Musée Patamécanique, Private museum in Bristol, Rhode Island, United States.
The Musée Patamécanique is a private museum in Bristol, Rhode Island, that displays mechanical devices, automatons, and experimental art pieces. Visitors explore the collection using wireless headphones that provide audio guidance through the different sections and exhibits.
Neil Barden Salley founded the museum in 2006 while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. It started with performances and mechanical sculptures that grew from his artistic practice.
The collection brings together scientific demonstrations, mechanical theater performances, and experimental art installations in one space. You can see how these different forms merge together and create something that feels like a blend of entertainment, craft, and artistic expression.
Start by picking up wireless headphones and a map at a set location in downtown Bristol. The audio instructions then guide you through the streets to find the museum entrance.
The museum keeps its exact location secret, so visitors must walk through Bristol's streets to discover it. This hidden approach makes the journey itself part of the experience, not just arriving at the building.
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