These 7 unusual museums are anything but ordinary

Water coming out of a silver faucet on a teal background

Beijing's Museum of Tap Water sits on the site of the city's first water plant

(Image credit: Peter Dazeley / Getty Images)

published 14 February 2024

Art, natural history and science museums are wonderful places to explore, but sometimes you want a museum shake-up. That's where these seven out-of-the-ordinary museums come into play, with their focus on toilets, tap water and dog collars.

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum in Yokohama, Japan

A young woman eats a bowl of ramen soup — At Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, visitors can sign up for ramen making classes

Ramen is a staple in many diets (looking at you, college kids), and the humble dish gets its brothy due at this museum south of Tokyo. Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum opened its doors in 1994 and has displays on the history of ramen and offers ramen-making classes. The main draws are the shops that sell different types of ramen and the Sunset Shopping Street, a replica of a traditional sweet shop that sells hundreds of old-fashioned treats and toys.

Mendenhall's Museum of Gasoline Pumps & Petroliana in Buellton, California

An old yellow gasoline pump — Jack Mendenhall spent decades collecting gasoline pump memorabilia

Get your motor running at this museum filled with all things service station. On display is the private collection of Jack Mendenhall, a Chevron station owner who spent decades accumulating gasoline pumps and globes, porcelain and metal oil and road signs, license plates and race cars. Today, the museum is operated by his son and daughter-in-law, who have added their own gas station memorabilia to the venue.

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Museum of Bread and Art in Ulm, Germany

A stack of crusty Italian bread rolls — The Museum of Bread and Art has 16,000 artifacts

Grab a slice of culture at the Museum of Bread and Art, an intriguing space that holds more than 16,000 artifacts. The museum is housed inside a Renaissance-era building, and bread is just one part of it. Other topics explored include nutrition, food consumption and daily life. "Bread and strategies to mitigate hunger have been part of our culture and society for thousands of years," the museum said in its mission statement. "Those who take a closer look at bread see our society with sharpened eyes."

Sulabh International Toilet Museum in New Delhi, India

Two female nursing students walk by toilets at the Sulabh International Toilet Museum in New Delhi — The Sulabh International Toilet Museum tells the history of hygiene and sanitation

While its focus is the porcelain throne, the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets is much more than that. It also examines the history of hygiene and sanitation, with exhibitions on social customs and etiquette, toilet technology and sewage systems. The museum has three main sections — ancient, medieval and modern — and an extensive collection of objects, including chamber pots, bidets and toilets from 1145 to present day.

The Dog Collar Museum at Leeds Castle in Broomfield, England

Bedazzled dog collars — Bedazzled collars are a more modern invention, but you will see ornate displays at the Dog Collar Museum

Collars have been adorning the necks of canines for centuries, and this museum has examples dating back to the late 15th century. The collection includes rare pieces from the Baroque period and a 500-year-old collar that once protected a Spanish iron herd mastiff from wolves and bears. It's fascinating to see how the collar evolved and the different materials used over the years.

Museum of Sex in New York, New York

An artwork showing a woman on a toy horse at the Museum of Sex in New York City — The Museum of Sex opened in Manhattan in 2002

The Museum of Sex wants to give visitors a titillating time and does so by fostering an "environment that promotes open dialogue, free from the constraints of self-censorship." The immersive museum was founded in 2002 to "preserve and present the history, evolution and cultural significance of human sexuality," and has in its permanent collection more than 20,000 artifacts, including photographs, clothing, art and ephemera. After taking in exhibitions like "Porno Chic to Sex Positivity: Erotic Content & The Mainstream, 1960 Till Today," head over to the museum's Carnal Carnival bar for a drink.

Museum of Tap Water in Beijing, China

Water drips from an old outside tap — Beijing's Museum of Tap Water is one of a kind

Standing on the site of Beijing's first city water plant is the Museum of Tap Water, which delves into what it takes to bring H20 to a metropolis. The museum has exhibitions on how water is collected and filtered, with photos, models, sand tables and other objects serving as illustrations. It's an educational experience for everyone, especially those who do not have much hydrology knowledge.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.