The Strangest Museums I’ve Visited Around the World

Sure, art museums are great, but have you ever been to a rice museum? Or perhaps a garden made of glass?

I’ve been lucky enough to go to some pretty amazing museums around the world, renowned for their impressive size and collections, including The British Museum in London, The Albertina in Vienna, and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. But I’ve also gone to some less famous museums that are a little bit…well, weird, to be honest. But those are sometimes the ones that stand out in my mind as my favorites!

National Coach Museum (Lisbon, Portugal)

While Lisbon’s National Coach Museum isn’t the only collection of carriages in the world, I still found it to be pretty unique. On the outside it’s a fairly modern-looking warehouse type building, but inside there are dozens of coaches, some dating back all the way to the 17th century. As you can see from the above photos, many of them are extremely ornate as well! I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the horses that had to drag all that gold around…

Rice Museum (Valencia, Spain)

I recently wrote about the many reasons Valencia is worth visiting, but something I didn’t mention is that they have a museum entirely dedicated to rice. Unfortunately I didn’t think to take pictures there, mainly because it wasn’t the most photogenic museum (think containers of rice surrounded by old-fashioned machinery). It’s quite a small museum, and I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s worth visiting if you’re short on time, but I personally thought it was a fun, interesting, and definitely unique addition to my trip. And I certainly learned more about rice than I ever thought I would!

Chihuly Garden and Glass (Seattle, Washington)

Last but certainly not least is Chihuly Garden and Glass, an absolute must-see if you visit Seattle. Dale Chihuly is a world-renowned artist who specializes in blown glass and creates amazing sculptures with it. Personally, I loved the incredible glass garden (above left photo), though the other parts of the collection were quite interesting and beautiful too. Since it’s right next to the Space Needle, it’s not difficult to find, so there’s really no reason not to go!

What is the most unusual museum you’ve ever visited? Let me know in the comments!

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