Buzz
The world's museums aren't all grand, well-known establishments. Some of the most intriguing collections are hidden in unexpected places, from Maryland's suburbs to New York City's sanitation department. Discover eight unique, off-the-beaten-path attractions that are worth the extra effort to visit.
1. THE CIA MUSEUM IN LANGLEY, VIRGINIA
Located within the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, this museum is off-limits to the general public. Access is restricted to CIA personnel, their families, authorized guests, and the occasional determined journalist. Established in 1972 to mark the agency's 25th anniversary, the museum houses thousands of declassified artifacts, showcasing the history of the CIA, its forerunner, the Office of Strategic Services, and various foreign intelligence organizations.
Among the hundreds of items on display at the Langley museum, you'll find a brick from Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound, a hollow rat carcass once used to covertly exchange agency secrets, and an array of lethal weapons. Fortunately, you don’t have to become a spy or wed one to catch a glimpse of these once-classified artifacts: Photos and videos of the museum’s collection are accessible on the CIA’s website, and the agency sometimes collaborates with libraries, museums, and other institutions to showcase these items.
2. THE TREASURE IN THE TRASH MUSEUM IN NEW YORK CITY
The saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” comes to life at New York City’s Treasure in the Trash museum. Housed on the second floor of an unassuming East Harlem warehouse, the museum showcases a vast array of discarded items, meticulously curated by retired sanitation worker Nelson Molina.
Now retired and in his 60s, Molina started gathering discarded treasures decades ago during his sanitation rounds. Since the New York City Department of Sanitation prohibits employees from taking their finds home, Molina used them to decorate an employee locker room at the Sanitation Department’s East 99th Street truck depot.
His colleagues (and trash collectors from other boroughs) joined in, contributing unwanted items such as Furbys, typewriters, family photographs, artworks, and furniture. Over time, the collection expanded to include rare finds, like a signed copy of Lena Horne's autobiography; a vintage movie projector, and a steel Star of David plaque salvaged from the World Trade Center.
Although Molina is retired, he continues to dedicate time to maintaining his museum, which now occupies an entire floor of a warehouse. The curator personally approves all additions and skillfully organizes them into categories based on type, theme, or color. However, unless you're a sanitation employee, you'll typically need to arrange a tour through the Department of Sanitation. (This could change soon, as the East 99th Street warehouse is set for demolition, and the Sanitation Department plans to move the museum to a location open to the public.)
3. THE DAVID HASSELHOFF MUSEUM IN BERLIN, GERMANY
Erika Berlin
While David Hasselhoff’s fame (and tan) may have dimmed since his Baywatch days, the actor still enjoys a loyal following in Germany: He’s honored with a quirky museum in Berlin, hidden in the basement of the Circus Hostel in the Mitte district and managed by bartender Ally Chaplin.
The small, two-year-old museum is largely tongue-in-cheek (Germans aren’t as fixated on the ‘Hoff as some believe), but it features exhibits highlighting Hasselhoff’s impact in Berlin, his roles in Knight Rider and Baywatch, and the hostel’s effort to rename their street Weinbergsweg to David-Hasselhoff-Strasse (German for “David Hasselhoff Street”). And, of course, no tribute to the ‘Hoff would be complete without plenty of kitschy fan art celebrating his iconic muscles and chest hair.
4. THE WILLIAM P. DIDUSCH CENTER FOR UROLOGIC HISTORY IN LINTHICUM, MARYLAND
The William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History offers non-medical visitors a deep dive into the human urinary system, revealing more than they might have imagined (or desired) to learn. Situated within the American Urological Association’s headquarters in Linthicum, Maryland, the museum welcomes the public by appointment. It honors William P. Didusch, a celebrated medical illustrator known for his detailed depictions of the urinary tract and the tools used to treat it.
The museum houses a collection of historic medical illustrations, preserved specimens, antique medical instruments (some more unsettling than others), and other bladder-related artifacts. Highlights include a kidney stone the size of a pineapple and a set of dandies’ canes, which cleverly conceal hidden compartments for catheters and lubricants. Visitors can also explore rotating exhibits, such as the upcoming “The History of the Kidney."
5. TOMBA EMMANUELLE IN OSLO, NORWAY
While Gustav Vigeland is celebrated in Norway for Vigeland Park, the world's largest sculpture park by a single artist, his younger brother Emanuel Vigeland is known for creating one of Oslo’s most peculiar hidden gems: a surreal mausoleum-museum concealed within an unassuming brick building.
Emanuel Vigeland initially didn’t plan to create his own tomb: Like his brother, he was an artist, and in 1926, he built a brick structure to showcase his sculptures and paintings. However, he also envisioned the 8600-square-foot space as an ideal resting place. He sealed the windows with bricks and adorned the walls and ceiling with a fresco depicting “human sexuality, expressed through countless nude figures, men and women in passionate embrace,” as noted on the museum’s website. (It’s said Vigeland harbored resentment toward his older brother’s fame; the extravagant mausoleum, named Tomba Emmanuelle, may have stemmed from his feelings of rivalry.)
After Emanuel Vigeland’s death in 1948, his ashes were placed in an urn above the mausoleum’s entrance. Visitors must crouch through a low passage and a small inner door to enter, a design choice believed to make them “bow” to his remains. The mausoleum became a public museum in 1959 and is now open for a few hours each Sunday, with limited entry to maintain its intimate atmosphere.
6. THE STAR TOYS MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Thomas Atkinson never intended to create a private museum dedicated to Star Wars toys and collectibles, “but there’s just so much incredible material,” he explained to Maryland’s Capital News Service in 2012. Now in his 50s, Atkinson began collecting Star Wars items after watching the original movie at age 13. What started with a few T-shirts and posters grew into a vast collection of comics, action figures, trading cards, dishes, bedding, posters, and more.
In 1994, Atkinson moved to his current home in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and dedicated an entire room to his Star Wars collection. To “better protect, preserve, and share this remarkable collection,” he established the Star Toys Museum in 1998.
The Star Toys Museum welcomes the public by appointment. While visiting, guests can also explore Atkinson’s massive hamster habitat, which he claims is “the world’s largest hamster home.” According to Atkinson, it “spans three rooms across two floors and even extends through solid walls” [PDF].
7. THE MMUSEUMM IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City’s Mmuseumm is unique—its exhibit space is housed inside a freight elevator. Situated in Tribeca’s Cortlandt Alley, this compact museum showcases a carefully selected array of artworks, found objects, vintage oddities, and cultural artifacts, all presented as if they hold immense historical or artistic value. “We explore narratives and ideas that unite humanity, using objects to tell these stories,” explained Mmuseumm co-founder Alex Kalman in an interview with The Cut.
Now in its fifth year, The Mmuseumm is open on weekends from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (though it was temporarily closed for a new exhibit installation at the time of writing). If you miss the opening hours, you can still view the exhibits through the elevator’s windows and listen to the museum’s audio guide by dialing a provided number. For more intriguing items, visit its second “wing,” another small exhibition space located nearby.
8. THE BENDERY MILITARY MUSEUM IN TRANSNISTRIA
Nestled between Moldova and Ukraine lies Transnistria, a small, self-declared republic that was once part of the Soviet Union. It remains unrecognized by the United Nations and is often omitted from world maps. When Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, Transnistria—home to a large Russian-speaking population—chose to separate and declare its own independence, aiming to establish a socialist state and maintain ties to the Soviet Union.
A conflict erupted between Moldova and Transnistria, lasting until 1992 when a ceasefire was declared. (By this time, the Soviet Union had already collapsed.) Moldova granted Transnistria limited self-governance, and today, the region operates with its own government, military, national anthem, and currency. However, neither Moldova nor Russia fully recognizes Transnistria as an independent nation.
In the city of Bendery, visitors can explore a small museum housed within three repurposed cars from a retired Soviet steam train. The museum showcases Bendery’s military history, featuring rare Soviet-era artifacts such as uniforms, medals, a manual computing device, weapons, and numerous portraits of Lenin and Stalin. Located near Bendery’s main train station, the museum is free to enter, though its curators do not speak English, and there are no translations for the exhibit descriptions.
