What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when we talk about museums? Educational, right? Well, you wouldn’t believe how far people have actually taken this education to.
Talk about the most random or crazy thing by your side and there’d be a museum built for it, unless of course you can trace its history. Toilets: yes, Hair: yep, condoms: Ahem indeed.
It is however, quite nice to know that there are places celebrating the unusual subjects that people generally find weird.
So, here’s a list of the most unusual museums across the globe:
1. Sulabh International Toilet Museum, New Delhi, India
When it comes to India, the world usually have the idea of bad hygiene maintenance. Well, we’re here to prove you wrong! This is a tribute to the porcelain throne, ideated by Museum curator Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak who runs Sulabh International, the largest non-profit in India dedicated improving overall health conditions.
Marvel at the interesting exhibits that review the historic evolution of toilets and display how they vary around the world.
Website
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2. Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia
Tracing the history of love gone wrong in one Croatian museum! The Museum of Broken Relationships feels your pain, the pain of a broken relationship.
Founded by artists Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic as a way to heal from their own emotional misadventures. Each exhibit at the museum is accompanied with a story of its own. Some are funny, some sarcastic and some of them are just plain heartbreaking. They also take donations. So, go ahead, leave behind a few relics of your own.
Website
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3. Icelandic Phallological Museum, Iceland
With the world’s obsession of the male sex organ, it is no wonder that there is museum built to display its wonders! On a more serious note, it’s not really about phallic wonders but this museum is probably the only museum in the world to contain the largest collection of phallic specimens.
Admire the assortment of 276 penises, from the tiniest belonging to a hamster member (2 mm) to the gigantic private parts of a sperm whale (1.7 meters). The museum received its first human exhibit from a 95-year-old Icelandic man recently.
Website
4. Condom Museum, Nonthaburi, Thailand
What you see in the picture collage are pretty crafts made out of, the highest selling birth control weapon…. erm’ Condoms! Of course, Thailand being the world’s largest producers of condoms, they ought to have a museum displaying the variety of this product.
Not only does this two-room exhibit display prophylactics from nearly every era, but also features an area dedicated to demonstrating their strength and durability.
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5. Amsterdam Sex Museum
Although Amsterdam’s Sex Museum is appropriate only for an adult audience, the exhibits at the oldest sex museum are more cultural than raunchy. In the city with the largest Red light district in Europe, this museum is filled with sculptures, paintings and photos and other memorabilia that celebrates sex through ages. From the early days of Greek and Roman gods to historic figures like Casanova and Catherine, the museum has it all.
Website
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6. Museum of Enduring Beauty, Malaysia
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so they say but what do you say about the extremities that people have done to feel pretty and different from others? Visit the Museum of Enduring Beauty in Malaysia that will mess with your ideas of beauty.
From elongating necks with metal rings, to putting discs in lips and bounding feet with tiny wooden shoes, see it all here.
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7. Museum of Bad Art- Somerville, Massachusetts USA
Yea, that’s right, it’s a catastrophic version of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with a deformed sloth and a Collie with Space peeping out of its mouth by her side! Isn’t that profound? And this is just one among the 500 plus horrid canvases that hangs in the Museum of Bad Art.
The idea is to collect art that is “too bad to be ignored”. And, if you think you can beat this terrible display with one of your masterpieces, MOBA is open to donations. You only have to make sure that it’s downright BAD!
Website
8. Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia- San Francisco, USA
Remember those fancy “phoren” candies that we owned so proudly when we were little? There’s a museum dedicated to one such candy, Pez. Rows after rows of the vintage Pez dispensers can be found at the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia that’s located near the airport in San Francisco.
And you’re allowed to squeal with joy when you see that 7 foot tall plastic snowman, recorded as the World’s Largest Pez Dispenser! Go ahead: Yieks!
Website
9. Gelato Museum, Emilia Bologna, Italy
I scream, you scream, we all scream for GELATO! A museum solely dedicated to mankind’s favourite treat, ice cream- How can we miss this? After a little history lesson on how this creamy delight has been enjoyed in different parts of the world since ages, you can step into the gelato shop located right outside the museum. You could also learn a few tricks from the experts there to make a batch of your own.
Website
10. Avanos Hair Museum, Turkey
Avanos is small town in Turkey which is recently gaining a lot of attention because of its unusual hair museum, created by Chez Galip. The walls under his studio are covered with the world’s largest collection of hair that has been sourced from more than 16,000 women, along with their names and addresses. You can see locks of every length and colour transform everything but the floor into a kind of hairy haven.
Website
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11. Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Japan
Who doesn’t love instant ramen? It has been the staple food for bachelors and broke college students across the world since time immemorial. And the great man responsible to keep us well fed at that stage of our life, Momofuku Ando is honoured at this museum, featured in statue form on a colossal stone cup of his instant meal.
There’s also a kitchen where visitors can make their own instant chicken substitute meal in a bowl, a gourmet snack for people who can’t really cook for themselves.
Website
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12. Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, United States
And then there’s this- A museum for a variety of salt pepper shakers. You’d think what’s so special about those little bottles containing the magic dust to save people from plain bland food. Visit this museum and you’d know.
Andrea Ludden’s obsession with salt and pepper shakers took its way to displaying her mammoth collection of more than 22,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers in a building specially arranged for their purpose. You can get a set of your own from the gift shop where many replicas are kept for sale.
Website
13. British Lawnmower Museum, England
Well, them swanky Brits are quite capable of building a museum just for Lawnmowers! From royal lawnmowers belonging to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, to the world’s most expensive ones, the place allows everyone to at least talk up appearances even if you can’t keep them. Don’t miss the fully functional lawnmower less than five centimetres high, ready to shave the errant blade of grass off even the tiniest lawn.
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14. International Cryptozoology Museum, United States
The Big Foot, Yetis, Loch Ness Monster, Mermaids – Think they are a myth? Visit International Cryptozoology Museum in the US that will shake your beliefs about these creatures.
For Loren Coleman, who has become one of the world’s leading experts on creatures that may not exist, ‘belief’ is purely within the realm of religion.
Website
15. Le Musée des Vampires, Les Lilas, France
This is the one I personally like! Le Musée des Vampires, Les Lilas in France aims at the study of vampires, not the sparkly ones, and their place in history and culture. Besides that you could also marvel at the autographs of every actor who’s ever starred as Dracula (Bram Stoker’s one), a mummified cat from Paris’ famous Père Lachaise Cemetery, and a vampire painting by famous French murder Nicolas Claux. By the way you’ll need an appointment in order to visit.
Website
So, which is the weirdest museum you’ve ever heard of? Share with us in the comments below.
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