The Zoltar fortune-telling machine takes its name and look from the animatronic figure in the 1988 film "Big," where a carnival machine grants a boy's wish to become an adult. Novelty arcade companies later produced countless variations for boardwalks, arcades, and tourist strips, swapping the original turbaned mystic for licensed characters, celebrities, and, in cases like this one, political figures. Machines of this kind typically operate on coin or bill acceptors, dispensing a printed fortune card after a short animatronic routine of moving arms, lips, and glowing eyes. Wisconsin Dells, a resort town built around its amusement parks and novelty attractions, has long drawn arcades and coin-operated machines of this type into its entertainment districts.
Photo taken in July 2024.