The Guggenheim, Louvre, Prado, Rijks and Smithsonian have one vital thread that binds them in the fraternity of museums: credibility. With reputations intact and names synonymous with art and the museum as a destination, these legendary palaces of culture receive millions of visitors a year.
One could expound at great length on what makes these museums so special. The permanent collections, the architectural prestige, the historical preservation and of course, the educational worth they represent is priceless. Together, these five symbolize the very best.
Which is all very well but to be frank, quite insipid. So while Warhol, Gaughin, Dali, Rembrandt and pterodactyl bones may fascinate you, look for us in line at the Toilet Museum in New Delhi.
Here then, are 5 Weird Museums Around the World.
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets - New Delhi, India
So inadequate is human waste collection and disposal in India that the problem is subject to regular Parliamentary debate. In a country where flush toilets are unavailable to two out of three citizens - at last count in the order of 700 million people - open defecation is the only way to go. Thus, in an attempt to spread awareness about the need for proper sewage, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, a crusader in India for his work on behalf of the poor, began the Sulabh Sanitation Movement.
The museum is a place for the Movement to educate the public on the evolution of toilets and help pave the way for the development of better sanitation technology. Safe to say, there is no other museum like it on the planet. With every breed of fecal matter collection devices on display, from ancient times until present day and from all four corners of the globe, the Toilet Museum has a phenomenal array of exhibits on a subject most of us regard with disdain and disgust. The philosophy of the Museum however, is to approach human waste with a whimsical and open spirit secure in the knowledge that no function of the body is more natural. With that in mind, we have to deal with it in plainspoken terms. The alternative is frankly, pretty crappy.
Discover some great hotels in New Delhi before you head to India.
The Paris Sewer Museum - Paris, France
On a similar note, we present the Paris Sewer Museum. With the possible exception of London, no city in the world has a sewer system with more history. At first whiff it may represent a weird museum subject but look at it like this: the story of the sewer system in Paris is the story of the city itself. A tad melodramatic? Sure. But worth a visit nonetheless. Especially for those sick of the d’Orsay or the Louvre. Yawn.
The fact that Paris has had a defacto sewer system in place since the 13th century is remarkable. With the museum in place, visitors can now get a look at what 800 years of human waste collection looks like. Cool!
Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments - Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is without a doubt, a city of majestic beauty and history. A city that gave us Havel, Kafka and Jagr. A city where Mozart, Kepler and Einstein had some of their most notable career exploits. A city with a Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments.
Yes, Prague is home to one of the most zany museums around. If you think heretics and witches should get what they deserve - a slow, painful death - this museum is for you. Over 60 torture instruments and devices of pain are on display from a time in Europe we would just as soon not experience again. Be sure not to skip out on the admission fee.
Icelandic Phallological Museum - Husavik, Iceland
Whoever heads Iceland’s tourism bureau has it tough. Not to knock the country at all but face it, competition for tourist dollars in Europe is fierce. In relative terms, not many people venture off the continent to this egalitarian glacial island nation.
We wonder then, what the thought process was behind the Phallological Museum in the town of Husavik. In a nutshell (bad pun), the museum houses penis specimens from just about every animal in Iceland. Granted, the country is small and icy. Which begs the question, how many types of phalluses could survive the harsh climate? Well, a lot apparently. The array of penile parts on display is enough to make anyone stand erect in surprise.
Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography - St. Petersburg, Russia
While locals and nerds know it as the Kunstkammer, most people know the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg as one bizarre place. The museum was the brainchild of Peter the Great back in the early 18th century, which is funny since two of the main exhibits on display are brains and children. Deformed brains and children that is. To be more specific, the museum is a house of physiological curiosity. A freak show basically, with a lot of weird and scary stuff in formaldehyde.
Much of the permanent collection hails from the Czar’s personal stash of anatomically deficient human fetuses and other gruesome fleshy animal and human parts. It seems Peter had an affinity for unusual disfigurements. To indulge the macabre interest, it became a hobby and borderline obsession. One wonders what would have transpired if he had discovered stamps as a young boy instead. Anyway, did we mention the museum houses the head of Catherine I’s lover?
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