Zoo Food Machine

It's not uncommon to see a food vending machine at a petting zoo but it's always a welcome site:

Here we spotted a pair at the petting zoo at the State Fair of Texas!

Pregnancy Test Vending Machine

The folks at "Healthy Brains for Children"  are launching a "Think Before you Drink Initiative" which includes the development of a Pregnancy Test Vending Machine:

Here's a news story about this handy device:

Minneapolis News and Weather KMSP FOX 9

Penny Press #4 - Baylor U

Our next addition of "Penny Press" comes from our recent road trip.  We stopped at the Mayborn Museum Complex at Baylor University to, among other things, get our pennies smashed:

The area is known for mammoth fossils and the museum has an extensive mammoth exhibit so the design choice for this smash was an no-brainer.

It's worth noting that, unlike some other penny squashers we've found recently, this one is still fifty cents!

Pinballing #2 - Gas Attack!

In theory, Grossology is an educational, traveling exhibit whose purpose is to educate children about biology and various biological functions through a series of interactive exhibits and whimsical animatronic characters.  However, in practice, Grossology is an orgy of terror populated by the most disturbing robotic creatures to ever haunt your nightmares.

Creatures like this:

And this:

Why do I bring this up?  They had a pretty cool pinball machine.  Made by Stern Pinball,"Gas Attack!" is a lesson about digestion in pinball form (yes, I think those are supposed to be intestines on the side of the machine):

Points seem to be accumulated based on the gas inducing potential of various food items.  It's also worth noting that it semeed to be made to be played for free as a part of the exhibit and was very popular with the kids there (who weren't crying and screaming in terror at the robots).

I caught the exhibit during my recent trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History but check their site to see if the madness is coming to your neighborhood.

Geology Vending Machine

There are not nearly enough educational vending machines out there.  That's why it was a nice surprise to come across this little beauty:

That's right, for 50 cents you can try your luck and end up with your very own fossil and/or mineral specimen.  We found this at Inner Space Caverns in Georgetown, TX.

 

We ended up with a piece of fossilized raptor egg shell.  Not a bad prize.

 

Penny Press #3 - Fort Worth Museum of Science & History

Another day, another smashed penny.  This one comes courtesy of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History where they have not one, but two machines available for your penny smashing pleasure:

The one on the left has an assortment of museum logos and western themes.  I went with the one on the right.  It only had one option but it was a bold option indeed: The Acrocanthosaurus!

It's a dinosaur whose fossils are found around the area.  This machine was no nonsense.  No levers, no buttons, no cranks.  Just insert the money and watch the penny smashing magic happen.  And that's just what I did.

Pizza Vending Machine

After a successful run in Europe you might be seeing one of these beauties pop up on your corner: