Random Museums In America You Won't Believe Actually Exist (16 items)

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  (#1) The Mutter Museum In Philadelphia

  The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia is widely regarded as an important destination for those interested in the macabre and esoteric. There's a clear and important reason behind this: it contains nothing but weird ass sh*t. The Mutter Museum opened in 1863 with the important mission of displaying medical curiosities and specimens designated for research purposes. Since then, it has expanded, and now holds collections of skulls, a tumor removed from a former U.S. president, and even slides of brain tissue removed from Albert Einstein. It's basically the real-life version of Sick, Sad World.  
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  (#2) Glore Psychiatric Museum In St. Joseph, MO

  The Glore Psychiatric Museum is dedicated to the terrifying and sometimes wacky history of mental health. From 17th century psychiatric tools and treatments to the embroidered ramblings of schizophrenic patients, their is no shortage of strange and unusual things on display at the GPM. You can even see a display of the over 100 nails swallowed by one single patient, as well as mannequins reenacting treatment methods through the centuries. It's an ideal spot for first dates.   
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  (#3) The Museum Of The Weird In Austin, TX

  If you're looking for weird things, look no further than the aptly named Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas. This museum has displays of unusual creatures, from the legendary Fiji Mermaid to the Minnesota Iceman. They also have a large display of shrunken heads, and other unnatural oddities. Keep Austin weird, baby.   
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  (#4) National Museum Of Funeral History In Houston

  A hearse used to transport the bodies of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford is just one of the morbid things on display in the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas.

  Other exhibits cover the history of embalming, coffins from different time periods, and even Ancient Egyptian funerary practices. If you've ever wondered about the history of cremation, this is the place to go. Not sure if they do children's birthdays, but there's only one way to find out!
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  (#5) International UFO Museum And Research Center In Roswell, NM

  Roswell, New Mexico is perhaps best known for the 1947 UFO (or was it a weather balloon?) crash. Understandably, the town also houses the International UFO Museum and Research Center. The museum opened in 1992, and has exhibits reenacting the Roswell crash, information on ancient aliens, details on crops circles, and even facts on Area 51. The research side of the museum contains books and related documents on alien and UFO sightings around the world. Sadly, that crazy haired dude from the History channel does not act a tour guide.  
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  (#6) The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

  The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is located in the famed French Quarter. Like many other attractions in the area, it is not for the faint of heart. The items in its exhibits span the centuries and fit right in with the city's colorful past. You'll see items designed for bloodletting, voodoo potions, 18th and 19th century surgical instruments, and hand blown glass containers used to hold medical concoctions of all kinds. If you're planning on visiting this museum, maybe save the po' boys for afterwards.  
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  (#7) The Museum Of Bad Art In Boston, MA

  There are dozens of museums in the United States dedicated to good art - but only one proudly displays the other side of the coin. The Museum of Bad Art, located in Boston (and conveniently nicknamed MOBA) has one real-world gallery, and a large collection posted online. In either place, you'll see plenty of questionable landscapes, portraits and more. If you've ever wanted to feel better about the doodles you make on napkins, this is the place to visit.  
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  (#8) The Idaho Potato Museum

  Idaho is known for its potatoes, and now it has another tuber-based claim to fame - the Idaho Potato Museum. This museum, located in Blackfoot, Idaho, has a potato signed by former Vice President Dan Quayle, farm equipment used for growing potatoes, and even a history of the vegetable itself. You can pose outside of the museum next to its giant baked potato shaped sign, if you're into that sort of thing.  
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  (#9) The Vent Haven Ventriloquism Museum In Fort Mitchell, KY

  Hey twitter just a friendly reminder that Vent Haven is a real place that exists. A museum where ventriloquists have donated their dummy’s after they’ve DIED.
  
  Look at this place. You’d not stop screaming from the moment you walked through the door pic.twitter.com/uIEmqFeNiS

  — Monterey Jack (@Chan315) August 16, 2018

  Vent Haven is a museum in Kentucky dedicated to all things ventriloquism. According to its website, founder W.S. Berger collected a huge personal collection of dummies and ventriloquism paraphernalia throughout his lifetime and opened the bizarre collection to the public in the mid 1970s. Claiming nearly 1,000 retired dummies ranging in age from modern to antique, this creepy-doll graveyard is certainly the stuff of nightmares - but just wait until you hear about the Vent Convention!
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  (#10) The Neon Museum In Las Vegas

  Las Vegas, Nevada is known for its neon lights, so what better place for a museum dedicated to them? The Neon Museum is the place to go if you want a taste of Old Vegas. Some of the former casino signs that are on display include those from the Silver Slipper, Binion's Horseshoe, the Lucky Cuss Motel, and the Landmark. Most of the signs are displayed outside, in an area known as the Boneyard, so wear comfortable shoes! Also, maybe get some help for your crippling gambling addiction, Steve. It's getting out of hand.  
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  (#11) The Kazoo Museum In Beaufort, SC

  The kazoo is definitely one of the stranger instruments out there (with inarguably the most whimsical name), so an entire museum dedicated to the not-flute is quite unusual indeed. The Kazoo Museum, located in Beaufort, South Carolina, has - you guessed it - hundreds of different kazoos, from the classic plastic kind to those that look like other instruments (like saxophones) only smaller. As you can imagine, they have a pretty sick gift shop.  
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  (#12) The Oz Museum In Wamego, KS

  The Wizard of Oz takes place in Kansas, so it is fitting that the state has a museum dedicated to the classic film. The Oz Museum in Wamego has memorabilia from the original 1939 movie, including two of the flying monkeys (sadly, not alive) and parts of one of the munchkin houses. You'll also find a first edition of the book, items signed by the actors, and even props from the first Broadway run of Wicked on display. 
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  (#13) The International Banana Museum In North Shore, CA

  The International Banana Museum boasts of having over 20,000 items, all related to bananas. You know a museum is going to be good when they brag about how many things are inside. These items range from banana peels to a banana-shaped record player. The North Shore/Salton Sea-based museum also has bananas on display made from non-edible things like jade and porcelain.

  Plus, it wouldn't be a trip to a banana museum if you couldn't enjoy eating a few. The attached snack shop serves up banana milkshakes, banana splits, and even banana flavored soda. If you ever need to show something to scale, this is the place to go.  
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  (#14) New England Maple Museum

  Who doesn't like maple syrup? Communists and puppy-haters, that's who. The New England Maple Museum is dedicated to the history of this tasty syrup, perfect for pancakes and other breakfast treats (seriously, try it on eggs sometime). The museum is based in Pittsford, Vermont, and displays 17th century tools used to harvest and process maple syrup, old photographs, and even information about the history of the area. Their gift shop conveniently sells classic Vermont maple syrup and related treats. Their motto? "Get sticky." No, just kidding. But it totally should be.   
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  (#15) The National Mustard Museum In Middleton, WI

  Leave it to the Midwest to dedicate a museum to mustard, one of those game day hot dog must-haves. The National Mustard Museum, located in Middleton, Wisconsin, is the home of everything mustard. Here you'll see more than 5,000 different types of mustard from around the world, a display on mustard education (as in, how to pick the right type for your sandwiches), and mustard memorabilia. The investigation into their commissioned military personnel and said officers off-duty activities with candlesticks in the library remains ongoing.  
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  (#16) The National Cleveland Style Polka Hall Of Fame

  Near the city that houses the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a tiny museum dedicated to a very different style of music: Cleveland Style Polka. The National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame shares a space with the Softball Hall of Fame and the Shore Cultural Center in Euclid, Ohio. There, you can see an accordion that belonged to Johnny Pecon, stage outfits from Frankie Yankovic, and, of course, hear plenty of the music that these men  (and others!) made. If that doesn't excite you, you're heart is made of stone.  

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