When you think of museums, you’re likely picturing crowds of tourists, the smell of old rags, dinosaur bones, and unique dioramas. While that’s a pretty accurate generalization, there are museums in this world that are totally out of this world. These strange exhibits feature things that will shock and surprise even the toughest of you! We present to you the six most unusual museums in the world.
Leila’s Hair Museum (Independence, USA)
A retired hairdresser, Ms. Leila Cone, opened a museum of jewelry made from human hair. These trinkets are incredibly sophisticated and are indeed works of art. Most brooches, necklaces, and earrings in this collection were created in the 19th century, and there are about 2500 items here. Whatever you do, don’t try to lick them.
Museum of the Holy Souls (Rome, Italy)
This strange museum is located in a real church building in Rome. Catholics believe that souls do not immediately go to heaven, they must first atone for their sins in Purgatory. During this period, the soul can still contact the real world and leave traces of its presence. And that’s exactly what the exhibits in the Museum of Souls are: handprints, faces, feet on various surfaces, burnt pages with “holy” images, and other spooky stuff like that.
International Toilet Museum (Delhi, India)
The International Toilet Museum is dedicated to one of the most mundane processes every person goes through every day, and it’s not sleeping. If you ever wanted to know more about the development of toilet culture, this museum is right up your alley. The main type of exhibits here are toilets, and other restroom accessories, that humans have used in the last 3000 years. This includes the oldest discovered crapper, and the can of the Queen of England, encrusted with precious gemstones.
Dog Collar Museum (London, UK)
If you thought dog collars look crazy today, just wait till you see this museum in London. You’ll find here collars as old as 1500 AD, made of various materials, covered with precious gems, and equipped with sharp spikes. There is, for example, a collar with a lock on it, and no one could remove it without a key. Those spikes are not meant for torture at all, but to protect the dogs against wolves and other predators.
Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA)
What is “bad art”? Your baby’s scribbles? Some random splatters of pain that someone paid millions for? According to this museum, bad art is something a professional would love to throw in the trash. There are about 500 paintings here, and each of them violates the canons of artistry. Don’t expect to see any drunk doodles, clashing colors, or bad perspective. All the canvases here are manually selected and will surely captivate the viewer.
Museum of Cats (Kuching, Malaysia)
In Malaysia, there is the city of Kuching, which can be roughly translated as “kitty.” So, of course, the museum of cats was established in this very city. Here you will find works of art dedicated to kitties, collected from around the world: paintings, photos, sculptures, porcelain statuettes, etc. There’s also plenty of interesting facts about different cat breeds and their habits. All in all, one of the best museums in the world, in my opinion!
