# What's the worst museum you've ever been to?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 11, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881 "2025-10-11T16:20:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/161 "2025-10-16T18:46:52Z")

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Arguably the Wurst Museum is the **German Bratwurst Museum**

> **[1st German Bratwurst Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_German_Bratwurst_Museum)**
>
> The 1st German Bratwurst Museum is a theme park and museum dedicated to the subject of bratwurst, especially the Thuringian Rostbratwurst, located in Mühlhausen/Thuringia. The amusement park and museum were opened in May 2006 in Holzhausen near Arnstadt, closed in April 2020, and reopened in September 2023 in Mühlhausen/Thuringia.
> The 1st German Bratwurst Museum was opened on May 28, 2006, in Holzhausen, a district of the municipality Amt Wachsenburg in the Ilm-Kreis, 6 km from Arnstadt. The mus...

Although it’s possible that the **German Currywurst Museum** in Berlin is worse, since it’s been closed since December 2018. It was only one big room, anyway

[https://www.yelp.com/biz/deutsches-currywurst-museum-berlin](https://www.yelp.com/biz/deutsches-currywurst-museum-berlin)

> **[Currywurst Museum in Berlin: Sorry, We're Closed!](https://currywurstmuseum.com/)**
>
> The Currywurst Museum in Berlin was an homage to one of Germany's most cherished fast-food delicacies: currywurst. Sadly, it is now closed!

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**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/162 "2025-10-16T20:32:39Z")

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I’ll offer one of the most disappointing museum exhibits I’ve deliberately gone to see, though I’d not consider it “the worst” or even “bad.” It was just…underwhelming.

Harvard University has the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, usually called the “Glass Flowers.” They are a demonstration of phenomenal craftsmanship in constructing exemplars of many botanical specimens from glass. On an intellectual level, I can understand why they are so noted and carefully preserved. The exhibition space was recently renovated as well.

But…they look just like the flowers and plants. If you walked outside and got a daisy and put it in a case, that would give you an idea of what a specimen might look like. They are (virtually) perfect copies.

It would be comparable to having a display of pens and pencils made entirely of cheese. It might sound fascinating at first, but if the copies are so good that you can’t even tell they’re made of cheese….

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**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/163 "2025-10-16T20:37:58Z")

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[Expedition: Bigfoot - The Sasquatch Museum](https://www.expeditionbigfoot.com/), in Blue Ridge, GA. That was 90 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/164 "2025-10-16T20:43:47Z")

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> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Although it’s possible that the **German Currywurst Museum** in Berlin is worse, since it’s been closed since December 2018. It was only one big room, anyway

It has been lately found out that the Currywurst wasn’t invented 1949 in Berlin, but 1936 in Duisburg:

> **[New plaque claims Duisburg invented Currywurst, not Berlin](https://www.iamexpat.de/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/new-plaque-claims-duisburg-invented-currywurst-not-berlin)**
>
> The Currywurst controversy continues: A new plaque has cemented claims that the internationally renowned Berlin dish was… invented in Duisburg.

This is a hot topic in Germany!

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/165 "2025-10-17T11:03:15Z")

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> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> This is a hot topic in Germany!

I was just in Germany a couple of weeks ago, and had currywurst.

Not bad. And I’m a picky eater. Not worth a museum, though.

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/166 "2025-10-17T11:35:17Z")

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> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Not bad. And I’m a picky eater. Not worth a museum, though.

Well, it’s kind of our national dish, at least for fast food. I guess there’s also a burger museum in the USA somewhere.

ETA: yes, of course there is one:

> **[Hamburger Museum](https://www.burgerweb.com/museum/)**

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**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:** [October 17, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/167 "2025-10-17T16:15:19Z")

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Is the picture in that article accurate? Because it looks like a small amount of tomato sauce on wurst with a tiny sprinkling of curry. Can you even taste the curry?

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/168 "2025-10-17T16:17:51Z")

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You’re right, that picture is a bit misleading. Usually, there’s a generous amount of curry powder and the dish is covered by it and drenched in ketchup. If you can’t taste it, it’s no Currywurst.

Rather like this:

[![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Currywurst_-_CurryMitte.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Currywurst_-_CurryMitte.jpg)

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/169 "2025-10-17T17:11:34Z")

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Agree. That’s what I got.

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**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/170 "2025-10-17T18:15:35Z")

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> [@gkster](#):
>
> now I don’t feel so bad about missing the Book of Kells when we were in Dublin 3 years ago

My wife really wanted to see this, so we went when we were in Dublin. You do get to see the book, but only one page is open at a time, so it’s a bit of a bucket ticklist? Trinity U and its library were quite interesting, though.

> [@solost](#):
>
> Now, I had read stuff about THotR and seen pictures, but nothing can prepare one for the sheer, enormous, batcrap insanity of the place. It is beyond bonkers. For those who may not know of it, an eccentric guy built a sprawling, maze-like house on a big hill and populated it with millions of pieces of crazy antiques / junk he obsessively collected over years. It’s like a bad acid trip, or a nightmare stuck inside the mind of a madman.

Sounds much like the Winchester Mystery House?

> **[Welcome to the Winchester Mystery House® - Winchester Mystery House](https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/)**
>
> Come visit the Winchester Mystery house today and unlock the secrets Sarah Winchester’s beautiful but bizarre estate. Buy tickets today!

Which is perhaps worth a visit if you’re in the area, but don’t make a special trip.

> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> Usually, there’s a generous amount of curry powder and the dish is covered by it and drenched in ketchup. If you can’t taste it, it’s no Currywurst.

Ha, that sounds like the Chinese curry we’d get from the takeout (the only place open) after playing a gig in my musician days. Most of the time it stayed down (urp)….

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**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:** [October 17, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/171 "2025-10-17T18:43:40Z")

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I thought about mentioning the Book of Kells as well. I saw it when I was in Dublin about 2 years ago. When I was there you didn’t have to go in a “tour group” like @Marvin_the_Martian mentioned, but that didn’t really improve the experience. You enter the museum and there are some displays explaining the history of the book, what it’s about, etc. to put it into context, which is fine. When you’re finished looking at that stuff you get in line to view the actual book. Then you file past the book’s display case, behind a velvet rope. You get maybe 10 seconds to look at the one page you can actually see, because there are lots of people behind you waiting to see it.

But then you exit through the library’s [Long Room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Trinity_College_Dublin#), which is pretty amazing and at least partly makes up for the other stuff. The place looks like something from Hogwarts (I honestly thought it was used as a location for one of the Harry Potter movies, but I must have misremembered that because Wikipedia makes no mention of that), and there are many more interesting items on display there, including a copy of the Irish Proclamation of Independence.

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**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 17, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/172 "2025-10-17T18:48:21Z")

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> [@xtenkfarpl](#):
>
> Sounds much like the Winchester Mystery House?

The “original house” at the House On The Rock complex is vaguely similar in that it’s a collection of elaborate rooms where Alex Jordan actually lived. But it’s the rest of the place (the “sections”) that blows people’s minds.

The “American Gods” video posted upthread only shows a tiny bit of what you’d see.

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**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/173 "2025-10-17T19:34:33Z")

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Is the Mona Lisa, “in person”, worth the wait?

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**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/174 "2025-10-17T19:37:37Z")

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland was a dud for me. There is better memorabilia to be found in any Hard Rock cafe location. The only interesting exhibit I saw was a small hall with pages of original lyrics from various songs. The bigger, temporary exhibits were very forgettable.

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/175 "2025-10-17T19:49:16Z")

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> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#):
>
> Is the Mona Lisa, “in person”, worth the wait?

If you are the kind of person who goes to a museum to just see one painting I guess it probably is. There are several hundred paintings in the Louvre (most that you have never seen in a book or TV show) that are pretty good compensation if the Mona Lisa fails to impress.

ETA: There really isn’t a wait once you get into the museum. There is a crowd about 30 feet deep in front of the Mona Lisa, but you can see it just fine from the back of the crowd. You can get quite close if you take the passage way to the right of the painting, but at a 45 degree angle.

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**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/176 "2025-10-17T21:24:54Z")

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Oh, I love that one. But when I first went, it was very eye opening. I didn’t realize rock was basically invented by Black people. The Hall of Fame does a good job tracing those roots back. It’s also where I realized Prince was a god-damned genius. They had a video of him playing “While my Guitar Gently Weeps” when the Beatles were inducted and it is just bonkers.

I was less impressed with the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, though I liked the exhibit on Shel Silverstein. I never realized he was a part of that world.

In on the fence about my real contribution because it was more circumstantial and dumb American tourist related. I love museums. We went to the Matisse museum in Nice, France in 2007 while on a family cruise. Just me and my husband snuck off to see it. It was an incredibly hot day and we were hungry, and it’s not easy to just find food in Nice - at least not where we were, so we were hoping the museum had food, and when we asked a bystander he looked at us like we were insane and said, “It’s a museum.”

The museum was small and there was nothing in English so we didn’t get a lot out of it, and also we were hungry and it was hot.

Everyone else went to the beach.

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**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:** [October 17, 2025, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/177 "2025-10-17T21:30:26Z")

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That looks a _lot_ better. Thanks, @EinsteinsHund !

> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> But when I first went, it was very eye opening. I didn’t realize rock was basically invented by Black people.

Good lord. And you grew up in Michigan???

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**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/178 "2025-10-17T21:48:46Z")

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> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I didn’t realize rock was basically invented by Black people

I forget who I’m quoting, but to paraphrase: “The essence of rock and roll is white guys trying their best to be as cool as black guys.”

A lot of truth in that, IMO.

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**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/179 "2025-10-17T21:49:24Z")

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I didn’t know anything about rock history!

Maybe if you know a lot about rock it’s not as impressive.

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**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:** [October 17, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-museum-youve-ever-been-to/1023881/180 "2025-10-17T22:15:14Z")

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Didn’t mean to rock-shame you. Everybody has blocks of knowledge they don’t know they don’t have.

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