Museums are usually known for displaying fine art, historical artifacts, and scientific wonders. However, some museums around the world celebrate the strange, the bizarre, and the downright unexpected. From collections dedicated to failed inventions to exhibits of cursed dolls and ancient toilets, these unusual museums challenge traditional notions of what belongs in a museum.
If you're looking for a break from the Louvre or the Smithsonian, here’s a list of the world’s strangest museums that will leave you both fascinated and bewildered.
1. The Museum of Broken Relationships (Zagreb, Croatia & Los Angeles, USA) – A Shrine to Lost Love
What’s Inside?
Ever wondered what happens to the objects left behind after a breakup? This museum showcases donated mementos from failed relationships, along with stories of heartbreak and healing.
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Weirdest Exhibit: A discarded wedding dress in a jar, symbolizing a marriage that lasted only a few hours.
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Most Heartbreaking Item: An axe used to chop up an ex-lover’s furniture after a bad breakup.
👉 Why Visit? This museum is both funny and deeply emotional, proving that love leaves a mark—even in museums.
2. The Paris Sewer Museum (Paris, France) – A Journey Beneath the City
What’s Inside?
A real working sewer system turned into a museum, offering visitors an underground look at Paris’ centuries-old sanitation history.
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Strangest Fact: Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables describes this sewer system in detail.
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Must-See Exhibit: A giant wooden ball once used to clean sewer tunnels in the 19th century.
👉 Why Visit? If you’ve ever wanted to explore the hidden side of Paris, this museum takes you beneath the city’s streets.
3. The Icelandic Phallological Museum (Reykjavík, Iceland) – The Museum of Penises
What’s Inside?
Yes, this is a museum dedicated to penises—from animals, mythological creatures, and even (controversially) humans.
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Largest Exhibit: A 6-foot-long whale penis preserved in a glass case.
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Weirdest Item: A specimen labeled as an “elf penis”, though invisible to the human eye.
👉 Why Visit? It’s a scientific and cultural look at reproductive biology, with a touch of humor.
4. The Meguro Parasitological Museum (Tokyo, Japan) – A Celebration of Creepy-Crawlies
What’s Inside?
This Japanese museum is dedicated entirely to parasites, displaying over 300 preserved specimens, including some that once lived inside human hosts.
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Most Disturbing Exhibit: A 28-foot-long tapeworm removed from a human body.
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Oddest Souvenir: Tapeworm-themed keychains and plush toys in the gift shop.
👉 Why Visit? If you love science, medical oddities, or just want to be grossed out, this museum is unforgettable.
5. The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) (Boston, USA) – So Bad, It’s Good
What’s Inside?
A museum dedicated to art so terrible, it’s hilarious. Each piece is a failed masterpiece with clumsy brushwork, bizarre proportions, and awkward compositions.
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Funniest Painting: Lucy in the Field with Flowers, featuring a distorted woman with huge eyes and a floating head.
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Strangest Exhibit: A portrait of a man with an exploding head.
👉 Why Visit? Because not all art is good, and sometimes, bad art deserves recognition too!
6. The Avanos Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) – A Cave of Human Hair
What’s Inside?
This eerie museum houses over 16,000 locks of hair from women around the world, pinned to the walls and ceilings of a dark, candle-lit cave.
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Weirdest Origin Story: Started by a Turkish potter who kept a lock of hair from a departing friend—soon, visitors started leaving their own hair behind.
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Creepiest Feature: Some locks of hair still have handwritten notes attached.
👉 Why Visit? It’s both artistic and unsettling, making it a must-see for the curious traveler.
7. The Mütter Museum (Philadelphia, USA) – A Collection of Medical Oddities
What’s Inside?
One of the most famous medical museums in the world, featuring real human remains, wax models, and preserved organs.
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Most Famous Exhibit: The real skull collection, used to study human variation.
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Weirdest Artifact: Albert Einstein’s preserved brain, cut into tiny slices.
👉 Why Visit? If you’re fascinated by medical history and human anatomy, this museum is a mix of science and the macabre.
8. The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets (New Delhi, India) – A History of Sanitation
What’s Inside?
This quirky museum traces the 4,500-year history of toilets, from ancient chamber pots to modern sanitation systems.
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Funniest Exhibit: A golden toilet used by European royalty.
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Historical Oddity: Ancient portable toilets used by traveling kings and queens.
👉 Why Visit? It’s a fascinating look at an everyday object we take for granted.
9. The Dog Collar Museum (Leeds, England) – Fashion for Furry Friends
What’s Inside?
Located inside Leeds Castle, this museum displays 500 years of dog collars, from medieval spiked collars to modern jeweled accessories.
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Most Unique Collar: A 16th-century iron collar designed to protect hunting dogs from wolf attacks.
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Weirdest Exhibit: A collar with built-in bells, so owners could hear their dogs coming.
👉 Why Visit? If you love dogs, this museum is a charming and unusual tribute to man’s best friend.
10. The Museum of Death (Los Angeles & New Orleans, USA) – The Dark Side of History
What’s Inside?
A deeply unsettling museum showcasing crime scene photos, execution devices, and serial killer artwork.
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Most Disturbing Exhibit: Letters and drawings from infamous serial killers like Charles Manson.
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Creepiest Room: A replica of a real execution chamber.
👉 Why Visit? If you have a morbid curiosity about crime, death, and forensic history, this museum delivers.
The World’s Strangest Museums Await
Not all museums are filled with da Vinci paintings and ancient sculptures—some celebrate the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly unexpected. Whether you're fascinated by bad art, parasites, or haunted hair collections, these museums prove that anything can be worthy of display.
