretty cool stuff in the back — a lot of vintage games, antique knick-​knacks, old detritus from the faded days of Washington State, and the like. And, of course, Jake the Alligator Man, one of America’s top ten alligator men.

This is a great place to kill time, especially if you’re a certified creep, like me. It looks exactly like the basement level of every serial killer’s home in every single Lifetime Movie Network original I’ve ever seen.
Jake the Alligator Man is a real piece of work, too. He just sits there, totally motionless, judging you the entire time.

This is the place to buy souvenirs in Long beach. And definitely bring your kids here, they’ll love it. Just be aware that there’s tons of breakable things so be careful. They have a lot of vintage game machines that are only a few cents, many of them I had never seen before. They were even selling this doll I used to play with as a child in the nineties! It took me down memory lane :) definitely swing by if you are in the area!

There are so many bizarre and interesting things in this «museum!» Besides jake the alligator man, this place is full of vintage game machines, among them a vintage peep show! I enjoyed testing my sex appeal! The store also sells salt water taffy and other snacks!

Bad reviews? Come on, people! It’s a free wacky «museum» that give 20 – 30 minutes of enjoyment on vacation.
Husband and I traveled sans kids (thankfully) and we still enjoyed it. I only bought a bumper sticker as the rest is tourist knick-​knack junk that I would never consider paying good money for. Still, it was fun to look at.
You have to stop in at least once. And be sure to check out the world’s largest chop sticks!