From king’s toilets to optical illusions, these museums have got it all. If you’ve got a bizarrely curious side that you want to indulge while travelling, here’s where to find a few of the world’s craziest museum pieces.
World’s Biggest Pez Dispenser – Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia
Pez, anyone? Amidst hundreds of ordinary-sized Pez dispensers (one of each ever made), you’ll find the world’s biggest Pez dispenser in this tiny museum in Burlingame, California.
It stands 7 feet 10 inches tall, and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest Pez machine.
Optical Illusions – Takao Trick Art Museum
You quickly learn that nothing is what it seems when browsing through this museum in Tokyo! Full of life-size optical illusions, the Takao Trick Art Museum will deceive and fascinate, all while allowing you to interact with the paintings and exhibits and figure out how they work.
Be sure to take your camera to this one, as taking crazy photos is all part of the fun.
Dodo Bird Bones – Grant Museum of Zoology
If extinct birds have always intrigued you, the Grant Museum of Zoology in London should be your first stop. Opened in 1828, this museum is home to about 68,000 amazing zoological specimens, including a bisected chimp head and an anaconda skeleton.
The dodo bones, one of the top exhibits, were actually discovered by accident in 2011 – sitting inside a box of crocodile bones!
Louis XIV’s Toilet – Sulabh International Museum of Toilets
This historical flush of sanitation and hygiene in New Delhi is the spot to be if you’re after some toilet education. Established in 1992, this museum has around 300 toilets from as early as 2,500 BC.
One standout is Louis XIV’s loo pot, which some say, he used to use openly while sitting in the royal court. Yuck!
Napoleon’s Napkin – Smithsonian National Museum of American History
There’s lots to see and do in Washington D.C., but if you have a minute to spare, why not check out a real-life napkin used by Napoleon? The French Emperor gave this wad of paper to a wealthy American, William Bayard, in 1815 in Italy.
After being passed on to an Army General’s wife, it was handed over to the museum in 1914.
Parasites – Meguro Parasitological Museum
Want to see something a tad disturbing while touring around Meguro, Japan? This place is brimming with around 45,000 parasite specimens and funnily enough, it’s probably more interesting than it sounds.
Make sure you check out the world’s largest tapeworm too; at 8.8 metres, it was taken out of the body of a 40-year-old male. Eww…
A Real Clown Car – International Clown Hall of Fame
Scared of clowns? Don’t set foot in here! This laughable museum in Wisconsin is dedicated to the art of clowning around and to those who have contributed to clown culture.
Among the many clownish artefacts and video displays, you’ll also find the real-life clown car that was once used by Bobo Barnett (a.k.a. Bobo the Clown).