Top 10 Unusual Museums

[WARNING: This list contains content that may offend some readers] Museums are typically seen as educational institutions with broad appeal, but some take a peculiar turn. Explore the unconventional side of museums with our top 10 bizarre picks!

10. Museum of Jurassic Technology

The museum describes itself as a unique collection of relics and artifacts from the Lower Jurassic, focusing on items with unusual or curious technological qualities. This raises questions, as the Lower Jurassic period ended long before humans or technology existed. Exhibits include decomposing dice once owned by magician Ricky Jay, a display on trailer park culture titled “Garden of Eden On Wheels,” an exploration of old household myths, and micro-miniature art, such as a sculpture of Pope John Paul II carved into a human hair and placed inside a needle's eye.

Address: 9341 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232

This museum showcases over 400 historic and experimental lawnmowers, celebrating British innovation. Highlights include the 1921 ATCO Standard 9 Blade, a solar-powered robotic mower, and rare, high-speed or luxury models. The collection features brands like Rolls Royce, Royal Enfield, and Daimler, alongside other unexpected contributors to garden technology. Many exhibits, restored to their former glory, preserve Victorian and Edwardian engineering achievements, keeping a piece of British heritage alive.

Address: 106-114 Shakespeare St., Southport, Lancashire, PR8 5AJ

Located in LaCrosse, Kansas, the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum focuses on the history and lore of barbed wire, often called the “Devil’s Rope.” The museum features over 2,000 types of barbed wire, including samples from 1870 to 1890, alongside hundreds of antique fencing tools that highlight pioneer ingenuity. Through dioramas, educational films, the Barbed Wire Hall of Fame, and a research library, visitors can explore the Midwest's pivotal role in American history.

Address: 120 W. 1st Street, LaCrosse, KS, 67548

The Glore Psychiatric Museum vividly portrays the evolution of psychiatric care through dioramas, models, and replicas. Early treatments involved crude methods like sharp sticks or clubs, while the Middle Ages introduced public shaming, dunking, and even burning at the stake. By the 20th century, treatments advanced to include cold baths, tranquilizers, vibrating chairs, and electroshock therapy. Notable exhibits include the tranquilizer chair, a collection of items swallowed by patients, and a massive hamster wheel designed for hyperactive individuals.

Address: 3408 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph, MO (Be cautious not to mistakenly enter the adjacent prison entrance — they’re quite sensitive.)

The Creation Museum, spanning 60,000 square feet in the U.S., advocates for young Earth creationism. Its exhibits, based on a literal interpretation of Genesis, depict the origins of the universe, life, and humanity, rejecting evolution and claiming Earth and its species were created in six days 6,000 years ago. The museum also asserts that humans and dinosaurs coexisted. The National Center for Science Education has criticized its scientific inaccuracies, stating:

“We, the undersigned scientists from universities in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, are troubled by the scientifically incorrect content at the Answers in Genesis museum. Students who accept these claims as valid will struggle in higher education science courses, requiring remedial lessons in both scientific principles and the specific areas misrepresented by Answers in Genesis.”

The Guardian described the museum as “potentially one of the strangest museums on the planet.”

Address: 2800 Bullittsburg Church Rd. Petersburg, KY 41080

The Museum of Eroticism, established in 1997 by antique dealer Alain Plumey and teacher Jo Khalifa, is located in Paris's Pigalle district at 72 Boulevard de Clichy. It showcases a diverse collection of erotic art, spanning ancient religious works from India, Japan, and Africa to modern erotic-themed pieces. The museum spans five floors, including a basement exhibit, with one floor dedicated to maisons closes, the legal brothels of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Address: 72 Bd de Clichy, 75018 Paris, France

The Icelandic Phallological Museum houses over 100 penises and penile parts from nearly every land and sea mammal in Iceland. The collection includes 30 whale specimens from 12 species, one polar bear specimen, 18 seal and walrus specimens from 7 species, and 51 land mammal specimens from 16 species, totaling 100 specimens across 36 mammal types. The museum also holds a legally certified promise for a future human specimen.

Address: Hedinsbraut 3a, 640 Husavik, Iceland

The Sulabh Museum of Toilets offers a fascinating journey through the history of sanitation, showcasing the evolution of toilets alongside a collection of global toilet humor. Founded by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the visionary behind Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, this museum highlights the importance of sanitation. The NGO, recognized by the UN Economic and Social Council, established the museum at its headquarters to educate and inspire visitors.

Address: Mahavir Enclave, Palam Dabri Road, New Delhi, India

The Mütter Museum is renowned for its extensive collection of skulls and anatomical oddities, such as a wax model of a woman with a horn on her forehead, North America's tallest skeleton, a 5-foot-long colon containing over 40 pounds of waste, and the petrified remains of the Soap Lady, whose body transformed into adipocere. The museum also features a tumor from President Grover Cleveland, the shared liver of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker, and a growth from John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin. It's a fascinating destination for a chilly winter day.

Address: 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.

In the past, doctors employed vibrating devices to treat "hysteria," a condition they believed was prevalent among women. Hysteria was a term used to describe emotional or mental distress in women, which was then classified as a medical disorder. Joani Blank, founder of Good Vibrations, spent over two decades collecting antique vibrators. This unique museum showcases her entire collection, alongside modern versions of vibrators. Featured above is a 1902 Hamilton Beach "Type A" vibrator.

Address: 603 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from the Wikipedia articles: Mutter Museum, Museum of Eroticism, The Creation Museum, and The Museum of Jurassic Technology.