The USA is possibly the museum capital of the world, thanks in part to its weird and wonderful establishments that cover nearly every topic imaginable. If you are planning on taking a few trips down memory lane any time soon, be sure to consider these unusual museums for your itinerary!
The Museum of Bad Art – Boston
For the most part, how we enjoy art – and whether we think it’s good or bad – is subjective. However, at the Museum of Bad Art in Boston, the art on the walls is objectively and certifiably awful.
The museum has collected artworks from artists who have all greatly missed the mark, and the result is a collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures that are distorted, bizarre, and amusingly terrible.
Mütter Museum – Philadelphia
Operated by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum is not for the squeamish. It boasts hundreds of weird pathological and anatomical specimens, including nearly 140 skulls and a chunk of neck tissue that once belonged to John Wilkes Booth.
Guests can also snap a few pictures of the tallest skeleton on exhibition in the USA, and check out a series of gruesome medical instruments from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The National Mustard Museum – Wisconsin
Based in Mount Horeb, WI, the National Mustard Museum was a concept that was dreamed up by founder Barry Levenson during a grocery trip one night.
Since then, Levenson has collected over 5,000 jars of exotic mustard from 70 countries across the globe, and even offers free tasting samples to his visitors at the museum’s dedicated mustard bar.
Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia – California
In Burlingame, California, visitors to the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia can explore a two-room museum filled with a bright and colorful array of Pez dispensers that date as far back as the 50s.
The establishment also proudly boasts the world’s largest snowman-shaped Pez dispensing machine, which can be seen during a pre-arranged private tour with owner and founder Gary Doss.
UFO Museum & Research Center – New Mexico
Roswell’s UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico probably doesn’t need much explaining. It was close to this site that the infamous UFO crash of 1947 took place, although the museum itself is based in an old movie house.
Visitors can enjoy seeing a variety of extra-terrestrial memorabilia, videos of witness accounts from locals, crop circle and alien abduction exhibits, and much more.
Leila’s Hair Museum – Montana
Founded by a hairdresser-come-curator, Leila’s Hair Museum features an amazing collection of sculptures and art pieces created entirely out of human hair.
Expect to see wreaths and jewellery that dates back to Victorian times, along with rare collectibles containing locks of real celebrities’ hair.
There is even a framed portrait containing Michael Jackson’s hair on display, not to mention an antique mourning brooch containing the strands of an early US statesman.
Circus World – Wisconsin
For those who have a fascination with old-fashioned circuses, this museum in Wisconsin is a must-see. Located at the site where the original Ringling Brothers Circus was based, the museum contains an amazing array of artefacts, including hundreds of wagons and other vehicles from circuses around the world, showing guests what entertainment was like before online bingo NZ came into being.
Visitors are also welcome to take part in circus activities and watch real big-top antics by modern day performers.
