36 | NOVEMBER 30 • 2023 
J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

A

s a kid, you knew you 
were in for a treat if 
your parents drove 
you to Hunter’s Square, where a 
nondescript building at the back 
of the Farmington Hills plaza 
houses one of Metro Detroit’s 
most unique attractions.
From the outside, Marvin’s 
Marvelous Mechanical Museum 
— which the Farmington 
Hills Planning Commission is 
pushing forward a proposal to 
demolish in favor of replacing 
the space with a new Meijer 
location — doesn’t look like 
much.
In fact, if you don’t know 
it’s there, you may miss it 
altogether. Yet those who grew 
up at the iconic 5,000-plus-
square-foot arcade, vintage 
museum and ultimate birthday 
party space know that Marvin’s 
Marvelous Mechanical Museum 
is a one-of-a-kind gem.
After rounding the doors, 
you’re greeted with whimsical, 
colorful attractions and games, 
all of which have been carefully 
curated by the museum’s 
original owner and founder, 
Marvin Yagoda, who created 
the museum in the 1980s and 
passed away in 2017.

Look up and you’ll find 
vintage model airplanes 
suspended from the high 
ceiling, and plastered on 
the walls are limited edition 
movie posters, many spanning 
decades. Nestled in between are 
neon signs, collectors’ items and 
other antique memorabilia.

CHERISHED MEMORIES
For many Metro Detroiters, 
Marvin’s has served as a 
beloved community staple for 
generations. Parents who once 
spent weekends there as kids 
now bring their own children 
to experience the joy that is 
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical 
Museum.
However, the legacy that 
Jewish community member 
Yagoda worked so hard to build 
— and that his son, Jeremy 
Yagoda, continues today — is 
threatened to be uprooted.
Earlier this month, the 
planning commission for the 
city of Farmington Hills voted 
in approval of the proposal. 
Now, the proposal is heading 
to the city council for approval, 
but the city council has assured 
the community they won’t be 
making the decision, which will 

Jeremy Yagoda 
and his late 
father, Marvin

Generations of customers rally 
in support of Marvin’s Marvelous 
Mechanical Museum.

 Saving a 
Community 
 Staple

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER