Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Oakland Kinetic Steam Works

Kinetic Steam Works

Collective dedicated to restoring steam engines.

Oakland, California

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
Kinetic Steam Works. (Press Photo)   http://kineticsteamworks.org/gallery/
~*~Kinetic Steam Works~*~ Real Fires - Real Boilers - Real Steam |   Kenetic Steam Works
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A Bay Area collective dedicated to restoring steam-powered kinetic art, the team behind Kinetic Steam Works came together in 2005 to "explore and repurpose the artifacts of clockwork modernity," according to their official mission. These retro-tech industrial artisans welcome volunteers to help in their restoration efforts and their open arms have found an engaged community in the area who share a strong interest in very old steam engines and a dying form of technology.

"Steam power is magical," according to the official website of Kinetic Steam Works. "It’s calming and rhythmic. Steam engines themselves are beautiful, evocative kinetic art structures with the added benefit of being able to do work – kinetic art powering work." The love for the engine is clear in everything that the group does, from the website to their work.

To their volunteers and any outsiders who find a way into Kinetic Steam Works, the group behind the educational arts organization is happy to teach the skills and knowledge needed for both the restoration of steam engines and their operation. The group displays their careful work to the world through artistic performances that utilize steam engines and the technologies that surround them. These machines, the group believes, blur the line between industry and art. "The steam engine embodied the ideologies, desires and dreams of its era, of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, a bright and shining future where technology was built by hand," the website claims. "They were the aspirational finned cars and rockets of their day. Most recently, steam has been represented by romantic industrial arts and the literary movements of retro sci-fi, steampunk, and Gothic neo-Victorianism."

Another argument for highlighting the power of steam for the group behind Kinetic Steam Works is its environmental friendliness. Generated by heating water using sustainable hardwood, the steam for these engines doesn't require coal or any other mined materials.

Kinetic Steam Works has a number of popular pieces which they love so much that they've named. Hortense, for example, is the first engine in the Kinetic Steam Works collection. A traction engine used to power larger kinetic art pieces, Hortense is used to pull or push a moving display. The other centerpiece of the KSW collection is Pappy, a 75-horsepower J.I. Case Traction Engine from 1917 that has been lovingly restored.

Related Tags

Inventions Retro Tech Cultures And Civilizations

Community Contributors

Edited By

Martin, nbj914, kbanshee

  • Martin
  • nbj914
  • kbanshee

Published

June 25, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • KQED: "Kinetic Steam Works Rebuilds Steampunk Inspired Engines" (September 2010): http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2010/09/07/kinetic-steam-works-rebuilds-steampunk-inspired-engines/
  • BoingBoing TV: Kinetic Steam Works: http://tv.boingboing.net/2008/02/12/kinetic-steam-works.html
  • Yelp: Kinetic Steam Works: http://www.yelp.com/biz/kinetic-steam-works-oakland
Kinetic Steam Works
2525 Mandala Pkwy.
Oakland, California, 94607
United States
37.819667, -122.289875
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

16th Street Train Station

Oakland, California

miles away

Big Daddy's Complete Rejuvenating Community Garden

Emeryville, California

miles away

Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project

Oakland, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oakland

Oakland

California

Places 30
Stories 7

Nearby Places

16th Street Train Station

Oakland, California

miles away

Big Daddy's Complete Rejuvenating Community Garden

Emeryville, California

miles away

Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project

Oakland, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oakland

Oakland

California

Places 30
Stories 7

Related Places

  • le téléscaphe in the 60s

    Marseille, France

    Le Téléscaphe

    For a brief time in 1960s France, families could climb into a tiny submarine and be pulled along an underwater journey.

  • Dearborn, Michigan

    Edison's Last Breath

    A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford.

  • The swing at the end of the world

    Banos, Ecuador

    Swing at the End of the World

    A swing to dangle you off the very edge.

  • Birmingham, Alabama

    Sloss Furnaces

    Once one of the largest producers of pig iron in the world.

  • All of the restored planes are kept in pristine condition.

    Polk City, Florida

    Fantasy of Flight

    The world's largest private aircraft collection.

  • Jantar Mantar

    Jaipur, India

    Jantar Mantar

    The world's second-largest sundial, made entirely out of stone.

  • Heraklion, Greece

    Phaistos Disc

    This famous archeological mystery may be an ancient example of movable type.

  • Korolyov, Russia

    RKK Energiya Museum

    This iconic Russian space museum sits on a landmark space production facility and houses the Vostok 1, the first manned spacecraft, that was also built here.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.