Not just another museum
Check out these unique spaces dedicated to everything from cartoons to eatables
- Harshada Rege
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- May 14, 2018, 09:03 PM IST
While history lovers can spend hours inside a museum, there are those, who shudder at the thought of spending time in one during their trip. But some of them are unique and definitely deserve your attention and time. Here’s where you can delve into the history of various events, people and even eatables.
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1/10
Chocolate Museum: Belgians do take their chocolate very seriously. The presence of the chocolate museum — Choc-Story — in Brugge is a clear indication of that. Visit the various rooms that will tell you all about the origin and growth of chocolate. You can also consult a vast library containing works on cocoa and chocolate, and talk about chocolate with experts. One can participate in workshops and try your hand at making chocolate. Do check out their shop before you wrap up your visit.
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2/10
Torture Museum: If you love all things gory, this is the place to go to. Located in one of the oldest, historical European prisons, ‘De Oude Steen’ (the old stone), Brugge Landmark, brings a gripping exhibition of cruel instruments engineered to cause unbelievable pain and suffering. You can see more than 100 torture and execution devices at the museum. The devices are placed in a chronological, judicial context which brings a new light and significance on the origin of torture and the use of these horrifying instruments.
3. Bruges Beer Experience
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3/10
Beer Museum: At the Bruges Beer Experience, you discover the most fascinating aspects of beer in a fun and innovative way. The iPad Mini takes you deep into the world of beer where you learn about the history of beer, from its beginnings until the present day, beer in Bruges, Trappist beers, beer types and brewing processes. If you like quizzes, take the Beer Challenges quiz and find out how much you know about beer. After the museum visit, you get to taste the different beer types and styles. The price of admission includes a tasting of three beers of your choice.
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4/10
Gelato Museum: The Carpigiani Gelato Museum, Emilia Bologna, Italy, is the only museum dedicated to the history of artisan gelato! Gelato lovers can opt for classes, guided tours, special tasting events and more over here. The Museum is at Anzola dell’Emilia (just outside of Bologna). And yes, there’s a huge range of gelatos avaliable at the shop located right outside the museum.
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5/10
Fries Museum: Have you ever wondered, ‘Where does the potato come from?’ or ‘Was the fry invented in Belgium?’ or ‘What is the secret of making good fries?’. The Friet Museum, Bruges, is the place that can answer these question. This is the only museum dedicated to fries. On the ground floor you can learn about the fascinating history of the potato, which originated in Peru more than 10,000 years ago. On the first floor, visitors can discover the history and how fries came to Belgium, while in the basement of the building, you can even sample some.
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6/10
Burger Museum: Claiming to be the only museum in America dedicated to comfort food, Miami’s Burger Museum has an impressive collection of antique advertisements, memorabilia, and other rarities from American fast food. Expect to feel nostalgic looking at old campaigns from Wendy’s, Big Boy, In-N-Out, McDonald’s, and more. Don’t miss the vintage 15-foot hamburgers sign from Ohio, and a statue of the now-defunct McDonald’s character Officer Big Mac.
7. Asheville Pinball Museum
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Pinball Museum: Here you can learn about the history of pinball machines and uncover fun facts about different designs. But the real draw is the unlimited playtime at Asheville Pinball Museum, North Carolina. This museum houses a collection of pinball machines and arcade games from the 1940s to the present. You can’t play the antique ones, but it’s a free-for-all on the others. Get a glimpse of pop culture at its finest while you try to beat the high score on Spider-Man, Star Trek and Kiss pinball machines, or brush up on classic arcade games like Donkey Kong and Frogger.
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8/10
Hergé Museum: The Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, takes you on a journey through the life of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, offering a comprehensive perspective via thousands of sources from and related to the work of Hergé. More than 80 original plates, and 800 photographs, documents and objects have been brought together under one roof. The building itself was designed and built within the picturesque green setting of Walloon Brabant, by architect Christian de Portzamparc: a little like a grail hidden within a sacred grove!
9. Museum of Bags and Purses, Amsterdam
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9/10
Museum of Bags and Purses: The Museum of Bags and Purses, Amsterdam, the largest of its kind in the world, will show and tell you the story of a seemingly everyday article. It is a fascinating story, featuring fashion, art, customs and history. The museum is situated in a lovely canal house in the centre of Amsterdam, part of the UNESCO World heritage Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam, displaying the development of bags and purses from the Middle Ages to the present day. This is the only place in the world where you will find so many valuable, playful and exciting handbags in one collection: from historical highlights from the 15th century to the timeless classics of modern design.
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10/10
Balloon Museum: New Mexico is America’s hot air balloon capital, so the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum fits right in, displaying everything from scientific observation balloons to miniature Zeppelins.
