10 Unexpected Museums
Every month, we let you know about the great art exhibits that are on view in a city near you. These usually include art from greats at well-known museums like the Whitney or Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For those of you who are over waiting on long lines to get into big name exhibits or who have been to the same art museums about a million times, we’ve found some truly unusual museums that you can visit if you’re looking to switch it up. From shoes to action figures to UFOs, there’s practically a niche museum for everyone on our list. Choose your favorite and plan a visit to one of these totally unexpected museums.
Bata Shoe Museum
If you’re shoe obsessed, head up to Toronto in Canada to visit the Bata Shoe Museum. Celebrating the style and function of footwear, the museum has a collection of over 10,000 pairs of shoes, including Chinese bound foot shoes, ancient Egyptian sandals, stylish platforms, and iconic sneakers. Speaking of which, there’s currently an exhibit on view for sneakerheads entitled “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture,” which explores the evolution of the mid-19th century sneaker to its current position as a status symbol and icon of urban culture.
Museum of Bad Art
We’ve all seen our share of bad art in our lives, whether it has been in our high-school art class or at a local gallery. The Museum of Bad Art has rounded up a collection of 600 pieces of art so terrible that they can’t be ignored. After several nomadic journeys from the original location in someone’s Boston basement, the collection now has two permanent gallery locations to share the magic of exceptionally bad art with the world. You can find them in the basement of the Somerville Theater and the lobby of Brookline Access Television, both located in the Boston area.
The Mütter Museum
This Philadelphia museum collects medical oddities, anatomical specimens, models, and medical instruments from the 19th century. While the purpose of the museum is to help people understand the mysteries and beauty of the human body and appreciate the history of the diagnosis and treatment of disease, there are basically a whole lot of specimens in jars that you might find in some evil scientist’s lab. They have a skull collection, medical oddities like the conjoined liver from the famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker, and teratological specimens. Visit the Mütter if you’re looking for an unusual and creepy museum experience.
The International UFO Museum and Research Center
The town of Roswell in New Mexico was the site of something peculiar that happened during a severe thunderstorm in 1947. Perhaps you’ve heard of it before—one of the most well known UFO sightings in America. The International UFO Museum and Research Center explores The Roswell Incident, the crash of an alleged flying saucer, and seeks to educate the public on all aspects of UFO phenomena. Whether you’re a believer or think the whole alien thing is totally ridiculous, the International UFO Museum and Research Center is worth a visit.
SPAM Museum
Learn about all things SPAM-related at the canned meat’s 16,500-square foot museum in Austin, MN. The SPAM Museum is chock full of spiced pork artifacts, including vintage brand advertising, numerous SPAM displays like the World War II exhibit, a Game Show quiz, a Monty Python tribute, and more. The best part is you won’t have to break the bank to go because this meaty museum offers free admission. You can also take home some SPAM collectables from their store to remember the experience forever.
Toy and Action Figure Museum
Don’t you wish there was a museum to house all of your favorite toys and action figures you played with as a child? Well, you’re in luck because it exists in Pauls Valley, OK. Another wonderful and free museum on the list, the Toy and Action Figure Museum has a collection of over 13,000 action figures, some of which are still in packaging while others are available for play. They even have a full room dedicated to the Dark Knight called the Bat Cave, which houses all things Batman-related.
Vent Haven Museum
You probably shouldn’t visit this museum if dolls or dummies freak you out. The world’s only ventriloquism museum, Vent Haven in Fort Mitchell, KY is home to over 700 dummies, thousands of photographs and playbills, and a library of books collected by the museum’s founder. The Vent Haven Museum is accessible by appointment only on guided tours between May and September, so plan accordingly. You can also visit their website to view a selection of their ventriloquist dummies in the “Featured Figures” section.
Leila’s Hair Museum
If you’re looking to find out more about the history of hair appliances and styles, you won’t find it at Leila’s Hair Museum. Instead, this weird little museum in Independence, MO exhibits over 150 wreaths and more than 2,000 pieces of jewelry made from human hair. The museum’s founder, Leila Calhoon, began collecting historical hair as a hobby when she started the Independence College of Cosmetology 37 years ago. She now has pieces containing hair from Queen Victoria, four presidents and multiple celebrities, including Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe, in her collection.
Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum
Appropriately located in Stowe, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum celebrates the history of winter mountain sports. Their collection has over 7,500 items that are organized into seven different categories, including ski and snowboard equipment, clothing, mechanical equipment, Vermont ski locations, the 10th Mountain Division, fine art, and library and archival materials. They also manage the Vermont Ski and Snowboarding Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, special contributors and pioneers of Vermont snow sports who promoted or contributed to the sports of skiing and snowboarding in the state, and document their histories.
Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
Everyone’s favorite basic seasonings finally have their time to shine at the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, TN. What originally started as a family just trying to find a good peppermill evolved into a museum of over 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers from around the world and a giant peppermill collection. Highlights from the collection include Loch Ness monster, NASA, and Mona Lisa shakers. European salt and pepper shaker fans need not worry because they also have a sister museum in Spain.
Every month, we let you know about the great art exhibits that are on view in a city near you. These usually include art from greats at well-known museums like the Whitney or Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For those of you who are over waiting on long lines to get into big name exhibits or who have been to the same art museums about a million times, we’ve found some truly unusual museums that you can visit if you’re looking to switch it up. From shoes to action figures to UFOs, there’s practically a niche museum for everyone on our list. Choose your favorite and plan a visit to one of these totally unexpected museums.