eight Quirky Texas Museums You Most likely Did not Know Existed

Texas has dozens of world-class art, science, and history museums, from Space Center Houston to the Alamo. But sometimes it’s the smaller, lesser-known museums that stick with you. We’ve rounded up eight weird but wonderful museums from around the state that evoke “oohs”, “ahhs” and giggles. Whether you’re a classic TV addict or a passionate collector, put these gems on your travel basket list.

Munster Mansion, built in 2001, was originally intended to be the main residence of the owners Sandra and Charles McKee. “I grew up with The Munsters and I loved the river in the Münsterhaus,” says Sandra. “I was joking with my husband about the construction and he said, ‘Baby, we can do this.'” The McKees watched all 70 episodes of the show multiple times to get every detail perfect. “We didn’t think anyone would take care of the house,” explains Sandra. “We thought people would just think we were the crazy ones on the street.” After a local newspaper published an article about the house, they were approached by Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick) himself, who visited the place before it was finished. The house has also been home to Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis) and Marilyn Munster (Pat Priest) over the years, and includes reproductions of Spot (Eddie’s pet dragon who lived under the stairs), the coffin phone, the dungeon, and the rotating suit of armor above on the stairs. The mansion is available for guided tours and monthly dinners with crime novels by appointment.

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Have you always wanted to lick a museum building? In the Salt Palace Museum it is not only tolerated, but also encouraged. (Don’t worry – salt kills germs.) The museum is made up of blocks of salt extracted from under the Grand Saline, which sits on top of a 20,000-foot salt dome.

The Turnpike Toy Museum, opened this month by married couple Steven and Cheryl Leary, specializes in 1/64 scale die-cast toy cars. The cars come from Stevens’ over 21,000 toy collections. “After visiting the world’s largest toy museum in Branson, Missouri, a few years ago, I turned to Steven and said, ‘We could do this,'” says Cheryl. In addition to the toy car collection, the museum has vintage model trains, Tonka trucks, toy Batmobile, and a 4 by 8 foot “parking lot” with 400 cars. Due to the size of the collection, the museum plans to change exhibits so that guests can see something new each time they visit.

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This museum has the largest collection of real funeral items and sheds light on some of the many global traditions surrounding death. See historic coffins, hearses, and caskets, plus exhibits related to the president’s funerals, the history of embalming, and the traditions of the Día de los Muertos.

Vicky Lynn Rogers has been collecting Gone with the Wind memorabilia for more than 30 years and has amassed an impressive collection of more than 6,000 items. After reading the book in high school, Rogers began collecting Gone with the Wind dolls. After attending the annual birthday parties for author Margaret Mitchell in Atlanta, she fell more in love with the novel and the film. “I started meeting other collectors,” says Rogers. “It became a very intense hobby.” Two must-see artifacts are Scarlett O’Hara’s black mourning bonnet and a first edition, Mitchell’s first printed novel. “She didn’t sign a lot of them, so it’s a very special item,” says Rogers.

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“King of the Commode” Barney Smith, who passed away in July 2019, spent his life collecting toilet seats, which he lavishly decorated with watches, coins, belt buckles, license plates and even Pez dispensers. Located in San Antonio, his collection of more than 1,400 items has been moved to the Texas Truck Yard, a beer garden in Denton County. Texas Truck Yard owner Jason Boso was looking for unique Texas art, and Smith was looking for someone to show his collection at the same time. The museum opened in June and Smith was able to see it before he died.

Located above a jewelry store, Miss Hattie’s Bordello started in 1902 and stayed in operation until the Texas Rangers closed it in 1952. On tours of what is now the museum, visitors (PG) hear stories about some of the girls who were in the making and learn about Texas at the turn of the 20th century.

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Did you know that one of America’s favorite pastimes dates back to the ancient Egyptians? Learn all about bowling at this museum and see unique artifacts and rare film clips. Exhibits include the Bowling Hall of Fame, innovations in the game, and a look at the future of the sport.

** This article first appeared on Texas Highways. Click here to view the article in its original format.

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