Meeting Zoltar

My first encounter with Zoltar—a mechanical ‘fortune teller’, or ‘mechanical genie’—was while watching the classic movie Big”.  The 1988 film, directed by Penny Marshall, starred Tom Hanks as a boy who makes a wish that he was a grown up.  Zoltar dispenses a card which apparently grants his wish.  And the following morning he, indeed, is a grown-up.

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I’d not seen a Zoltar machine in decades, but during the last month I came across two—one in Arkansas and one in Texas.

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Remarkably, Zoltar remains a popular fortune teller to this day.  I saw several people pay for their automated fortunes.

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1 year ago

I remember an old Zoltar machine at Conneaut Lake Amuseument Park, Pennsylvania.

1 year ago

Two in a row, fun! I remember seeing one a few years ago at the Musée mécanique in San Francisco.

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