Weird and Wonderful: The Most Bizarre Museums Across the Globe

Museums have long been known for providing a window into humanity's deepest fascinations, greatest innovations, and the boundless creativity we've exhibited throughout history. They can also be a fun way to increase knowledge, spend some downtime in a new city during your travels, or just be amazed.

For those who prefer the more unusual days out during their holidays, now you can use Reward Flight Finder (RFF) to visit museums that celebrate the bizarre, the quirky, and the downright strange. Here’s a list of the world's quirkiest museums for you.

 

International Spy Museum, Washington D.C., United States

James Bond might have the licence to kill, but the art of spy craft predates the suave Agent 007 by centuries. Now you can explore the secretive world of espionage at the largest ever public collection of espionage artefacts - Washington D.C.'s International Spy Museum. From lipstick pistols to cypher machines, experience the gadgets used by real-life spies and uncover their mysteries through video interviews and historic photographs. Visitors can see mini cameras, counterfeit money, and disguised weapons that showcase the stories behind the world’s most elusive spies throughout history.

Using the Avios Calculator for a London to Washington trip, travellers can avail off-peak return reward seats in Business Class for 160,000 Avios plus £350, while off-peak return reward seats in Premium Economy are 85,000 Avios plus £280.

Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame, Los Angeles, United States

Ever wondered about Hollywood stars’ underwear? Now you don’t have to. Frederick's of Hollywood houses the Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame for a peek into the glamorous side of Tinseltown. The museum showcases undies worn by legends like Marilyn Monroe and Robert Redford, among others.

Billed as a tribute to “the stars who glamorised lingerie,” The Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame exhibits a walk down memory lane of a different kind. This one-of-a-kind museum contains everything from musical panties that play "Happy Birthday" to push-up bras. Some of the undies featured here include those worn by cast members of "Beverly Hills 90210" such as Tori Spelling, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Kathleen Robertson, Ian Ziering, and even Jason Priestley. Other celebrities include Jamie Lee Curtis, Pamela Anderson Lee, and Naomi Judd.

There are even women's undies worn by male actors in drag, such as the dress Milton Berle wore on his TV show and the bra Tony Curtis wore in his hilarious performance in the classic "Some Like It Hot."

As for British Airways reward flight availability, off-peak return reward seats from London to Los Angeles in Business Class are 180,000 Avios plus £450. For off-peak return reward seats in Premium Economy, the cost is 95,000 Avios plus £330.

  

Meguro Parasitological Museum, Tokyo, Japan

For those who’re not squeamish about the world of parasites, the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo is a niche museum full of surprises. Founded in 1953 as the brainchild of Dr. Satoru Kamegai, it houses an extensive collection of parasite specimens and their impact on humans and animals. From worms and insects to microscopic organisms, there’s detailed information about different types of parasites, their life cycles, habitats, the diseases they can cause, and what needs to be done to control and prevent parasitic infections.

The museum is also an educational resource for researchers, students, and the general public to gain a better understanding of parasites and their significance in the natural world and human health. Be sure not to miss seeing the exhibit featuring a massive tapeworm that was removed from a human body.

Travellers to Tokyo can use Avios Calculator to plan their travels. Off-peak return reward seats from London in Business Class cost 200,000 Avios plus £550 while off-peak return reward seats in Premium Economy are 100,000 Avios plus £380.

Museum of Funeral Carriages, Barcelona, Spain

As if there weren’t already enough reasons to visit Barcelona, now you have one more, especially if you’re interested in funeral carriages. Yes, you read that right. The Museum of Funeral Carriages in Barcelona provides a glimpse into the solemn rituals surrounding death.

Granted that it’s a niche area and might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this museum is the only collection of its kind in Europe. Founded in 1970, the collection comprises 19 pieces: 13 funeral carriages, six processional carriages, and three motorised vehicles, covering the 19th and much of the 20th centuries. It offers insights into historical funeral practices and showcases how our ancestors transported their dead to cemeteries, shedding light on how funeral customs evolved over time.

 If you’re flying from Barcelona to London, RFF shows off-peak return reward seats in Economy for 23,500 plus £1. For off-peak return reward seats in Business Class, you need 40,000 Avios plus £1.

Iceland Phallological Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland

What started off as a joke between friends in 1974 when Sigurður Hjartarson (the founder of the Icelandic Phallological Museum) received a bull’s penis as a gift, has now become the premier institution to learn about male genitalia. Over decades of meticulous collecting and cataloguing, Sigurður Hjartarson was able to acquire and catalogue 283 members from 93 different species of mammals.

Among the collections are members of whales, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, horses, and rams.

The museum’s largest specimen comes from a sperm whale. It’s nearly six feet tall, weighs about 150 pounds, and is kept in a giant glass tank bolted to the floor. What’s even more astounding is that this only represents a small portion of the whale's entire penis. Due to transportation limitations at the time of the creature's death, it wasn't possible to move it in one piece. Originally, it measured about 16 feet in length and weighed over 700 pounds.

Travellers to Reykjavik can visit the museum during their trip. As per British Airways reward flight availability, off-peak return reward seats from London in Economy are 27,500 Avios plus £1. Off-peak return reward seats in Business Class are 48,500 Avios plus £1.

The Bread Museum, Ulm, Germany

This museum is a carb-lover's dream come true – it houses everything related to bread, starting from the Stone Age to today. Founded in 1955 and housing more than 18,000 exhibits, the Bread Museum depicts the 6,000-year history of bread. The brainchild of two entrepreneurs from Ulm, Willy Eiselen and his son Dr.Hermann Eiselen, the collection comprises objects of cultural, social, technological, and historical significance from several centuries. It also includes works of art from such luminaries as Salvador Dali, Many Ray and Pablo Picasso.

As for reward flights, off-peak return seats from London to Stuttgart in Economy are 18,500 Avios plus £1, and off-peak return reward seats in Business Class are 30,000 Avios plus £1.

Museum of the Weird, Austin, United States

The Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, is known as one of America’s most unusual places to visit. Inside, you can find all sorts of weird things like real freak animals, mummies, mermaids, shrunken heads, and wax figures of famous movie monsters. 

The museum first opened in 2005 as Lucky Lizard Curios & Gifts and then became the Museum of the Weird in 2007. It celebrates odd and unusual exhibits reminiscent of old-time museums. Outside, it features a pirate theme, and inside, visitors can find wax figures of characters like Dracula and the Wolfman. It's an interesting spot for those who enjoy weird things.

Travellers to Austin can visit the museum with off-peak return reward seats from London in Business Class for 180,000 Avios plus £450. Off-peak return reward seats in Premium Economy cost 95,000 Avios plus £330.

Curious enough to go?

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