Los Angeles, the sprawling Southern California city famed as the center of the world’s entertainment industry, also holds a tantalizing array of peculiar attractions hidden beneath the mainstream. This guide is your secret key to unlock a world of the unexpected, an invitation to explore the less-trodden paths of weird and wonderful museums that punctuate the greater LA area. Let’s delve into a curated list of the top oddball museums that will leave you utterly fascinated.
World of Illusions
Situated right in the heart of LA, the World of Illusions stands as a testament to the city’s love for the unconventional. This one-of-a-kind attraction offers a thrilling escape from the norm, offering four exciting exhibits that challenge your perception of reality.
The first of these, the Museum of Illusions, transports you into a world of 3D illusions that leap off the walls, creating an immersive and interactive experience. Then, step into the Upside Down House, where you’ll find yourself gravitating to the ceiling in seven unique rooms. You’ll have a blast trying to make sense of this topsy-turvy world!
Next, get ready to feel dwarfed in the Giant’s House, where everyday objects balloon to an enormous size. Last but not least, unleash your inner chaos in Smash It, where plates are meant to be shattered against the wall – a perfect stress reliever!
The World of Illusions offers an out-of-this-world experience that you won’t find in any traditional museum. It’s a must-visit for anyone seeking a dash of the unconventional in LA.
Museum of Jurassic Technology
Located in Culver City, the Museum of Jurassic Technology offers a truly peculiar collection that blurs the lines between art and science. Its exhibits range from scientific curiosities to artistic wonders, with each piece inspiring a sense of the uncanny. It’s a weird but delightful smorgasbord of the fantastic and the factual that will leave you questioning the nature of knowledge itself.
The Bunny Museum
In Altadena, a suburb of Los Angeles, lies the Bunny Museum – an unexpected treasure trove of all things bunny-related. What started as a sweet romantic gesture between a couple has now transformed into a massive collection of over 35,000 bunny items. From stuffed toys to statues, and even some real live bunnies, this attraction offers a weirdly wonderful experience for animal lovers and curiosity-seekers alike.
Velveteria
The Velveteria, tucked away in LA’s Chinatown, is a destination unlike any other. This one-of-a-kind destination is dedicated to the kitschy, often maligned art of velvet painting. With over 3,000 velvet paintings, the museum displays an array of vibrant portraits, ranging from celebrities to religious figures, and from unicorns to matadors. It’s a weird, whimsical, and utterly unique corner of the LA art scene.
Time Travel Mart
Stepping into the Time Travel Mart in Echo Park, Los Angeles, you may feel as though you’ve slipped through a portal to another era. This unique shop-cum-museum offers a range of products to aid in your time-traveling adventures. From robot milk to dodo chow, it’s a treasure trove of weird and hilarious curiosities. Plus, all purchases support 826LA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students with their creative writing skills. The Time Travel Mart is not just an oddity; it’s an oddity with a cause.
The Museum of Death
If you’re fascinated by the macabre, the Museum of Death in Hollywood is the place to be. This museum houses a large collection of death-related items, including mortician’s instruments, crime scene photographs, and much more. While it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted, the Museum of Death offers a unique and sobering exploration of life’s inevitable end. It’s a weird, chilling, but ultimately intriguing part of LA’s museum scene.
Valley Relics Museum
Located in Van Nuys, the Valley Relics Museum is a tribute to the history and pop culture of the San Fernando Valley. With neon signs, classic cars, vintage pop culture memorabilia, and more, it’s a captivating trip down memory lane. The attraction offers an unusual perspective on LA’s history that you won’t find in your typical history museum.
The Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum
Rounding out our list is one of the most controversial museums in LA – The Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum. Located in Hollywood, this exhibition, operated by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (a group co-founded by the Church of Scientology), presents a damning critique of psychiatry. It’s a provocative, unsettling, and undeniably weird experience that is bound to provoke conversation and debate.
Each of these museums offers a refreshing twist to the typical Los Angeles excursion, proving that LA’s cultural landscape is as diverse as it is vast. From optical illusions to time travel supplies, you’re bound to find something to pique your interest in this lineup of weird museums.
FAQs
What are some weird museums in Los Angeles that can be visited with kids?
Los Angeles is full of unique and weird museums that are kid-friendly and promise a day full of fun and learning. The World of Illusions, for instance, is an excellent choice for families. With four different exhibits, including the Museum of Illusions and the Upside Down House, it offers interactive experiences that are both educational and entertaining. Another great destination is the Bunny Museum located in Altadena, a suburb of Los Angeles. This museum is home to more than 35,000 bunny-related items and even has live bunnies that kids can interact with, making it a truly unique and memorable experience.
I love the unusual and quirky. What are some must-visit weird museums in LA?
LA is indeed a paradise for lovers of the weird and quirky. The Velveteria, a museum in downtown LA, is dedicated entirely to velvet paintings, showcasing a variety of themes from Elvis to matadors. For a trip into the truly bizarre, the Museum of Jurassic Technology offers a collection of oddball exhibits that blur the lines between art and science. A relatively new addition to LA’s museum scene, the World of Illusions, offers a range of interactive and immersive experiences that toy with your perception of reality. Its four unique exhibits provide endless fun and are a must-visit for anyone seeking an unusual museum experience in LA.
Are there any new weird museums to check out in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles is a dynamic city with a constantly evolving cultural scene, and this includes its variety of weird museums. It’s a good idea to check local listings and museum websites regularly to stay updated on new openings. One of the newer additions to the museum scene in LA is the World of Illusions. With its unique exhibits that play with your perception of reality, this museum offers a fresh and unique experience that is unlike anything else in Los Angeles. And the Time Travel Mart is always new every day – their “time travelling” vendors always have something fresh to offer from the future (or the past)!
