Entry No. 54 — the Seattle file — filed under: oddities
Marsh's Free Museum
This free, crammed-to-the-rafters curio shop on the Long Beach peninsula is home to Jake the Alligator Man, a mummified half-man, half-alligator that has its own bumper sticker and decades of tabloid fame. Beyond Jake, the place is wall-to-wall with macabre taxidermy oddities including a two-headed pig, a two-headed calf, an eight-legged lamb, and a one-eyed lamb, plus rows of working vintage coin-operated arcade and fortune-telling machines. It bills itself as having the largest retail seashell collection on the West Coast, so the weird sits right next to the kitschy.
The story
Drive onto the Long Beach peninsula, pull up to 409 South Pacific Avenue, and look up at the roofline before you step through the front door. Replica alligator-men stare back down at the asphalt like weather-worn gargoyles. Inside sits the main spectacle: Jake the Alligator Man, a mummified half-human, half-alligator specimen pinned behind glass that earned decades of tabloid notoriety and a relentless cult following.
Beyond Jake, the shop operates on maximum density. Glass cases and high shelves house a collection of macabre taxidermy anomalies—a two-headed pig, a two-headed calf, an eight-legged lamb, and a one-eyed lamb—sandwiched directly alongside standard beach souvenirs and what bills itself as the largest retail seashell collection on the West Coast. The genuinely unsettling sits right next to standard tourist kitsch.
It retains the unfiltered feel of a mid-century waterfront dime museum, echoing the vibe of Seattle's original Olde Curiosity Shop before it relocated. Between the specimen cases, rows of working vintage coin-operated arcade games and fortune-telling machines stand ready for loose change.
What it's like
Expect floor-to-ceiling visual clutter the moment you step inside. You will navigate narrow aisles packed with souvenir racks, glass cases, and vintage coin-op cabinets. Bring a pocketful of quarters if you want to feed the antique fortune-tellers. Admission is free and the doors are open daily, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. Keep in mind that at roughly three-plus hours each way from Seattle, it is a dedicated coastal trip—always double-check current operating hours before making the drive.
The move: Drive out to the coast, feed quarters into the antique fortune-teller machines, then take a selfie with Jake the Alligator Man before walking the beach.
📍 Before you go Free admission; open daily, with later Fri-Sat hours. It's the farthest pick at roughly 3+ hours each way on the coast.
- 📍 Long Beach, WA
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 409 S Pacific Ave, Long Beach, WA 98631
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve — Break up the long coastal drive south by walking among hundreds of unexplained earthen domes rising out of the prairie.
- Odds & Ends - A Curiosity Shop — If side-show taxidermy whets your appetite for oddities, hit this downtown Olympia shop on your return leg back to Seattle.
- Ape Cave Lava Tube — Pair roadside taxidermy with pitch-black subterranean basalt by adding a Mount St. Helens detour to your trip.
Good to know
Is admission actually free?
Yes, admission is completely free. You can walk in and see Jake the Alligator Man without paying an entry fee, though you'll want quarters if you want to run the vintage fortune-telling machines.
What is Jake the Alligator Man?
Jake is the museum's primary roadside icon—a mummified half-man, half-alligator taxidermy display that spawned decades of tabloid press and its own line of bumper stickers.
How far is Marsh's Free Museum from Seattle?
It is located on the coast in Long Beach, WA, which is roughly a 3-plus-hour drive each way from Seattle.
What other oddities are inside?
The curio displays include a two-headed calf, a two-headed pig, an eight-legged lamb, a one-eyed lamb, antique arcade machines, and thousands of retail seashells.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · Yelp · Tripadvisor · Roadside America
last checked: 2026-06-24