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What's your favorite museum I haven't heard of?

Discussion in 'Tilted Art, Photography, Music & Literature' started by eyeronic, Nov 18, 2013.

  1. eyeronic

    eyeronic New Member

    Here are 3 of my favorite little-known museums in NYC and London:

    NYC
    New York City Fire Museum - Amazing objects, like old fire wagons, hand-painted water buckets, etc. in this great history museum in an old firehouse.

    Ukrainian Museum - An excellent, new building with surprisingly delightfully art exhibits. Most contemporary, a lot of figurative painting and sculpture.

    London
    Sir John Soane Museum - The personal collection of an 18th C. architect. This is an amazing house which will make you wish you had zillions of dollars to create something similar. Amazing art collection and a funky architectural detail collection in the basement. So cool.

    (I'm too new to post links, but I'll add them and pics, when I'm cleared to do so.)
     
  2. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Welcome to Royal Ontario Museum | Royal Ontario Museum It's incredible. It covers natural history and culture. There was so much to look at--endless galleries of artifacts. My favorite gallery was this one: Samuel European Galleries | Level 3 | Royal Ontario Museum I liked it so much I went through it twice. It's definitely a must-see in Toronto. I cried in the Mesopotamia exhibit because I got to see a piece of The Epic of Gilgamesh in person. It's a big museum, to be sure, but it's been my experience that unless you've been to Toronto or have friends in Toronto, most people in the U.S. are pretty fucking clueless about Toronto.

    The Washington State History Museum:
    Washington State History Society > Home
    Lots of cool stuff to look at, and you can walk through an interactive Hooverville.

    The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve of Chicago:Money Museum - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago We stumbled upon it while waiting for someone to get off work so we could go to the Berghoff. It was free. If we know people are going to Chicago, we often suggest it as something to do because it is so interesting--you get to see money in all kinds of different quantities, and when you're done, they give you a bag of Fed Shreds--old bills that have been destroyed and bagged up.

    I love museums--it's probably one of the top things my husband and I do when we travel.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    In addition to the 15 or so Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC, two little-know museums that are pretty cool are the International Spy Museum and the Newseum (News Museum). They both have a hefty admission fee ($20+).
     
  4. DamnitAll

    DamnitAll Wait... what?

    Location:
    Central MD
    The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is small but very much worth a visit if you're into creepy medicinal lore.

    Because how can you go wrong with heroin-soaked tampons?
     
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  5. paddyjoe

    paddyjoe curious

    Location:
    ROC boy gone south
    snowy speaks the truth! I visited here this past summer for the Sebastisao Salgado exhibit - 'Genesis' Huge mind-blowing show just beautifully presented.

    And, as snowy and some fellow TFP ers will attest, if you are ever in Rochester, do yourself a favor and visit The George Eastman House.
     
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  6. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
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  7. Remixer

    Remixer Middle Eastern Doofus

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    • Like Like x 2
  8. CinnamonGirl

    CinnamonGirl The Cheat is GROUNDED!

    I've always loved COSI, the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio. Granted, I haven't been to the new facility (yet), but it looks like they have a lot of the same activities, plus some more "high tech" ones that weren't around when I was a kid. My favorites were the planetarium, the interactive "be a meteorologist" exhibit, and outdoor science park. Many fond memories of that place. And now I want to go!
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2013
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  9. The Peshtigo Fire Museum in Peshtigo, WI.

    There isn't anything too amazing about it. I just like it because it's a small town museum that talks about the tiny town's history.

    It also reminds me of my mom. She loved tiny museums like this, so I guess that's where I get it from. My brother lived in Peshtigo, WI. When my mom and her cousin went to visit him, they went to this museum. My brother never understood how they could find so much to do in that tiny town.
    --- merged: Nov 18, 2013 at 2:40 PM ---
    Come visit me. We could take BabySquirrel to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry...aka OMSI.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2013
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  10. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Oh yeah! The George Eastman House is awesome. I loved visiting there.
     
  11. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    This is my favourite Sydney Museum. Lots of things to touch, feel and climb on. I remember when it was free entry :(

    They also often have really cool (travelling) exhibits.

    This is one place to *avoid* during school holidays, though - always overrun with 1000's of kids.

    It has a lot in common with the Science Museum in London:


    Science Museum, London
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Speed_Gibson

    Speed_Gibson Hacking the Gibson

    Location:
    Wolf 359
    Already mentioned by ZombieSquirrel - OMSI was my first thought.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. hamsterball

    hamsterball Seeking New Outlets

    The Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA is a favorite of mine
     
  14. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Most people don't realize that National Geographic has one down in DC.

    It has awesome presentations...
    The last one I saw was on Da Vinci's military engineering...which is one of the ways he made his money.
    They actually had the equipment and machinery right there.

    The fact he was coming up with these "out of the box" ideas to help enable attacks, defense and logistics was genius.
    It's one thing to get the idea.
    It's another to draw it out with such artistry.
    And it's still another to actually build the machine ...and it works ...tested in real battles.

    And he had so many...so impressive.
    Friggin' a one-man Lockheed.

    But don't get me wrong, there is still more at that museum.
    And they switch it up, quite often.
    You can find what there at the moment at their website. - Link
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2013
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  15. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    The Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena, CA. Often overlooked in favor of the LA County Museum or the Getty, but most likely the best small art museum I have ever seen. Fabulous collection.

    The Huntington Museum and Gardens, also in Pasadena. Amazing gardens-- possibly the best I've seen in America-- and a lovely little museum.

    Driehaus Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, Chicago. Huge collection of Tiffany pieces. Very offbeat, definite niche interest, but beautiful stuff.

    The Herzl Museum, Jerusalem. Everybody goes to the Israel Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, and Yad Vashem, but the Herzl Museum is a wonderful little museum of the life of Theodor Herzl and the history of the early Zionist movement. Worth it for the history buffs.
     
  16. eyeronic

    eyeronic New Member

    Re: Redux and the Spy Museum...
    Those are pretty famous, I'd say. I normally eschew museum which are not non-profits, the the Spy Museum is fantastic. I wish it had been there when I was a kid. So much fun as an adult though too. And huge!
    --- merged: Nov 19, 2013 at 11:22 AM ---
    Re: Remixer's suggestion - Powerhouse Museum
    I totally want to go there. I'd say they're internationally Twitter famous. They've been doing social really well for a long time.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 26, 2013
  17. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    There's also the Holocaust Museum...very intense and emotional.
    The Corcoran Gallery of Art - 10 bucks...and but awesome...and they switch it up. (get there while you can, they're thinking of changing it)

    And I love the National Portrait Gallery...all the class American paintings you've seen in the books for years "life size"
    and they also switch it up quite often...tons of presentations, free...and the courtyard is beautiful.
    I used to spend lunches there when I worked at the Mint.

    Actually, this is why I love living near DC...tons of museums, lots to go to for free or relatively little money. :cool:
    Just put in "museum dc" in google maps...and they'll show them all.
     
  18. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    The Renwick Gallery, part of the Smithsonian, is a great museum; the first building in the U.S. designed expressly as an art museum,. But because it is off the National Mall, it is not as well known as the other Smithsonian museum.

    [​IMG]

    It was closed for two years for renovation and reopened a few months ago with a very cool exhibit called Wonder. Nine artist each had a gallery to use the full space using a variety of materials. I did the walk through last Saturday.

    WONDER Online Gallery | Renwick Gallery Smithsonian American Art Museum
    --- merged: Feb 10, 2016 at 12:21 AM ---
    They also encourage taking pictures and sharing your social media posts.
    Share Your Visit Using #RenwickGallery | Renwick Gallery SAAM
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2016
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  19. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    • Like Like x 1
  20. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska