11 strange and quirky museums around the world
From the world’s biggest collection of salt and pepper shakers to monuments celebrating the humble toilet – these museums are certainly odd – but they’re endearing and interesting too…
International Museum Day has been celebrated every 18 May since 1977, and while bigger museums get a lot of love, we wanted to give a shout out to the smaller, quirkier spaces around the world.
From the mundane to the whacky, these 11 museums are worth adding onto your itinerary.
1. Cup Noodles Museum, Japan
With an estimated 100 billion servings of instant noodles consumed every year internationally, these museums (you’ll find one branch in Yokohama, and another in Osaka) are devoted to the king of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando.
Step inside the museum’s rainbow-coloured time tunnel of old noodle products, and learn how this humble home-invented 1958 product has boomed into a global sensation over the years.
Looking to get a hands-on experience? Knead, spread and steam your way through the original instant noodle Chicken Ramen recipe with the guidance of a cookery tutor. Alternatively, get creative with personalised packaging and 5,460 flavour combinations to feast on at home.
More information: cupnoodles-museum.jp
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2. Sulabh International Museum Of Toilets, New Delhi, India
Roll-up, roll-up! If you find yourself caught short in the streets of India’s capital, Sulabh International Museum of Toilets has got plenty of vacant seats.
Browse the collection of several hundred toilet basins and seats that date back as far as 2500 BC, and extend to modern day electronic models from Japan, South Korea and beyond. Visitors can even find royal ‘thrones’ used by kings and emperors of the Middle Ages, as well as Queen Victoria’s highly-decorated floral basin. If that’s not enough to keep you entertained, take a read of the humorous – albeit crude – jokes that are rest room appropriate.
More information: sulabhtoiletmuseum.org
3. The Museum of Drinking Water, Taiwan
Hidden among a backdrop of stone Doric columns and architectural grandeur, Taiwan’s Museum of Drinking Water attracts all kinds of visitors, from newly-wed couples and film crews, to families that are making a splash in the water park that surrounds it.
The park traces the history of Taiwan’s water system, but despite its simple subject there is an abundance of activities – from the pipe sculpture area and purification plant, to its floral nursery and water pump station. You won’t be short of aquatic adventures.
4. The Museum of Broken Relationships, Croatia
Croatia may boast coastal charm and incredible national parks, but its capital plays a central part in heartbreak warfare.
What appears to be a display of everyday objects transforms into a collection of captivating memories when reading the passages showcased alongside them. There’s an axe that was used to chop up an ex-partner’s belongings and a stiletto that has been kissed by a submissive – but that’s just the start…
It may sound heartless to exhibit the sentimental relics of relationships gone by, but this unique concept crossed oceans from Zagreb to Los Angeles after the second Museum of Broken Relationships opened in 2016, with a third museum opening in Thailand in late 2024.
More information: brokenships.com
Read next: Must-visit museums in Dubrovnik, Croatia
5. Museum of Death, New Orleans, USA
Housing severed heads, gory photos, and the world’s largest collection of serial murder artwork, the Museum of Death isn’t for the faint-hearted. Once you’ve been lured in by the entrance’s extravagant show lights and skeletons, fate will pave your way through the maze of obscure and questionable artefacts that have been gathered over the years. Expect everything from body bags and coffin collections to human skulls and staged murder scenes.
Following the museum’s initial success in Hollywood, the owners of this eerie initiative expanded to New Orleans’ French Quarter. While all ages are welcome within reason that “we all die”, the exhibition is definitely aimed at adult visitors.
More information: museumofdeath.net
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6. British Lawnmower Museum, UK
Forget classic motor collections – it’s all about racing grass cutters at Southport’s British Lawnmower Museum. Expect everything from four-wheel drives to vintage trimming machinery and even a spot of advice from garden experts on how to maintain a fresh and healthy lawn.
If there’s one reason that draws visitors from across countries, it’s to see the collection of lawnmowers once owned by the rich and famous. Esteemed donators to the museum include Alan Titchmarsh, Nicholas Parsons and even Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
More information: lawnmowerworld.co.uk
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7. Derwent Pencil Museum, UK
Get crafty in Cumbria with a visit to the home of the world’s very first manufactured pencil. What started as a discovery of graphite in Borrowdale Valley transformed lives around the world, sharpening by sharpening. Fast forward to over 200 years later and Derwent Pencil Museum stands in the same place as the original factory.
It’s a prime spot to get artistic inspiration, with its open gallery and weekly workshops for all abilities. It’s impossible to miss the 26ft giant pencil that takes centre-stage, and it’s worth seeking out the secret Second World War stationery and miniature sculptures too.
More information: derwentart.com
8. Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, Tennessee, USA
The story behind the world’s only salt and pepper museum is a sweet one. Rolf and Andrea didn’t have a salt and pepper shaker at home 35 years ago, so they went out to find some. Their collection started from there, and now they have 20,000 shakers of all different shapes, sizes and colours, from all around the world.
Visitors can go on a journey through time via the salt and pepper sets, from ancient shakers to the 1500s, right up until the present day. There’s also a collection of around 1,500 pepper mills to see. Although it does seem a peculiar thing, it’s the only place in the world people can appreciate the craftsmanship behind these object we all use in every day life.
9. Cancún Underwater Museum, Mexico
Hold your breath for this one. Sitting on the Cancún’s ocean floor is a collection of mysterious sculptures. The Underwater Museum sunk its first statues in 2009, each one made from a special material in order to perform as an artificial reef and improve ecosystems. This is art conservation!
Sculptures include a large hand titled ‘Blessing’, six figures sitting around a table called ‘Understanding’ plus a young boy standing with a football named ‘Diego’, all modelled from real people, creating quite an emotional viewing experience. The statues can be viewed by glass-bottom boat, snorkelling, or best of all, scuba diving.
More information: musamexico.org
10. The Devils’ Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania
Originally a private collection, Lithuanian artist Antanas Žmuidzinavičius began collecting devil figures in 1906, with the aim of collecting thirteen baker’s dozen (169) – but this museum’s collection now stands at around 3,000.
While the first floor focuses on Žmuidzinavičius’ collection, the second floor shows donations from folk masters, craftsmen and artists after his death. The third floor is dedicated to gifts from visitors, with devils and masks from across Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
More information: ciurlionis.lt
Read next: 10 top things to do in Kaunas, Lithuania
11. Museum of Bad Art, Boston, Massachusetts
A common criticism of modern art is that it leaves many people thinking ‘I could paint that’ – but the reality is, your attempt is probably more likely to belong in the Museum of Bad Art.
The collection here is split into sections like ‘dopplehangers’ (works that, intentionally or not, resemble famous people), ‘unlikely landscapes’ and ‘look ma, no hands!’ (they are definitely the hardest body part to capture accurately).
More information: museumofbadart.org
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