"Are we going somewhere, Mommy?"
"Hmmm. Maybe."
"Well, are we? Please tell me? Pleeeeeeease??"
"Can't. It's a surprise." (Which is Mom-speak for: I have no earthly idea what we're doing for Spring Break, so I'm gonna stall for a while.)
But Handsome Boy was not to be denied, and after repeated pesterings of tellmetellmetellmetellme, I relented:
"OK. It was gonna be a surprise, but we're going to the Poop Museum."
For a minute there, his eyes were shining. "Really? Is there really a Poop Museum?" He had a huge - and immensely hopeful - grin on his face.
I laughed. "Nah. I made it up."
"I bet there is. Look it up on your phone!" he shrieked, climbing over the seats to wedge himself next to me.
So, we did. I fired up the browser, typed "poop museum" in the search box, and wouldn't ya know: there really is a Poop Museum. We were totally excited, but then looked closer and found out...it's in Japan.
Well. That's out. It would bust the budget. But it did get me thinking, so later that night I searched for odd museums (on a much more eye-friendly laptop screen), just to see what's out there. And man, is there a lot.
If you, like us here at Chez Wheedleton, have not made your Spring Break plans, and share our questionable sense of humor, here are some odd ideas for ya. Some are virtual (aka online only) and so are wallet-friendly (aka FREE!). Others are brick and mortar. Enjoy:
The Incredible World of Navel Fluff - Some call it belly button lint, but yes, it is what you think. Instead of navel fluff from lots of folks, however, this museum showcases the world's biggest collection of navel fluff (according to the folks at Guiness)...from one individual. One! It's a web page, not a brick and mortar, but oddly curious. Go on! Click the link!
Rune's Barf Bag Collection - Also an online collection, this oddity only shows pics of unused barf bags (whew!). Interesting site! One can learn the various terms used to refer to barf bags - spew bag is a funny one - as well as the story behind the various bags in the collection. You can even buy some from the Barf Bag Store link. How convenient!
Toilet Seat Art Museum - Barney Smith's museum can be found in Alamo Heights, Texas, but if you can't go, click on the link to see some pics and read all about it. Each of the over 700 toilet seats on display is his own personal design, and he's been making them for 30 years.
Gallery of Huge Beings - Another virtual collection. It is what it says: pictures of giant statues beckoning travelers from the road - hawking everything from burgers to legends to tires to tourist attractions. Go take a look, and let me know how many of them you've actually visited.
Cockroach Hall of Fame - Ewww. And it's a brick and mortar you can really visit down in Plano, Texas. It isn't your average bug museum, though. These ones are all gussied up like famous people. Hmmm. Worth a look if you're down that way, I'd say.
Washington Banana Museum - This one is virtual, but features an antiques store in Auburn, Washington, where you can see some of the things up close and personal. The online collection features some 4000 banana things: artifacts, folk art, and all sorts of odd and wonderful banana stuff. The website gives you a nice view, but it would be awfully fun to visit the store if you're in the neighborhood.
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets - Oh, yes, this one is brick and mortar, but unless you live in India, it'll be quite an expensive trip. Fear not, the website shows lots of interesting photos of the exhibits - all kinds of potties from ornate to not-so-ornate, as well as information about the evolution of this most necessary item.
Museum of Dirt - This one is a little closer to home - Boston, Massachusetts. And it is a collection of dirt. That's it. Nothing more. Just dirt. Jars and jars of dirt. But it's dirt collected from all kinds of far flung places, and who wouldn't want to take a gander at that? You can even send them your own contributions. Cool! But if you want to visit, call first to be sure they're open.
There are so many more weird and wonderful museums out there, but I'm out of space. Drop me a comment and tell me about some that you know of.
