USM's Weird Museums

Featured Oddities

Virtual Museum of the Iron Lung - The "iron lung" has been in development since the 19th century and has saved countless lives. This site pays homage to the device through history lessons, galleries, personal stories,and more.

The Pretzel Museum - A "real world" museum. What's the difference between a hard pretzel and a soft one? How does a pretzel get twisted into that shape anyway? A trip to the Pretzel Museum will answer those queries as well as any other pretzel-related posers one may have.

Museum of Webpage Counter Art - All those page counters you see on the web? Here is a virtual museum dedicated to them. Over 500 exhibits.

The Virtual "Food Museum" - A simple site, but highly informative "mini exhibits" on a generous variety of foods, from asparagus to zuchinni, plus ... a list of all edible animals. (Yikes!)

A-Bomb WWW Museum - Emphasis on the Hiroshima bombing. From the museum director .."The website is neither meant to condemn nor condone the bombing, but is meant as a way for people to express their views on how to achieve peace ..."

Museum of Questionable Medical Devices - Variety of virtual tours offered concerning some of the wackiest medical devices known to man. Also, one the web's most FAMOUS "unusual museums".

The Sherlock Holmes Museum - Located at 221B Baker Street in London, the museum is dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and is faithfully maintained as described in the published stories.

Virtual Museum of Electrical Things - Are you a fan of electrical things? Here are scads of them!

The Virtual L.E.D. Museum - A virtual musuem dedicated to the L.E.D. (Light Emitting Diode). These little lights are a part of our daily lives; this site gives them the honor they deserve.

The Vintage Stapler Museum - At last, a web page dedicated to the history of the stapler and related items. Coming soon, History of the great men (what? No women?) behind the invention of this fine little office machine.

Frontier Telephone Museum - Photographs documenting a collection of old telephones and switchboards at the Frontier Telephone Training Center.

The Virtual Museum of Hot Wheels - Built by a HotWheels Collector for the enjoyment and promotion of the HotWheels collecting hobby all over the world. If you ever played with HotWheels, this site is for you!

The Souvenir and Commemorative Spoon Museum - Presents an eclectic mix of unusual silver spoons for your viewing pleasure

Vintage Telephone Equipment Museum - reveals the history of the telephone and the central office switches that make it all work. Exhibits from 1876, starting with a model of Alexander Graham Bell's first attempts at a working telephone.

Rosie's Virtual Museum of Needle Books - According to HGTV's "Collectible Treasures", most needle books are advertising premiums from the 20's through the 50's. Unfortunately they did not tell the whole story. Let Rosie set you straight!

Virtual Museum of Mad Magazine Covers - Features Mad Magazine covers and Alfred E Neuman collectibles from around the world. Over 1000 pages and 1000 graphics.

Melvyn Wright's World of Vintage Slot Machines - Virtual museum of classic British penny-in-the-slot machines of the 1930s to 1960s.

Pictorial Guide to Date Nails - What are date nails? Why metal spikes pounded into railway tracks and utility poles that show the date of manufature on the head. Highly collectable!

Virtual Museum of CigarBox Art - A VERY simple site that provides scans of vintage cigar box art. Nice sampling for those with an interest in vintage art and advertising.

The World of Dr. Seuss Collectibles - Virtual museum dedicated to all things Dr. Seuss. From his early advertising days in the 1930's to the mass marketing of his characters in the 90's and everything in between! Ad campaigns, toys, bed sheets, model kits, party ware and so much more.

Wooden Nickel Museum - A virtual museum of wooden nickel history and cellctions. One of the the Internet's longest running "unusual museums".

Royal London Wax Museum - Over 300 wax figures of the famous and infamous. Wax sculpture is an art form that dates back to ancient Egypt ... but that doesn't make them any less CREEPY!

Mad Martian Museum of Modern Madness - A truly wacky Virtual museum dedicated to useless games, insects, brains, eyeballs, and ... toilets. Fun! .. However, be warned that there is a rather loud sound file that loads with the front page.

The Banana Museum - Would you believe ... nearly 4000 banana related items on display? This could happen to you! One day you are innocently collecting "stuff" .. and suddenly .. you have a museum!

The Museum of Tattoos - Virtual museum dedicated to tattoo artists from around the world .. and those who wear their ink. Not the fake "temporary" kind .. this stuff is the real deal!

The Toaster Museum - Toasters. That is correct. 100+ boxes worth, to be exact. The museum's founders even have a "toaster foundation" established. Some people ... simply enjoy a LOT of toast.

The Museum of Hoaxes - Virtual museum dedicated to chronicling some of humanities greatest hoaxes ... 2 centuries worth.

Burlingame Museum of Pez - A "real world" museum, as well as a virtual one. - Featuring an online exhibit of hundreds of dispensers from the '50s to the present. San Francisco's finest museum of Pez!

The Quackatorium - Take a "virtual gander" at a wide variety of antique medical quackery and electrotherapy devices ... Shocking!

MysterySea Museum of the Unknown - Currently on exhibit .. the worlds largest Fejee Mermaid collection as well as other strange creatures and monsters of a lost world. See the things dad wouldn't stop the car to let you see!

Ronald Reagan Humor Museum - Virtual museum deicated to the intentional (and oftentimes, accidental) humorous quotes of this infamous ex-president. Based on a similarly titled book.

Weird Fortune Collection - Unusual (but real) fortunes from fortune cookies found in Chinese restaurants. Submit your own contribution!

Vintage Vacuum Cleaner Virtual Museum - This, from the curator .. "This museum features a representative sample of machines from my vintage vacuum cleaner collection. This is by no means my entire collection!"

Martin's Owl Collection - Owls made from every conceivable material. Not sparrows. Not wrens. Not even parakeets. Just lots and lots of owls.

Macaroni and Cheese Box Museum - A gallery of boxes and bowls of delicious mac & cheese with spoons stuck in them. Dozens featured. How many brands have YOU tried? How many are in your cupboard right now?

Ships in Bottles Museum - An ancient and respected craft. Archaeologists have even found primitive ship models on prehistoric sites. Presents an overview of the craft, as well as an online gallery.

Crushed Pennies - Ronald Dupont collects (and exhibits online) a variety of mushed and elongated pennies ... and he's not alone! There are other elongated penny collectors "out there"

The International Museum of Toilets - Yes, this is an actual museum! And yes, "the loo" has history too! Very colorful, and um ... "flush" with interactive fun

Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum - Artfully decorated Toilet Seat Lids. Each one is individually designed and numbered. For those who are REALLY into quality kitsch!

The Virtual BaTHROOM Museum - According to the curator "Here you will find a collection of some of the best toilet & bathroom art, illustrations, and rendered images on the entire Internet.". Geewhiz. I can't wait.