# Strange Museums (as in, way too specialised) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 2, 2019, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052 "2019-08-02T11:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/81 "2019-08-14T17:04:16Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Technically The Mustard Museum is in Middleton, not Madison. Separate towns (though they’ve grown out to each other these days). Last time I went there it was in Mount Horeb…guess it’s been a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/82 "2019-08-14T18:28:19Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > That reminds me. > > There’s a tiny museum to Thomas Edison at [Menlo Park](http://www.menloparkmuseum.org). It’s quite good, though, and the docent we had (the only guy there) was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. There’s also an Edison Museum in [West Orange](https://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm), where he moved after Menlo Park. It’s a national park, and has all sorts of cool Edison stuff. I really should visit more often than I do, it’s basically 5 minutes from my house. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/83 "2019-08-14T20:50:31Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > There’s also an Edison Museum in [West Orange](https://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm), where he moved after Menlo Park. It’s a national park, and has all sorts of cool Edison stuff. I really should visit more often than I do, it’s basically 5 minutes from my house. And then there’s Edison’s old workshop etc. (including Edison’s last breath) at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village museum, just a wee bit outside NJ. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/84 "2019-08-15T00:35:27Z")
The Stoogeum is a Three Stooges museum. Its near me but I’ve never been there. [https://stoogeum.com/](https://stoogeum.com/) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/85 "2019-08-23T15:53:03Z")
In Schiedam, in the Netherlands, there’s a Museum of Gin, or at least, the Dutch [“jenever”](https://www.jenevermuseum.nl/jenevermuseum.html) It even has an escape room…! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/86 "2019-08-23T21:54:07Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > If I ever win the lottery, one of my dreams is to open a Dog Museum, and situate it on the Isle of Dogs near where I live in London. Isle of Dogs sounds a lot like I Love Dogs so I anticipate lots of merchandising opportunities. I _love_ this! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/87 "2019-08-23T21:57:53Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > And then there’s Edison’s old workshop etc. (including Edison’s last breath) at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village museum, just a wee bit outside NJ. 😉 That was actually pretty cool…one of the more memorable “exhibits” there. I liked the Wright brothers’ Dayton house, too. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/88 "2019-08-25T21:53:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Santa Cruz Surfing Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Surfing_Museum) There’s a surfing museum – a much bigger one – in Huntington Beach (i.e. Surf City). ---
**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:** [August 25, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/89 "2019-08-25T22:34:42Z")
One of the coolest museums in the Bay Area \*used to be ☹ \* the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, which featured something like 200 tanks, jeeps, gun platforms, rocket launchers and the like. Sadly the collection was sold off and the vehicles ended up with various different museums and owners. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/90 "2019-08-26T01:46:57Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#): > > There is the Pianola Museum in Amsterdam. > > [https://www.pianola.nl/Pianola\_Museum/Welcome.html](https://www.pianola.nl/Pianola_Museum/Welcome.html) I’ll see your Pianola Museum and raise you the [Museum Speelklok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Speelklok) or automatic-musical-instruments museum in nearby Utrecht. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/91 "2019-08-26T02:33:52Z")
The Antique Vibrator Museum, [antiquevibratormuseum.com](http://antiquevibratormuseum.com) in Good Vibrations in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/92 "2019-08-26T03:29:44Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I’ll see your Pianola Museum and raise you the [Museum Speelklok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Speelklok) or automatic-musical-instruments museum in nearby Utrecht. The Speelklok is one of my favourite places. They do guided tours demonstrating different automata, and ending up at a dance floor surrounded by HUGE dance-hall organs playing boogie-woogie. [http://autolycus-london.blogspot.com/2013/01/over-years-street-organs-seemed-to-have.html](http://autolycus-london.blogspot.com/2013/01/over-years-street-organs-seemed-to-have.html?m=1) ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/93 "2019-08-26T09:22:30Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > [Tea Pot Museum](http://www.bygonebeautys.com.au/teapot-museum/) > > I guess it’s not really strange – some people like tea pots. And collect them. And you can sit down and have a nice cup of tea there. But it’s just tea pots. If you don’t care about tea pots… you’re just SOL. In the same spirit; not an actual museum on actual premises – but something I recently came upon by chance: > **[The Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society](https://www.telegraphpoleappreciationsociety.org)** > > What it says Indeed: long live hobbies, no matter how abstruse, and the people who engage in them. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/94 "2019-08-26T12:43:28Z")
Re Spam Museum in Minnesota - We had a great time there (of course, we like obscure stuff and have been known to recite the Monty Python spam skit at inappropriate moments). History of can types (remember the key version?), video of old spam ads, huge variety of spam to try (teriyaki spam was ghastly). Best part was the gift shop where you could get both generic and Monty Python spam t-shirts, towels, cups, plates and various other “useful” things. I keep my pencils in a children’s sized mug that says “My First Spam Cup” and am often amused wondering at what age one gets a second or third one… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/95 "2019-08-26T13:47:26Z")
Intercourse, PA used to have a Knife and Edged Weapons Museum. Now they have the American Military Edged Weaponry Museum, which I assume is the same place. An odd addition to Amish country. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/96 "2019-08-26T13:49:47Z")
Prague, when I visited 7 or 8 years ago, had a Comics Art Museum, featuring one artist’s work. I never heard of him, but apparently he was paralyzed or rendered comatose by swallowing a fish bone and the museum’s gate money contributes to his hospital bills. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/97 "2019-08-26T15:12:19Z")
The museum itself isn’t unusual in its subject, but many people visiting El Greco’s house in Toledo are surprised by just how many not-so-different “Holy Family” and “Holy Family with Saint Anne” does it have. Apparently “self-portrait with my wife, son (and mother-in-law)” was a subject which sold very well so long as you marketed it right 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/98 "2019-09-11T01:59:29Z")
I just got back from a two week vacation in Greece. In Kalambaka, near Meteora, I visited the Natural History and Mushroom Museum (emphasis on the mushroom part). ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/99 "2019-09-11T15:29:53Z")
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas? Really cool exhibits including a 1950’s (inert obviously) atomic bomb. > **[Home](https://www.atomicmuseum.vegas/)** > > Ready to explore the history of nuclear testing & its impact on popular culture? Visit the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas today. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052/100 "2026-01-19T19:40:43Z")
I am reviving this thread, because I just learned about the Museum of Root Beer in Wisconsin Dells. > **[Root Beer Museum - Museum of Root Beer](https://museumofrootbeer.com/)** > > Explore the root beer museum and discover its fizzy history! Join the Museum of Root Beer for a bubbly adventure today! There’s also a telephone museum in Roseville, CA, which I’m surprised I didn’t mention previously in this thread since it’s localish to me. > **[Roseville Telephone Museum | Visit Placer](https://www.visitplacer.com/roseville-telephone-museum/)** > > The exhibits in the 4,500 square-foot museum chronicle and celebrate more than a century of communications technology in Roseville as well as nationally and internationally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-museums-as-in-way-too-specialised/838052.md?page=6)