America's wackiest museums

An epic collection of pencil sharpeners . . . the world’s biggest shoe . . . cans and cans of Spam . . . the wire that tamed the West . . . more toilets than you’ll ever see in one place . . . and then there’s the guy who uses matchsticks to recreate some of the world’s greatest architecture. Who wouldn’t want to see this stuff? Here are 10 of the, shall we say, most unexpected museums you will ever visit.

Spam Museum
Austin, Minnesota

Where SPAMBASSADORS Offer Samples

Hormel Foods, the company that manufactures that fabulous pork-based food called SPAM, has a sense of humor. Witness the billboards along the road leading into Austin, Minnesota that announce, “The Spam Museum—Meat Lovers Rejoice.” The museum promises to let each visitor “experience the life-altering pork bliss,” and in fact, roving SPAMBASSADORS offer sample tastings on a toothpick, while happily answering all SPAM-related questions. The 15-minute SPAM video is worth a look. A recreation of a World War II camp, backed by an oversized can of SPAM, focuses on the “mystery meat’s” role in keeping the GIs well fed.   

There are a lot of important facts about SPAM. For example, visitors can learn that SPAM is cooked right in the can, as it moves down the assembly line. A scoreboard reports know how many cans have been produced. The “One Shining Example,” exhibit relates the story (through talking statues) of how Jay Hormel took over from his father and moved on to invent SPAM. Visitors can actually try their hand at canning SPAM on a simulation of a SPAM assembly line. And that’s just the tip of the SPAM can. Many more thrills, including a Monty Python display, await your visit.

The Facts: The SPAM Museum is at 1101 Main Street, Austin, Minnesota. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays. Admission is free.