# Museum You Found Inexplicably Fascinating? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939 "2008-01-10T03:17:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/41 "2008-01-11T04:03:50Z")
Daytona USA is this edutainment thing at the Daytona International Speedway. It is _fascinating_! I don’t give a gnat’s fart about NASCAR and I had the _best_ time there. There’s this really interesting history of racing museum, and then there are really interesting exhibits about things like how they put together the radio broadcast of races and stuff, and you can take a tour of the track which is really, really interesting. Totally awesome! ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/42 "2008-01-11T07:15:56Z")
[QUOTE=ChiefScott] The Mutter Museum in Philly must be mentioned here… [http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp](http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp) [/QUOTE] Thank you. The Mutter Museum shares the distinction, along with [The Getty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getty_Center) in LA, of being a must-see when I go to the city. Even if I only have one day and I have been there before. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/43 "2008-01-11T08:32:55Z")
I love the Exploratorium in San Francisco! ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/44 "2025-10-15T15:28:23Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > How soon will I get that chance again? To punch a Canadian girl in the throat or go to an aeronautical museum in Brazil? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/45 "2025-10-15T16:03:15Z")
Since this has been resurrected, I’ll mention the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Interesting exhibits on the history of shoes and shoes around the world. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/46 "2025-10-15T16:27:29Z")
[The Shakespeare Society of America](https://shakespeareamerica.org/) in Moss Landing CA (between Santa Cruz and Monterey). I’m not exactly a fan of The Bard, but the place is a real treasure trove of models, costumes, books, props, posters and the like. The real star of the show is the owner Terry. He’ll gladly take time to show you all around the place while telling his story and asking you about yours. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/47 "2025-10-15T17:44:39Z")
Both those ships sailed long ago, and yet I remain. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/48 "2025-10-15T18:49:55Z")
[EBR-1](https://inl.gov/ebr/) A museum only a science geek could love. But, it’s a real part of history, and a well-done little museum, worth the drive out to the middle of nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/49 "2025-10-15T21:04:47Z")
The British library in London was unexpectedly impressive for me. They have a bunch of stuff in display, Magna Cartas (plural I think most of the existing copies, though I guess if you seen one you’ve seen em all), Gutenberg Bibles, some of the oldest Korans, all sorts of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/50 "2025-10-15T21:16:34Z")
I’ll agree with the British Library museum. In addition to the items mentioned, I recall a handwritten letter by Queen Elizabeth I, and Robert Scott’s diary opened to his final entry. Plenty of beautiful illuminated manuscripts too. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/51 "2025-10-15T21:32:27Z")
The [Music Museum](https://www.nm.cz/en/visit-us/buildings/czech-museum-of-music) branch of the Czech National Museum in Prague. In it you can see on display various musical instruments from the 19th and early 20th Century, when they were experimenting with different key systems and such. You see versions of what could hearken to modern recognizable concert instruments, but in various experimental versions that are long disused and forgotten. Moreover, the museum has an interactive quality: for selected instruments, you can press a button to hear it being played. About the funkiest specimen is an experimental piano (or two) from the 1920s on which you can play not only the chromatic scale (the major scale - white keys - with half-tones - the black keys) but also _quarter_ tones! (The piece in the interactive recording sounds quite cacophonic). A similar experience to what I describe above can be had at [St. Cecilia’s Hall - Concert Room & Music Museum](https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/) of the University of Edinburgh. And both museums also offer live concerts. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/52 "2025-10-15T21:33:51Z")
Three worth mentioning, none particulary famous but I found each one fascinating. Solent Sky: [Solent Sky - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solent_Sky) An Aviation museum in Southampton, England, if your waiting for or have arrived from a cruise it’s worth the 30 minute walk. Place is jam-packed with exhibits, including a Shorts Sandringham flying boat. Plenty of WWI/WWII stuff and some side exhibits (they had one featuring firefighters when I was there) all worth seeing…and I hadn’t a clue it existed until I saw it on a map while walking in Southampton. National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, NV: [National Atomic Testing Museum - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Atomic_Testing_Museum) Not what most people come to Las Vegas for and it’s a bit off the beaten track, but lots of stuff in a small space and a utterly fascinating study of a bit of history that did touch Las Vegas for awhile. Western Museum of Mining and Industry [Western Museum of Mining & Industry - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Museum_of_Mining_%26_Industry) : It’s off the beaten path and the times I have been there it’s been almost empty, but the equipment is in great shape and some of it still works. The displays are well-organized and informative and it is fascinating if you have the chance to go there. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/53 "2025-10-15T22:06:22Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > The Peabody Museum down the block, though, is genuinely cool. The Museum of Printing, right down the road in Haverhill, is fascinating too. (Maybe more so for us old retired typesetters though.) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/54 "2025-10-15T22:36:03Z")
I remember stepping into the Bank of Canada museum in Ottawa. I’m not sure why I went there; I think I was just passing by and saw it was free. I’m not normally a coin guy, but I remember being fascinated by the drawer after drawer after drawer of coins from around the world. (That’s where I first saw the term “Hejaz”, which I had to look up later.) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/55 "2025-10-18T21:48:58Z")
There is a museum of torture in Carcassonne, France. Torture is definitely not something I am interested in, but we saw the sign and thought, “Why not?” There are a lot of ways to torture people, and one thing I discovered was that the purpose was rarely to extract information or confessions, but to deter others. The most horrid was a simple wooden pole set vertically with a blunt point at the top. I will leave it to your imagination as to where it would have been inserted. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939/56 "2025-10-20T02:10:58Z")
I will third the British Library. It is the bomb. > [@themapleleaf](#): > > Moreover, the museum has an interactive quality: for selected instruments, you can press a button to hear it being played. As does the [Musical Instruments Museum](https://www.mim.be/en) in Brussels. Loved it! And it’s in a very cool old building to boot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/museum-you-found-inexplicably-fascinating/432939.md?page=2)