Illinois is full of museums that cater to the weird and wonderful side of life. Whether you’re interested in mousy miniatures, medieval torture devices, or the history of Mary Todd Lincoln, this list has the place for you. Sometimes a little absurdity is worth traveling for. These six museums will treat you to a slice of the state that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else.
- Batavia Depot Museum (Batavia)
H. Michael Miley / Flickr In one of the more scandalous events in Illinois history, Mary Todd Lincoln was committed to the Bellevue Mental Hospital by her son soon after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Though the hospital is gone, Batavia Depot Museum preserves its legacy and allows visitors to explore the grounds of this famously controversial historical site. The Batavia Depot Museum is located at 155 Houston St, Batavia, IL 60510.
- The Funk Prairie Home Museum (Shirley)
Funk Prairie Home Museum / Official Facebook Page The Funk Prairie Home Museum is a gorgeous homestead that has been remodeled into a museum to share the Funk family’s Illinois legacy.
Frank Prairie Home Museum/ Official Facebook It’s the mineral collection that draws visitors for miles to the Funk Prairie Home. For example, this sparkling pyrite may not fool you into think it’s gold, but it glitters all the same. If it’s geological gems that you’re searching for, this is the place to look in Illinois. The Funk Prairie home is located at 10875 Prairie Home Ln Funk Prairie Home, Shirley, IL 61772.
- Michael’s Museum (Chicago)
Michael’s Museum / Official Facebook Located in the Chicago Children’s Museum, Michael’s Museum is the best destination for a family outing on this list. Michael’s Museum is a collection of miniatures with a charming and quirky aesthetic.
Michael’s Museum / Official Facebook While we’re not sure if the iconic mouse on their website is technically Michael, he’s a fitting testament to the tiny treasures that await you at this museum. Michael’s Museum is located in the Chicago Children’s Museum at 700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.
- Intuit Center for Intuitive And Outside Art (Chicago)
Heidi De Vries / Flickr While you’re in Chicago, be sure to stop by the Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, located at 756 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642.
Marcus O. Best / Flickr Intuitive or outsider art describes the art made by artists who work without any formal training, relying only on the skills they were born with and have developed according to their own singular visions. This is a great place to check out art that’s both off-the-wall and authentic, like this preserved workshop belonging to Henry Darger. Nowhere has a more intriguing and compelling collection of outsider art in the Illinois area, and Intuit has been running strong for almost two decades.
- Curiosity Museum (Alton)
The Curiosity Museum / Official Facebook
Curiosity Museum / Official Facebook Formerly known as The Historic Museum of Torture Devices, the Curiosity Museum recently changed its name. Presumably, this is because the weirdness of the curiosity museum goes far beyond ancient devices for torture, featuring optical illusions, prohibition-era machine guns, and more. This is also a place where more is left to the imagination, so you can bring your family. You just might have to deal with a few restless nights afterward. The Curiosity Museum is located at 301 E Broadway, Alton, IL 62002.
- Ernest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum (Oak Park).
Brian Crawford / Flickr
Teemu008 / Flickr Hemingway had an infamous, long running feud with his home town of Oak Park, just outside of Chicago. That didn’t keep the town from admiring him, or opening a museum dedicated to his birthplace. For literature lovers, this is where to go to see how a true titan of the typewriter spent his early years. The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum is located at 339 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302.
When it’s weird you’re looking for in Illinois, look no further than the museums on this list. Where other museums in the state do you love when you’re in the mood for a little strangeness? What’s the most bizarre experience at a museum you’ve ever had? We want to hear your stories and see your photos. Get in touch!
H. Michael Miley / Flickr
In one of the more scandalous events in Illinois history, Mary Todd Lincoln was committed to the Bellevue Mental Hospital by her son soon after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Though the hospital is gone, Batavia Depot Museum preserves its legacy and allows visitors to explore the grounds of this famously controversial historical site. The Batavia Depot Museum is located at 155 Houston St, Batavia, IL 60510.
Funk Prairie Home Museum / Official Facebook Page
The Funk Prairie Home Museum is a gorgeous homestead that has been remodeled into a museum to share the Funk family’s Illinois legacy.
Frank Prairie Home Museum/ Official Facebook
It’s the mineral collection that draws visitors for miles to the Funk Prairie Home. For example, this sparkling pyrite may not fool you into think it’s gold, but it glitters all the same. If it’s geological gems that you’re searching for, this is the place to look in Illinois. The Funk Prairie home is located at 10875 Prairie Home Ln Funk Prairie Home, Shirley, IL 61772.
Michael’s Museum / Official Facebook
Located in the Chicago Children’s Museum, Michael’s Museum is the best destination for a family outing on this list. Michael’s Museum is a collection of miniatures with a charming and quirky aesthetic.
While we’re not sure if the iconic mouse on their website is technically Michael, he’s a fitting testament to the tiny treasures that await you at this museum. Michael’s Museum is located in the Chicago Children’s Museum at 700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.
Heidi De Vries / Flickr
While you’re in Chicago, be sure to stop by the Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, located at 756 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642.
Marcus O. Best / Flickr
Intuitive or outsider art describes the art made by artists who work without any formal training, relying only on the skills they were born with and have developed according to their own singular visions. This is a great place to check out art that’s both off-the-wall and authentic, like this preserved workshop belonging to Henry Darger. Nowhere has a more intriguing and compelling collection of outsider art in the Illinois area, and Intuit has been running strong for almost two decades.
The Curiosity Museum / Official Facebook
Curiosity Museum / Official Facebook
Formerly known as The Historic Museum of Torture Devices, the Curiosity Museum recently changed its name. Presumably, this is because the weirdness of the curiosity museum goes far beyond ancient devices for torture, featuring optical illusions, prohibition-era machine guns, and more. This is also a place where more is left to the imagination, so you can bring your family. You just might have to deal with a few restless nights afterward. The Curiosity Museum is located at 301 E Broadway, Alton, IL 62002.
Brian Crawford / Flickr
Teemu008 / Flickr
Hemingway had an infamous, long running feud with his home town of Oak Park, just outside of Chicago. That didn’t keep the town from admiring him, or opening a museum dedicated to his birthplace. For literature lovers, this is where to go to see how a true titan of the typewriter spent his early years. The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum is located at 339 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302.
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Address: 155 Houston St, Batavia, IL 60510, USAAddress: 10875 Prairie Home Ln Funk Prairie Home, Shirley, IL 61772, USAAddress: The Soul Asylum, 301 E Broadway, Alton, IL 62002, USAAddress: 700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USAAddress: 339 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, USA
