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Discover the Top 13 Fascinating Fun Facts About Museums You Never Knew!

illustration of museums
Dive into the fascinating world of museums as we uncover quirky, mind-blowing, and entertaining tidbits about these treasure troves of human history and creativity!

1. Ancient Ur's Room of Requirement

Before Hogwarts had its Room of Requirement, ancient Ur boasted a humble abode of antiquities: Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum, established around 530 BCE as the earliest known public museum, was curated by none other than Princess Ennigaldi, daughter of the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Her prized collection of Mesopotamian artifacts even included trilingual labels. This ancient gem had its Hollywood moment in 1925 when archaeologist Leonard Woolley stumbled upon the museum during his excavations in Ur.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Mustard Mania in Wisconsin

Hold onto your buns and relish this fact: The National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, houses a collection of over 6,000 mustards from all 50 states and more than 70 countries, offering visitors a spicy adventure filled with mustard goodies and merchandise available for purchase in-store and online, as well as opportunities to support the museum through tax-deductible donations.
Source => mustardmuseum.com

3. Touch the Moon at the Air and Space Museum

Forget the Man on the Moon; it's all about the rock he left behind: The National Air and.Space Museum in Washington, D.C., allows visitors to touch an actual lunar rock sample while also housing iconic aircraft and spacecraft like the original 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and John Glenn's Friendship 7 spacecraft, not to mention the treasure trove at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia with its Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and space shuttle Discovery.
Source => si.edu

4. Flush-tastic Toilet Treasures

Feeling flushed with curiosity? Seek relief at a one-of-a-kind commode collection: The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in Delhi, India displays sanitary wares from 50 countries and 3000 BC to date, with highlights like a treasure chest commode and King Louis XIV's multitasking throne.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Beyond Star Wars: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

5. Beyond Star Wars: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Brush off your lightsabers and don your Jedi robes, folks: the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles is so much more than just Star Wars memorabilia. Offering original artwork, cutting-edge digital technologies, and daily film screenings, it's set to become a treasure trove for art enthusiasts and a hub of educational opportunities for students of all ages!
Source => discoverlosangeles.com

6. Victorian Hair-raising Exhibits

In a hairy situation where you need a unique cultural experience? Split ends no more, and head to a museum that gives a new meaning to "letting your hair down": Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri, houses over 2,000 pieces of hair jewelry and 600 hair wreaths, some dating back to the 12th century, along with hair samples from the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Ozzy Osborne. For just $10, tour an impressive collection of hair art and delve into the history of the Victorian era's mane trend.
Source => columbiamissourian.com

7. Chocolatey Wonderland in Cologne

Feeling cocoa-nutty for some chocolaty goodness? Venture into the Willy Wonka-esque paradise of Cologne, Germany: At the Cologne Chocolate Museum, you'll find not only enlightening exhibits on chocolate history and production but also a tropical cacao tree greenhouse and a 3-metre-high fountain flowing with liquid chocolate. This Top Ten German museum lures 675,000 visitors annually, tantalizing taste buds with wafers dipped in chocolate while remaining self-sustainable without any subsidies.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Dummy Paradise at Vent Haven

If you've ever thought about throwing your voice and letting your inner ventriloquist run wild, you'll find your sanctuary among stationary chatterboxes and their wooden comrades: The Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky is the one and only museum dedicated to ventriloquism, housing over 900 dummies and puppets from 3 different centuries, and welcoming visitors from all corners of the globe since 1973, by appointment made through their website.
Source => awol.com.au

9. Monastic Marvels of Meteora

If you're tired of Holy-wood's glitz and glamour, how about taking a journey to the monastery-inspired living museums of Meteora, Greece? These divine specimens will have you exclaiming, "Oh my God!": The monasteries, including the 12th century Roussanou and the stunning Great Meteoron, showcase an impressive array of ecclesiastical treasures, miraculous icons, and ascetic items that narrate a spiritual saga of over ten centuries, featuring cameos by Christ and other Byzantine saints.
Source => greeka.com

Vintage Transit Nostalgia

10. Vintage Transit Nostalgia

Next stop: nostalgia express! Get ready to travel back in time while remaining on track with public transit history: The New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn showcases an amazing collection of vintage subway and elevated cars, ranging from the early 1900s to the mid-1980s, including the BMT Q Car Number 1612C, BRT Brooklyn Union Elevated Car Number 1407, and even Bus Number 3100—the first air-conditioned bus used for public transportation in the United States!
Source => nytransitmuseum.org

11. International Spy Museum's Hidden Treasures

Psst... ever wondered where spies stash their toys? The answer lies with the masters of intrigue in the International Spy Museum: Located in Washington, D.C., this museum proudly exhibits the world's largest collection of international espionage artifacts – eagerly inviting visitors to explore the nooks and crannies of the shadowy world of intelligence.
Source => spymuseum.org

12. Serenity Overload at Microsoft's Anechoic Chamber

In a world where silence is golden, Microsoft has evidently built themselves Fort Knox: The anechoic chamber at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington holds the Guinness World Record for being the quietest place on Earth, with an average background noise reading of -20.35 dBA. This fortress of tranquility is made up of six layers of concrete and steel, complete with fiberglass wedges lining the floor, ceiling, and walls to break up any pesky sound waves. Although, beware the costs of too much serenity, as some people can only handle about 45 minutes inside before the lack of noise drives them to ringing ears and a loss of balance.
Source => nypost.com

13. Astonishing Displays at the Siriraj Medical Museum

Where there's a will, there's a weird way to spend a day: The Siriraj Medical Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, is a conglomeration of seven distinct museums, encompassing the Ellis Pathological Museum, the Congdon Anatomical Museum, the Songkran Niyomsan Forensic Medicine Museum, and the Parasitology Museum, where you can marvel at 2,000+ organs on display and get up close and personal with a plethora of parasites collected by Dr. Vichitr Chaiyaporn.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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