21 Weirdest Things On Display in Museums

Carly Tennes Published 05/31/2024 in wow

While we may head to museums to see priceless works of art, classical masterpieces, and massive recreations of dinosaur skeletons, sometimes we wind up with a whole lot more than we bargained for ... like three buckets of uranium ore or a taxidermied middle finger.

From a hot dog bun signed by President Jimmy Carter to Rasputin's preserved johnson here are 22 bizarre items that have been on display in museums and other locations around the globe.

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1. Thomas Edison’s Last Breath
“Henry Ford stored his friend Thomas Edison's last dying breath in a test tube, his motives unclear. It's on display today at the Ford Museum.”
2. The 60 Minutes Stopwatch
“The stopwatch on 60 Minutes was real and is now on display at the Smithsonian. ‘This watch was used on the program until the late 1990s, when it was replaced by a computer graphic.’”
3. An Unwrapped Hostess Snack
“A [Hostess snack] unwrapped during a 1976 chemistry lesson has remained on display at a Maine school for over 40 years.”
4. General Santa Anna’s Wooden Leg
“TIL about General Santa Anna’s wooden leg. The leg was captured by an Illinois regiment in 1847 and is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.”
5. A ‘Dead’ Snail
“A ‘dead’ Egyptian snail was put on display in a British museum. Four years later, the "dead" snail awoke.”
6. Galileo’s Middle Finger
“Galileo's middle finger is on display in Florence.”
7. Jeremy Bentham’s Skeleton
“Jeremy Bentham's dressed skeleton is on display in the UCL Student Union. Bentham donated his body to science, but requested that after dissection, they preserve and dress his body in his own clothes, and bring him to meetings and social events. He died in 1832 and was moved to UCL in 1850.”
8. An Apparently Functional 155-Year-Old Mousetrap
“In 2016, a 155-year-old mousetrap kept on display in a museum in Berkshire caught a mouse.”
9. A Buddhist Monk Mummy
“TIL about buddhist monk mummies. One of them being Luang Pho Daeng whose mummy is on display since he died in 1973 while meditating. To reduce the uneasess around a mummy they put sunglasses over his eye sockets. Also his body is a breeding ground for lizards that lay eggs under the mummies skin.”
10. Three Buckets of Uranium Ore
“The Grand Canyon Museum had three buckets of radioactive uranium ore on display for 18 years, and only found out when a kid was goofing around with a Geiger counter.”
11. Rasputin’s Johnson
“Rasputin's p—s is on display in a Russian erotica museum. It's 11 inches long.”
12. An Autographed Hot Dog Bun
“A hot dog bun signed by Jimmy Carter is on display at a restaurant in Toledo, Ohio.”
13. The First Barcode
“The very first barcode scanned was for a pack of Juicy Fruit in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. The pack of gum and its receipt are now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.”
14. The Hoggle Puppet From ‘Labryinth’
“Jim Henson lost the Hoggle puppet from "Labyrinth" after traveling back from the overseas movie set. The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama discovered it inside a lost shipping container and now it is on display at their museum of found treasures.”
15. The Original Winnie the Pooh Characters
“The original Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger have been on display at The New York Public Library since 1987. They originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, whose father decided to make a bedtime story about the characters.
16. The Ice Pick Used To Kill Trotsky
“The ice pick used to kill Leon Trotsky is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.”
17. Lady Gaga's Meat Dress
“The infamous ‘Meat Dress’ Lady Gaga wore in 2010 has since been preserved by taxidermists who converted it into a form of beef jerky. Over twelve years later the dress is still intact and on display in Las Vegas.”
18. Vladimir Lenin’s Body
“Vladimir Lenin's body has been preserved and put on display since his death in 1924, where visitors can still view his corpse today.”
19. Balto's Taxidermied Body
“The famous Alaskan sled dog ‘Balto’ was preserved in taxidermy and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio.”
20. A Cast of Jimi Hendrix’s Dong
“There is a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix's p—s on display at a museum in Iceland.”
21. Albert Einstein's Brain
“The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia has 46 microscope slides that contain pieces of Einstein's brain on display.”
22. Bonnie and Clyde’s Ride
Bonnie and Clyde's shot-up car is on display in Primm, Nevada

1. Thomas Edison’s Last Breath
“Henry Ford stored his friend Thomas Edison's last dying breath in a test tube, his motives unclear. It's on display today at the Ford Museum.”
2. The 60 Minutes Stopwatch
“The stopwatch on 60 Minutes was real and is now on display at the Smithsonian. ‘This watch was used on the program until the late 1990s, when it was replaced by a computer graphic.’”
3. An Unwrapped Hostess Snack
“A [Hostess snack] unwrapped during a 1976 chemistry lesson has remained on display at a Maine school for over 40 years.”
4. General Santa Anna’s Wooden Leg
“TIL about General Santa Anna’s wooden leg. The leg was captured by an Illinois regiment in 1847 and is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.”
5. A ‘Dead’ Snail
“A ‘dead’ Egyptian snail was put on display in a British museum. Four years later, the "dead" snail awoke.”
6. Galileo’s Middle Finger
“Galileo's middle finger is on display in Florence.”
7. Jeremy Bentham’s Skeleton
“Jeremy Bentham's dressed skeleton is on display in the UCL Student Union. Bentham donated his body to science, but requested that after dissection, they preserve and dress his body in his own clothes, and bring him to meetings and social events. He died in 1832 and was moved to UCL in 1850.”
8. An Apparently Functional 155-Year-Old Mousetrap
“In 2016, a 155-year-old mousetrap kept on display in a museum in Berkshire caught a mouse.”
9. A Buddhist Monk Mummy
“TIL about buddhist monk mummies. One of them being Luang Pho Daeng whose mummy is on display since he died in 1973 while meditating. To reduce the uneasess around a mummy they put sunglasses over his eye sockets. Also his body is a breeding ground for lizards that lay eggs under the mummies skin.”
10. Three Buckets of Uranium Ore
“The Grand Canyon Museum had three buckets of radioactive uranium ore on display for 18 years, and only found out when a kid was goofing around with a Geiger counter.”
11. Rasputin’s Johnson
“Rasputin's p—s is on display in a Russian erotica museum. It's 11 inches long.”
12. An Autographed Hot Dog Bun
“A hot dog bun signed by Jimmy Carter is on display at a restaurant in Toledo, Ohio.”
13. The First Barcode
“The very first barcode scanned was for a pack of Juicy Fruit in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. The pack of gum and its receipt are now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.”
14. The Hoggle Puppet From ‘Labryinth’
“Jim Henson lost the Hoggle puppet from "Labyrinth" after traveling back from the overseas movie set. The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama discovered it inside a lost shipping container and now it is on display at their museum of found treasures.”
15. The Original Winnie the Pooh Characters
“The original Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger have been on display at The New York Public Library since 1987. They originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, whose father decided to make a bedtime story about the characters.
16. The Ice Pick Used To Kill Trotsky
“The ice pick used to kill Leon Trotsky is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.”
17. Lady Gaga's Meat Dress
“The infamous ‘Meat Dress’ Lady Gaga wore in 2010 has since been preserved by taxidermists who converted it into a form of beef jerky. Over twelve years later the dress is still intact and on display in Las Vegas.”
18. Vladimir Lenin’s Body
“Vladimir Lenin's body has been preserved and put on display since his death in 1924, where visitors can still view his corpse today.”
19. Balto's Taxidermied Body
“The famous Alaskan sled dog ‘Balto’ was preserved in taxidermy and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio.”
20. A Cast of Jimi Hendrix’s Dong
“There is a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix's p—s on display at a museum in Iceland.”
21. Albert Einstein's Brain
“The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia has 46 microscope slides that contain pieces of Einstein's brain on display.”
22. Bonnie and Clyde’s Ride
Bonnie and Clyde's shot-up car is on display in Primm, Nevada

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Thomas Edison’s Last Breath
“Henry Ford stored his friend Thomas Edison's last dying breath in a test tube, his motives unclear. It's on display today at the Ford Museum.”

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1. Thomas Edison’s Last Breath “Henry Ford stored his friend Thomas Edison's last dying breath in a test tube, his motives unclear. It's on display today at the Ford Museum.”

2. The 60 Minutes Stopwatch “The stopwatch on 60 Minutes was real and is now on display at the Smithsonian. ‘This watch was used on the program until the late 1990s, when it was replaced by a computer graphic.’”

3. An Unwrapped Hostess Snack “A [Hostess snack] unwrapped during a 1976 chemistry lesson has remained on display at a Maine school for over 40 years.”

4. General Santa Anna’s Wooden Leg “TIL about General Santa Anna’s wooden leg. The leg was captured by an Illinois regiment in 1847 and is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.”

5. A ‘Dead’ Snail “A ‘dead’ Egyptian snail was put on display in a British museum. Four years later, the "dead" snail awoke.”

6. Galileo’s Middle Finger “Galileo's middle finger is on display in Florence.”

8. An Apparently Functional 155-Year-Old Mousetrap “In 2016, a 155-year-old mousetrap kept on display in a museum in Berkshire caught a mouse.”

10. Three Buckets of Uranium Ore “The Grand Canyon Museum had three buckets of radioactive uranium ore on display for 18 years, and only found out when a kid was goofing around with a Geiger counter.”

11. Rasputin’s Johnson “Rasputin's p—s is on display in a Russian erotica museum. It's 11 inches long.”

12. An Autographed Hot Dog Bun “A hot dog bun signed by Jimmy Carter is on display at a restaurant in Toledo, Ohio.”

13. The First Barcode “The very first barcode scanned was for a pack of Juicy Fruit in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. The pack of gum and its receipt are now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.”

15. The Original Winnie the Pooh Characters “The original Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger have been on display at The New York Public Library since 1987. They originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, whose father decided to make a bedtime story about the characters.

16. The Ice Pick Used To Kill Trotsky “The ice pick used to kill Leon Trotsky is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.”

17. Lady Gaga's Meat Dress “The infamous ‘Meat Dress’ Lady Gaga wore in 2010 has since been preserved by taxidermists who converted it into a form of beef jerky. Over twelve years later the dress is still intact and on display in Las Vegas.”

18. Vladimir Lenin’s Body “Vladimir Lenin's body has been preserved and put on display since his death in 1924, where visitors can still view his corpse today.”

19. Balto's Taxidermied Body “The famous Alaskan sled dog ‘Balto’ was preserved in taxidermy and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio.”

20. A Cast of Jimi Hendrix’s Dong “There is a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix's p—s on display at a museum in Iceland.”

21. Albert Einstein's Brain “The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia has 46 microscope slides that contain pieces of Einstein's brain on display.”

22. Bonnie and Clyde’s Ride Bonnie and Clyde's shot-up car is on display in Primm, Nevada

1. Thomas Edison’s Last Breath

2. The 60 Minutes Stopwatch

3. An Unwrapped Hostess Snack

4. General Santa Anna’s Wooden Leg

5. A ‘Dead’ Snail

6. Galileo’s Middle Finger

7. Jeremy Bentham’s Skeleton

8. An Apparently Functional 155-Year-Old Mousetrap

9. A Buddhist Monk Mummy

10. Three Buckets of Uranium Ore

11. Rasputin’s Johnson

12. An Autographed Hot Dog Bun

13. The First Barcode

14. The Hoggle Puppet From ‘Labryinth’

15. The Original Winnie the Pooh Characters

16. The Ice Pick Used To Kill Trotsky

17. Lady Gaga's Meat Dress

18. Vladimir Lenin’s Body

19. Balto's Taxidermied Body

20. A Cast of Jimi Hendrix’s Dong

21. Albert Einstein's Brain

22. Bonnie and Clyde’s Ride

Share This Image

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eBaum's Picks

1. Thomas Edison’s Last Breath
“Henry Ford stored his friend Thomas Edison's last dying breath in a test tube, his motives unclear. It's on display today at the Ford Museum.”

2. The 60 Minutes Stopwatch
“The stopwatch on 60 Minutes was real and is now on display at the Smithsonian. ‘This watch was used on the program until the late 1990s, when it was replaced by a computer graphic.’”

3. An Unwrapped Hostess Snack
“A [Hostess snack] unwrapped during a 1976 chemistry lesson has remained on display at a Maine school for over 40 years.”

4. General Santa Anna’s Wooden Leg
“TIL about General Santa Anna’s wooden leg. The leg was captured by an Illinois regiment in 1847 and is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.”

5. A ‘Dead’ Snail
“A ‘dead’ Egyptian snail was put on display in a British museum. Four years later, the "dead" snail awoke.”

6. Galileo’s Middle Finger
“Galileo's middle finger is on display in Florence.”

8. An Apparently Functional 155-Year-Old Mousetrap
“In 2016, a 155-year-old mousetrap kept on display in a museum in Berkshire caught a mouse.”

10. Three Buckets of Uranium Ore
“The Grand Canyon Museum had three buckets of radioactive uranium ore on display for 18 years, and only found out when a kid was goofing around with a Geiger counter.”

11. Rasputin’s Johnson
“Rasputin's p—s is on display in a Russian erotica museum. It's 11 inches long.”

12. An Autographed Hot Dog Bun
“A hot dog bun signed by Jimmy Carter is on display at a restaurant in Toledo, Ohio.”

13. The First Barcode
“The very first barcode scanned was for a pack of Juicy Fruit in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. The pack of gum and its receipt are now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.”

15. The Original Winnie the Pooh Characters
“The original Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger have been on display at The New York Public Library since 1987. They originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, whose father decided to make a bedtime story about the characters.

16. The Ice Pick Used To Kill Trotsky
“The ice pick used to kill Leon Trotsky is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, District of Columbia.”

17. Lady Gaga's Meat Dress
“The infamous ‘Meat Dress’ Lady Gaga wore in 2010 has since been preserved by taxidermists who converted it into a form of beef jerky. Over twelve years later the dress is still intact and on display in Las Vegas.”

18. Vladimir Lenin’s Body
“Vladimir Lenin's body has been preserved and put on display since his death in 1924, where visitors can still view his corpse today.”

19. Balto's Taxidermied Body
“The famous Alaskan sled dog ‘Balto’ was preserved in taxidermy and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio.”

20. A Cast of Jimi Hendrix’s Dong
“There is a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix's p—s on display at a museum in Iceland.”

21. Albert Einstein's Brain
“The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia has 46 microscope slides that contain pieces of Einstein's brain on display.”

22. Bonnie and Clyde’s Ride
Bonnie and Clyde's shot-up car is on display in Primm, Nevada