10 Of The Absolute Weirdest Museums In The United States

With more museums in America than there are McDonald's, here's ten museums that contain truly offbeat collections.

1. National Museum of Funeral History — Houston

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Via en.wikipedia.org, Flickr Creative Commons / kissingtoast / Via flic.kr

Despite its somber subject matter, the National Museum of Funeral History is not a morbid destination. This Houston institution celebrates diverse cultural practices from around the world – from the pomp of Vatican funerals to Mexico’s colorful Día de los Muertos. It is the largest collection of funeral objects in America, and even Ozzy Osbourne is a fan.

2. Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry — Baltimore, Maryland

Wikimedia / Via commons.wikimedia.org

The National Museum of Dentistry holds over 40,000 specimens dedicated to the world of oral health. Museum highlights include an ancient Egyptian human mandible, dental instruments used on Queen Victoria, and George Washington’s lower false teeth.

3. Museum of Sex — New York City

Flickr Creative Commons / nathanmac87 / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / Koen Schepers / Via flic.kr

New York’s Fifth Avenue boasts some of the finest museums in the world, including the provocative Museum of Sex. Opening in 2002, this museum commemorates sexual expression across centuries. Past exhibits include “Four Centuries of Graphic Sex in Japan” and “The Life, History and Struggle Of The Condom.” With a no-holds-barred approach to intimacy, this museum is definitely an adults-only experience.

4. National Mustard Museum — Middleton, Wisconsin

Flickr Creative Commons / BobbbyLight / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / BobbbyLight / Via flic.kr

Opening in 1992, Wisconsin’s National Museum of Mustard showcases nearly 6,000 mustards from the United States and beyond. Mustard aficionados can sample exotic varieties of the condiment — such as chocolate mustard — at the museum’s store.

5. Museum of Bad Art — Somerville, Massachusetts*

Flickr Creative Commons / Chris Devers / Via Flickr: cdevers, Flickr Creative Commons / Chris Devers / Via Flickr: cdevers

Situated in a Somerville theater basement, the Museum of Bad Art is refreshingly devoid of good taste. “We feature art that would never be mistaken something that would be at The Met or the MFA,” says Louise Reilly Sacco, Permanent Acting Interim Executive Director. “Most of the work is donated by people who bought it for a few dollars at a yard sale or found in a dead uncle’s attic.”

*At the date of publishing, this museum is currently undergoing renovations and is not open to the public.

6. Museum of Osteology — Oklahoma City and Orlando

Flickr Creative Commons / John Bridges / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / John Bridges / Via flic.kr

Museum of Osteology contains nearly 300 skeletons — from the tiniest hummingbird bones to a 40-foot sized whale. According to museum owner and curator Jay Villemarette, the rarest skeleton on display is that of a Sumatran rhinoceros.

7. Mütter Museum — Philadelphia

Flickr Creative Commons / istolethetv / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / Molly Lewis / Via flic.kr

Housed on the campus of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum is the largest private collection of anatomical specimens in the world. It contains medical oddities dating from the seventh century BCE to the 20th century, including the brain of Albert Einstein and the shared liver of conjoined twins, Chang and Eng.

8. Bigfoot Discovery Museum — Felton, California

Flickr Creative Commons / Richard Masoner / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / Elizabeth K. Joseph / Via flic.kr

Not to be confused with the other Bigfoot museum in India, this small institute in Felton, California represents decades of Bigfoot research by enthusiast, Michael Rugg (pictured above). Both educational and entertaining, visitors report that the museum doesn’t take itself too seriously.

9. Warren’s Occult Museum — Monroe, Connecticut*

Flickr Creative Commons / 826 PARANORMAL / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / 826 PARANORMAL / Via flic.kr

Connecticut's occult museum serves up the spookiness with satanic ritual objects, African voodoo objects, and the doll that inspired The Conjuring.

*The website for this museum states that it's currently closed due to zoning reasons, and that the team is looking for a new location for the Warren's treasures to be displayed.

10. And Museum of the Weird — Austin

Flickr Creative Commons / Cory Doctorow / Via flic.kr, Flickr Creative Commons / Lawrence G. Miller / Via flic.kr

The Museum of The Weird is located in Austin’s notorious “Dirty Sixth” street district and contains a vibrant assortment of oddities and global curiosities. Key features include a two-headed lamb, a “Fiji mermaid,” shrunken heads, mummies, and horror movie wax figurines. Night-owls will be pleased to learn that the museum is open until midnight.

11. Are there any great and weird U.S. museums we missed? Let us know in the comments below!