9 Incredibly Creepy Museums

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Tired of the same old Picassos, Van Goghs, and Renoirs? Skip the well-lit Louvre and the safe Met and visit these incredibly creepy museums instead.

Torture Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Didn’t get enough torture inspiration in all seven Saw movies? Visit Amsterdam’s Torture Museum to see what instruments of pain were used back in the day. Here, you’ll see charming delights like the Skull Cracker and the Inquisition Chair. Fun for the whole family.

Vent Haven Museum, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

We’re 95 percent sure the exhibits in this ventriloquism museum come alive at night. Shockingly, this museum is not inundated with daily visitors, so you’ll have to make an appointment to get in. So it could be just you, the dolls, and the puppet master in there …

Siriraj Forensic Museum, Bangkok, Thailand

Need more death in your life? Preserved endings of every kind live here, including the body of a serial killer who murdered and ate children; a decapitated head; and the mind-bogglingly enormous testicle of a human elephantiasis patient.

Glore Psychiatric Museum, St. Joseph, Missouri

Although “State Lunatic Asylum No. 2” would make an excellent name for a horror movie, it’s actually what this museum chronicles. Glore Psychiatric Museum preserves the history of the local mental institution, which operated for 130 years, by using replicas, interactive displays, and more … although we are a little afraid of what “interactive displays” include in a museum that features things like the Bath of Surprise and the Hollow Wheel.

El Museo de las Momias (Museum of the Mummies), Guanajuato, Mexico

When visiting historical cemeteries, do you ever wish you could see what lies below? Well, you’re in luck! When the public cemetery got too full, bodies without living relatives to pay upkeep fees were dug up to make room for new stiffs. Instead of finding skeletons, the staff unearthed mummified bodies, so naturally they decided to put them on display in a museum. The faces on the mummies are horrifying, and walking through the halls lined with the dead is akin to running a gauntlet. The bodies are divided into fun categories like “baby mummies” and “tragic deaths.”

Icelandic Phallological Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland

Hey, let’s take a break from Iceland’s amazing natural beauty and go look at a bunch of dead private parts. This museum boats more than 300 phalluses and “penile parts,” making it the world’s largest phallic museum, a title for which there’s (hopefully) not much competition. You’ll find specimens from whales, bears, and even man.

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The Museum of Death, Hollywood, California

Sunny California just too bright and cheerful for you? Respite awaits you in the Museum of Death, which boasts the world’s largest collection of artwork by serial murderers (don’t forget to stop by the gift shop for postcards!), videos of autopsies and deaths, and photos of the Charles Manson crime scenes.

“There is not an age limit for the Museum of Death because we all die, but we strongly recommend mature audiences,” warns the museum’s website.”There have been a number of falling-down ovations (people passing out) at the museum (mostly men), so we stress being prepared for a good dose of reality!” Hmm, We All Die sounds like a fantastic title for a children’s book …

Meguro Parasitological Museum, Tokyo, Japan

Don’t worry, we’re sure that the Tokyo street sushi or that unidentifiable meat you ate earlier was totally safe and not teeming with parasites. But just in case that sushi was a little off, come see what will soon be living inside you at the Meguro Parasitological Museum. Here, you can see all the best parasites, like a tapeworm that’s more than 28 feet long.

The House Of Terror, Budapest, Hungary

This building beats all the others on this list in the creepiest-facade category. The museum is housed in the former headquarters of the Hungarian communist secret police and is topped off with a cutout of the word “terror.” Images of the victims line the exterior. The inside is just as creepy, showcasing former torture cells as well as photos of perpetrators (some of whom are still living) who were never caught or prosecuted. All of this is accompanied by a background soundtrack of horror-movie-type music and sound effects.

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