Art galleries and historic museums are top tourist attractions for a reason; they offer something beautiful and educational in one. But when you’ve been travelling a while you get a sense that all these museums are the same. You crave something different; something unusual even. Luckily there’s a lot of strange and wonderful museums hiding around the globe. Here’s the 10 best unusual museums to add to your worldwide bucket list.
1) Cup Noodles & Ramen | Japan
Image: Cup Noodles Museum @ Yokohama | © Guilhem Vellut/Flickr
August 25th, 1958 may have seemed like an ordinary Monday but in reality, history was being made. On this day in Osaka, Japan the first instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando. It would be another 10 years before they made it into the popular instant cup noodles we’re so familiar with today. If you want to know how the humble noodle went from instant meal to space food this is the place to visit. You can view a replica of the inventor’s shack, make your own cup of Chicken Ramen and walk through a tunnel of over 800 package designs used since the first cup in 1971. There are two locations to get your fill of instant food; one in Osaka and the other in the bayside city of Yokohama. Both have very similar exhibits so choose whichever fits your trip itinerary better.
Image: by Julia Hammond
For all those indie ramen lovers – you know, the ones ‘who liked it before it was instant and cool’ – there’s a museum dedicated to bowls of the soupy stuff in Tokyo. More of an interactive experience with a small exhibit on the history of ramen upstairs, followed by a miniature restaurant town downstairs. You can taste multiple bowls showcasing all the many ways ramen can be made; from traditional pork broth to miso or soy.
2) Toilets | South Korea & India
It doesn’t get more unusual than this. There are not one, but two museums dedicated to the toilet. They’re not even close by with one in South Korea and the other India. A visit to Mr. Toilet House in Suwon, South Korea will bring you the history of the lavatory in decadent display. The entire building is one big toilet and the gardens and surrounds feature more sculptures and gardens about the toilet to enjoy. Entry is free so there’s no excuse not to satisfy your curiosity.
In New Delhi, the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets is a more historic affair. With the oldest lavatory on display dating to 2500 BC, you can track the entire history of sanitation worldwide. There’s all kinds of fun exhibits from golden chamber pots to the first flushable abode. It’s a unique opportunity to gain some perspective on an everyday item that we take for granted.
3) National Leprechaun Museum | Dublin, Ireland
Image: Leprechaun Museum | © Rev Stan/Flickr
Less of a museum, more of an experience but still worth a spot on this list. Immerse yourself in an interactive storytelling adventure and learn all about Irish folklore. It’s not the happy-go-lucky leprechauns you might expect either. It’s a real look at the darker side of Irish mystique and the characters that made their way into popular culture.
4) Museum of Sex | New York City, USA
Image: Museum of Sex entrance from west | © Beyond My Ken/WikiCommons
Let’s talk about sex, baby. Only 18+ are allowed to wander the halls here. Opened in 2002, their mission is to keep the conversation on human sexuality alive. With over 20,000 artifacts in the permanent collection it’s a sex-ed class you didn’t know you wanted to take. Exhibits include art, photography, costumes and clothing, tech innovations and even film. The museum is dedicated to providing the best of current scholarship on sex and sexuality, rather than just a pervy peek at our private lives.
5) MUSA Underwater Museum | Cancun, Mexico
Image: Me at the VW Bug at the Museo Subacuatico de Arte | © snackariah/Flickr
Above ground touristing is so last year. This year, take a trip to Cancun and visit an underwater museum instead. You can access it via glass bottomed boat, scuba diving or snorkeling. There are over 500 life-size and monumental sculptures to explore. You’d imagine it’s a costly experience but the good news is both a scuba or snorkeling visit are less than $100 US each.
6) The Museum of Bad Art | Massachusetts, USA
Give yourself a boost of confidence in your own artistic skills with a visit to MOBA. This museum collects the worst artworks it can find and collates them for your judging needs. From the work of talented artists that took a wrong turn to pieces that never had a hope in hell. They’ve been open since 1994 and boy, have there been some ugly pieces found since then.
7) Torture Museum | Amsterdam
Swap the beauty of a traditional gallery for something gross and gruesome. But beware; this it not one for the faint-hearted. There are over 40 instruments of torture showcasing the worst ways people were interrogated; from the Spanish inquisition to the French guillotine. Each display describes how it was used and the historic background in 8 languages.
8) Dog Collar Museum | England
Image: Leeds Castle 22-04-2012 | © Karen Roe/Flickr
Located in the leisurely Leeds Castle, this museum is for dog lovers big and small. You can even bring along your traditional history loving friends to explore the castle while you take a look around the weirdest exhibit in the UK. The collars date all the way back to the 16th Century, through the Baroque period and into today’s cute canine fashions.
9) Museum of Broken Relationships | Croatia & LA
Image: Museum of Broken Relationships | © Patty Ho/WikiCommons
Part museum, part global art project exploring the ways we love, lose and grieve for relationships gone wrong. This museum was originally opened in Zagreb, Croatia in 2006. It has since taken thousands of people on a journey through stories of heartbreak and has another location in Los Angeles, USA. The exhibits encompass items donated by anonymous broken-hearted individuals who share the story of what the item means and where it all went wrong.
10) The Museum of Enduring Beauty | Malaysia
The Enduring Beauty Museum is but a small collection housed in the larger People’s Museum in Malacca. It’s aims to create awareness of the many ways we define beauty and display the different meanings of beauty in other cultures. From the painful processes of skin tattooing and lip stretching to the Western obsession with a tiny waist. Depending on who you ask, it’s a fun look into the lengths we’ll go to to become beautiful but at times it misses the educational tone and comes off patronising. Go in with an open mind and enjoy the wonderous world of beauty according to Malacca.
AUTHOR BIO:
Julia Hammond is a Melbourne-based lifestyle blogger with a love for travel. She currently publishes weekly content over on the MyDeal.com.au blog and can often be found sipping coffees and planning her next exciting trip in her spare time.
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