Before you start the waterfront walk, a ten-minute detour east along Jefferson Street reaches Musée Mécanique at Pier 45: one of the largest private collections of coin-operated antique arcade machines in the world, more than 300 of them, working and playable.
The collection was assembled by Ed Zelinsky beginning in the 1930s and is run by his son Dan. Hand-cranked mutoscopes, fortune tellers, player pianos, a steam-powered motorcycle, and Laffing Sal, the cackling automaton that terrified generations of children at the old Playland-at-the-Beach. Entry is free; the machines take quarters, and most cost less than a dollar to run.
Open daily. From here, walk west along Jefferson past the fishing fleet to Hyde Street Pier, where the route begins.
