LORE · PLACE
Capitol Hill mystery soda machine
Lore
18
Seattle’s Capitol Hill mystery soda machine stood on East John Street outside Broadway Locksmith, becoming famous for buttons that dispensed unexpected sodas, including obscure flavors and discontinued varieties. Operating by the late 1990s, it evolved from a normal vending machine with one mystery choice into a local ritual with all six selections labeled as mysteries. Its unknown operator, combined with Broadway Locksmith’s claim that employees did not know who stocked it, turned it into an urban legend. Its retro appearance, cult following, and unexplained disappearance on June 29, 2018, made it a lasting piece of Capitol Hill folklore.
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Seattle, Washington
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