Hair, parasites, ex-lover’s items: Eight bizarre museums around the world

Written by Rita

Museums are hubs of human culture, art, and history, and seeing significant cultural relics firsthand is an absolute must during travel. Among the nearly 55,000 museums worldwide, the Louvre takes the crown with 9 million visitors annually. Most popular museums focus on humanities and art, but some take a completely different route. According to the “Eight Bizarre Museums” list, you might exclaim, “That’s a thing?!” Yep — with enough imagination, even the most ordinary objects can attract curators and the public alike.

▲ Phallological Museum (Photo / Wikipedia)

1. Iceland Phallological Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland
Here you can browse penises from 276 different species of animals, ranging from a 1.7-meter sperm whale penis to a 0.2-centimeter hamster one. In 2011, the museum first displayed the penis of a 95-year-old man.

2. New Delhi Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, India
You can see the evolution of toilets from around the world here, from primitive chamber pots to Victorian-era commodes. Humor abounds in this museum. Its founder was actually a local Indian vendor of affordable toilets, which in India faced social challenges as significant as those of education and employment.

▲ Museum of Broken Relationships (Photo / Wikipedia)

3. Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia
Where do broken hearts go? Considered one of the most innovative museums, it won the 2011 European Museum of the Year Award in the category of innovation. This museum displays items left behind by ex-lovers — some of which may make you think, “breaking up was the right choice.”

4. Avanos Hair Museum, Turkey
This looks like an ordinary pottery shop, but inside the cave, hanging from the ceiling are tufts of hair from 16,000 women, each with a little note attached. The museum was founded by ceramic artist Chez Galip, beginning in 1979 when women started leaving their hair behind during visits. Today, scissors, pins, pencils, and notes still encourage visitors to leave their own.

5. Meguro Parasitological Museum, Japan
This museum houses 45,000 specimens of parasites, where you can see the longest tapeworm ever recorded — 8.8 meters long. If you’ve got a sensitive stomach, maybe skip this one and go straight for the ramen.

▲ Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments (Photo / Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments Facebook page)

6. Amsterdam Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments, Netherlands
This is another spine-chilling museum, featuring 100 instruments of torture used on humans, such as the guillotine — an important piece of European history.

▲ Museum of Death (Photo / Wikipedia)

7. Bangkok Forensic Medicine Museum, Thailand
This museum houses a large collection of artifacts from hospitals over the past 120 years, divided into seven major themes: anatomy, congenital diseases, pathology, forensic pathology, traditional Thai medicine, toxicology, and parasitology. Among the collections, you’ll find bizarre cases of death, including infant fatalities, post-disaster human remains, murder victims, and criminal mummies.

▲ International Cryptozoology Museum (Photo / International Cryptozoology Museum Facebook page)

8. Portland International Cryptozoology Museum, Maine
This museum doesn’t just display animals — it also houses cryptids, creatures that require verification and research. The museum’s founder hopes it will serve as an introduction to science, sparking curiosity in both adults and children.