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The Midwest Has Museums Like No Other, From SPAM to Sock Monkeys

by Amy "frankie" Felegy

Three sock monkey dolls with vibrant expressions, adorned in varied hats, pom poms, and scarves.
Photo Credit: Sock Monkey Museum Facebook
Who knew there were so many different sock monkeys?

Museums aren’t always full of art and traditional history. Through these doors, you’ll learn the ins and outs of circuses, vinegar, dentistry, and more.

We do museums differently in the wild, wild Midwest. Our niche museums span states and subjects, from art-based displays to a canned meat enthusiast’s dream.  

Here are a few of our favorite ‘say what?’ museums off the beaten path. What are we missing? Find us on social media and be sure to add your spots. 

National Mustard Museum

Middleton, Wisconsin, is home to the “world’s largest collection of mustard” (sorry, ranch). A nod to the thousands-of-years-old condiment, the National Mustard Museum is open every day and is free to visitors—but we’re guessing you’ll probably dole out some dollars before leaving. 

SPAM Museum

Get your shelf-stable fix and facts here—SPAMbassadors dot this museum, touring folks around timelines and canned, meaty truths. The SPAM Museum resides in its birthplace: Austin, Minnesota. 

A pub sign with a winged pig, with the word "SPAM" above it.
Photo Credit: Mia McGill
The museum’s Global Marketplace features information on SPAM history and customs across Australia, the UK, Asia, and more!

Circus World Museum  

Museumgoers can travel back to the 1700s in Baraboo, Wisconsin, at its Circus World Museum. The library and research center holds photos, posters, and artifacts galore from over 2,800 circuses across the country. It even boasts a reference file of 300,000-plus names of people involved with performances.  

Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry 

You may have grown out of the Tooth Fairy, but Ann Arbor, Michigan, is bringing back toothy fun. The Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry, housed in the University of Michigan’s School of Dentistry, holds an art gallery (that’s now accepting submissions!), exhibits, and dental-focused programming. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s one of several across the world. 

American Oddities Museum

This is the only museum on our list that formally agrees with us: It’s weird. The American Oddities Museum in Alton, Illinois, is also a bookstore and hotel (if you stay there, you have to tell us about it!) Inside is “strange history,” supposedly haunted and supernatural items, and creepy memorabilia from true crime scenes. Seems like the perfect October road trip to us! 

A woman with light skin wearing a pink smock and standing in front of a white house with a pitchfork.
Arts Midwest’s very own Alana Horton visiting the museum.

American Gothic House Museum

You know the painting: Two serious faces, one pitchfork, and an iconic house in the background. That house, which inspired Grant Wood’s 1930 painting “American Gothic,” can now be a backdrop of your next selfie (you can even borrow costumes to recreate the scene.) The next-door American Gothic House Center in Eldon, Iowa, has an exhibition about the house’s history, plus all the information you could hope for about the painting and artist. The house itself is occasionally open for tours.

Merry-Go-Round Museum

Got your Dramamine? The Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, Ohio, lives in a former post office building. Inside are carving tools used to create the animals, a woodworking shop, artifacts from parks and carnivals, and its own merry-go-round open to the public.

The James Dean Museum—and also Garfield

We aren’t calling James Dean odd, but an entire museum dedicated to the Hollywood star—plus Garfield—is pretty niche. The James Dean Museum is in Fairmount, Indiana, where Dean spent much of his life. Dean’s motorcycle, handwritten letters, and movie props are on display. They’re all next to a tribute to Jim Davis and his cat creation, Garfield (Davis also called Fairmount home.)

Sock Monkey Museum

Guinness World Records certified as the largest collection of homemade sock monkeys, the Sock Monkey Museum resides in Long Grove, Illinois. Visitors can read “Red Heel Affirmations,” learn all sorts of facts and histories about sock monkeys, and make their own stuffed friends.

A historic red brick building with a signage that reads "The International Vinegar Museum" above its more modern-looking glass door.
Photo Credit: International Vinegar Museum
The International Vinegar Museum is located in the historic Roslyn Auditorium, a project completed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936.

Canoe Museum

Boasting among the most lakes of any state in the Midwest, it’s fitting for the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum to be in Spooner, Wisconsin (Minnesota, you have a lot of lakes, too!) Open seasonally (much like canoeing), there are boats on display next to its giant canoe woodshop. You can learn about canoe-building traditions and timelines across the Midwest, east coast, and Canada.

International Vinegar Museum

Pucker up at the (seasonal) International Vinegar Museum in Roslyn, South Dakota. Vinegar enthusiasts can taste vinegar while learning how it’s made and what it can be used for. And it’s also an art museum of sorts: Visitors can see artwork made from vinegar paper and vinegar ceramic.