The Museum of Jurassic Technology

9341 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, USA

Address:	9341 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, USA
Phone:	+1 310-836-6131
Site:	mjt.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	Closed Closed Closed 2–8PM 12–6PM 12–6PM 12–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Liz Sales

In a closet size room called The Misch/Webster Gallery in a strange little place called The Museum of Jurassic Technology there are 33 letters presented as part of an exhibition entitled “No One May Ever Have the Same Knowledge Again: Letters to the Mount Wilson Observatory”. The entire collection of letters allegedly sent to the Observatory between 1915 and 1935 are available through the Museum as a self-published book, also titled “No One May Ever Have the Same Knowledge Again”. This publication was the first I purchased from the Museum after I became interested in it and its curator, David Wilson. These two inseparable entities were suggested to me as point of interest at a slide presentation I gave tracing a semi-fictional history of photography. But it was not until I found a Museum of Jurassic Technology T-shirt in my dresser that I actually started doing any research. I had never before registered the text on the shirt, although I’m sure I’d worn it. The shirt had been one of my brothers. I’d received in a giant box in the mail after his death in 2006. At first, I was confused as to what I should do with a giant box full of a dead person’s t-shirts. The box sat in a state of limbo in a corner in my bedroom. But working in film left me little time to do laundry so, one by one, the shirts snuck into my wardrobe until the box was empty. Seeing the Museum emblem staring back at me from my dresser and realizing the connection, I went on-line and watched an unreliable 35-minute documentary Inhaling the Spore, produced by the Museum in 2004 and I loved it. The documentary outlines the on-going exhibits in Museum including the Deprong Mori of the Tripiscum Pleateaua, a species of bat that can fly through solid objects, Geoffrey Sonnabends geometry heavy memory theory and Mrs. Alice Williams to the Mount Wilson Observatory. Mrs. Williams letter was one of the more difficult points in the video for me to wrap my head around so I ordered the book. It provided no additional information or insight into the creation of the exhibition, just many more strange letters. While reading, I found myself both alternately hoping these documents were authentic and hoping they were fabricated. I adore the idea of strange people all over the world sending their extraordinary ideas to these famous astronomers, trying to get in their two cents, at a time when Science was changing so drastically. But, I find the image of Wilson conceiving and fabricating it all wonderful too. Like all things David Wilson, I’ll never be sure. His life and the Museum are an inseparable interweave of truth and fiction. All the truths seem fictional. All the fictions point, somehow humbly, to larger philosophical truths. Someday, when I grow-up I want to be just like David Wilson.

Esther Kim

I dont really know what to say about this museum. Is it a museum? What is this place exactly? I came here with Stephanie P. on our museum/cultural day and we walked in not knowing what to expect... and walked out even more confused. What had we seen? What is this place? I dont really know. First, the facts. They are open four days a week. Thursdays from 2-8PM, Fridays-Sundays from 12-6PM. General admission is $8 but you can get a discount if you are a student or senior ($5 admission). And if you happen to be a child 12 years or younger, admission is completely free. There are some other discounts available as well (for unemployed, disabled, active service personnel, etc). They do not provide any parking and street parking can be a pain to find in this area. I ended up parking a couple blocks away and walking over. Entrance is on Venice. The entire museum is very dark and gives off a creepy vibe. Photography is not allowed and they ask that visitors do not use their mobiles at all inside the museum. Their collection is very random and a lot of rooms/exhibits did not have a clear theme. What I found to be the oddest part of this "museum," however, is the fact that the majority of their pieces had no labels on/around them. What kind of museum does not label their items?!?! As if Im not confused enough by what the heck Im looking at... There are three floors total to this museum. Upstairs was an exhibit on Cats Cradle (remember that game?) and Space Dogs. Their Tula Tea Room is also upstairs, where they serve tea and cookies (we did not partake). They also screen films hourly in their Borzoi Kabinet Theater. Walking through the tea room area, you can go up another floor to where they keep birds. I think you can also enjoy your tea in this area? People were just sitting around talking when we went there. Our favourite part of the museum was the exhibit on Henry Dalton and his beautiful micromosaics. He created intricate art from diatoms and the scales of butterfly wings. You can only see his work through a microscope, but they were truly beautiful and wonderful to look at. Apart from this exhibit, the museum was just meh. It remains a question mark in my head...

Kevin Shen

When I first came here I was delighted by what I thought to be an amazing parody of 18th century curio museums. But the second time I had the privilege of talking to the founder David, who can be found on the little Mediterranean rooftop garden (where they serve cookies and tea, and have their own rookery) playing eclectic instruments, who shared some secrets of the museum. He was very hospitable and boy was I even more delighted to learn that all of the exhibits they have are the works of real people earnestly seeking an understanding of the world, in their own unique ways! Definitely a case of fact is stranger than fiction, and this charming little museum transplants you to alternate, overlooked perspectives of our world. I would skin to seeing maps from the 1600s and how people used to see the world. (David if you see this, do a map exhibit!) If you have an open mind for new experiences, youll love this place. Highly recommend!

William Akin

Okay, so you know when you were a kid and museums had that air of foreign and strange things, the mystery of history and things past, but you believed them somehow, however strange they seemed? Well, this is where you take off your adult hat and put aside all of your preconceived notions about life and the world. This museum is a thing of wonder and awe - I dont want to spoil the magic or the experience, but this isnt your typical museum. The exhibits range from the obscure and surreal, to complete fantasy and, can inspire within you the surprise at the audacity with which the presentations are pulled off. Upstairs houses a traditional Russian style tearoom and a theatre that shows small films. Ive come here with friends, on first dates and, alone - definitely a great way to create a bond and connect with your fellow wanderers. Cant stress this enough: turn off your thinking brain and let yourself be awed.

John Secular

I read a lot of the reviews about this place before I went there yesterday. It seemed split fairly evenly between people loving it and people complaining about it. Well, now I know. Anyone who has written a bad review of this place clearly didnt get it. If you bring an open mind and a sense of humor, you will remember this place for a very long time. I still cant find the words to accurately describe what this is or what Jurassic Technology is and THAT is part of the greatness of this place. Its either a walk through the mind of an insane person or a genius and the best answer is that there is no line between the two. I have never been so confused, yet laughed so hard in such a short time span. The trailer park exhibit and the rabid dog barking exhibit in the background alone is worth the entrance fee.