During the pandemic, many bars and restaurants were forced to close, including a pub called Junkyard located on a small, mostly hidden street in downtown Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I knew the owner, who was renting the space from someone living abroad. After the bar had been closed for about a year, I asked him to show me the place.

When we walked in, we were immediately hit with the smell of an abandoned pub. Drinks were still on the tables, and it felt like a party that had suddenly stopped and everyone had simply vanished. As we looked around, I thought to myself, “This would make a great Steampunk Museum.”

We chatted with the owner and asked him if he planned to reopen the bar once the restrictions were lifted. He mentioned he had considered it but had always had problems with the neighbors. I then asked if I could take over the rental agreement to make a museum there. He said he would think about it and also speak to the landlords.

A few days later, he told me he would be happy to lease the space to me, and if I was truly decided, we could move on to talking with the building owners.

This was the moment I had to decide. Since I don’t like to waste time, I used the old method of flipping a coin and sticking with the result. The coin said yes.

Below are some pictures from the moment I found the location for the museum.