Guide to Bay Area Photobooths

By Staff Writers Cecilia Cheng, Saesha Prabhakar & Andy Zhang

Introduction

For almost a century, photobooths have been used to capture memories and smiles. What began as film photographs developed through a series of chemical baths has now grown to include vibrant digital images with customizable frames and stickers, making photobooths more accessible and mainstream. Whether offering black-and-white vintage photos or colorful pictures with fun props, photobooths create a joyful space for friends and family to laugh, pose, and preserve unforgettable moments. The Smoke Signal compiled a list highlighting some of the Bay Area’s most iconic photobooth spots. 

Potobox

Situated within Milpitas’s Great Mall, Potobox is a Bay Area favorite for making memorabilia. The store has been well received since its opening two years ago, offering a wide selection of accessories that can accompany the photos, ranging from capybara headbands and plushies to heart glasses. In addition to pastel-colored rooms of baby blue, violet, and white, Potobox offers unique angled booths like a 0.5-mimicking high angle, a 360 high angle photobooth, and even a washing machine-themed setup. After guests choose their favorite photos to be printed on the strip,  they can then choose filters such as warm, soft, and monotone, in addition to customizing the frame’s design. Besides receiving two physical strips for $12, guests will also receive a QR code to access their strips, as well as a  short behind-the-scenes video, digitally.

San Francisco Photobooth Museum

Launched in December of 2024,  Photomatica’s  first Photobooth Museum restores vintage analog photobooths for visitors to explore. Located at 2275 Market Street, San Francisco, this popular destination features a diverse selection of antique and digital photobooths. Inside the museum, visitors are welcomed with soft-toned walls decorated with past guests’ photo strips, a wide selection of photobooths,  as well as a workstation to make custom keychains out of photostrips. “There’s something new every day, whether it be customer interactions or problems with the booths. I’ve been doing this for about a year, and I’m still learning new things and running into problems that I haven’t met before,” Photomatica technician Carter Hiett said. 

Musée Mécanique

Well known for its collection of more than 300 antique arcade machines, the Musée Mécanique is one of the world’s largest family-owned penny arcade museums. First established in Playland amusement park, the arcade moved through multiple sites until it ended up at Pier 45 Fisherman’s Wharf in 2001. Currently, it includes an impressive amount of 20th-century machines, ranging from puppet shows and miniature showcases to virtual games and interactive simulations. 

Alongside the arcade, the museum also features an antique photobooth deep within its premises. Guests must search through rows of 1900s games before finally reaching this hidden gem. Unlike modern photobooths, guests face a blurry mirror instead of a digital screen reflection. Costing $5 per two strips, the machine prints slowly — taking five minutes to print each set, emerging slightly damp from the chemical liquid bath system of analog photobooths. Still, for many visitors, the long wait is worth it, as the booth’s analog system produces charming, vintage-style photographs that serve as unique memorabilia, perfectly complimenting the old-fashioned styles of Musée Mécanique’s antique machines. 

Club Photomatica

Located at 1644 Haight Street in San Francisco, Club Photomatica offers a distinctive photo experience with three photobooths featuring both vintage and digital styles. The booth itself is within 710 Collective, a retail shop featuring handcrafted goods ranging from jewelry to yarn decorations, a cozy  space that draws in visitors looking to take photos or shop for unique items. Guests can choose between restored analog booths that produce classic black-and-white photo strips or digital booths designed for quick, shareable images. Depending on the booth, prices range from $6.50-$7.50 for a classic four-frame photo strip. Club Photomatica stands out as an intersection of nostalgia and modern technology, offering a memorable way to capture moments while strolling Haight Street.