Smithsonian museums reopen in DC after government shutdown
After being closed for more than a month due to the government shutdown, Smithsonian museums are set to reopen on a rolling basis.
Louisiana is known for its more unusual aspects, like its background as being a place abundant in paranormal activity or where macabre enthusiasts take up residence.
Louisiana is also home to many unusual museums and collections, from voodoo and other occult exhibits to curious collections filled with oddities like taxidermy.
8 unusual collections in Louisiana according to Atlas Obscura. What to know
If you’re a fan of all things unusual, then check out these eight unusual collections in Louisiana, according to Atlas Obscura.
1. The Bywater Museum of Unnatural History
The Bywater Museum of Unnatural History in New Orleans is a small museum that specializes in diorama, taxidermy and other oddities. The dioramas depict unnatural scenes and settings crafted by local amateur crafters, as well as artists and costumers, and some of the oddities include a shoe made out of a rat and a cigarette from Liza Minnelli. This museum with its unique displays is housed in a traditional New Orleans Creole cottage, says Atlas Obscura.
2. Dark Matter Oddities & Artisan Collective in New Orleans
The Dark Matter Oddities & Artisan Collective is a macabre shop filled with art, antiques, taxidermy and other oddities. A small group of artists produce taxidermy, wet specimens, articulated specimens, as well as traditional art like paintings and handmade jewelry. Here, there are also various antiques for sale like Victorian ephemera, memento mori, post mortem photography, medical devices, religious objects, ethnographic artifacts and fossils, according to Atlas Obscura.
3. M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans
M.S. Rau Antiques is a treasure trove of rare and beautifully detailed antiques, including items like detailed clocks, automaton animals, cabinets of auto-playing musical instruments, erotic boxes, jewelry of famous individuals, as well as paintings by greats such as Monet, Renoir, Norman Rockwell and others. There are also furnishings inspired by palaces throughout the world and several sculptural works, says Atlas Obscura.
4. Museum of Death in New Orleans
The Museum of Death in New Orleans is an exhibit not for the faint of heart, as there are letters from and portraits of serial killers, crime scene memorabilia and photographs, as well as one of Dr. Kevorkian’s suicide machines are on display. There are also exhibits on terrorism, cannibalism and embalming, says Atlas Obscura. Visitors may also find body bags, autopsy videos, skeletons and more in this collection, according to Atlas Obscura.
5. Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum
Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum is a small town museum that honors local WWII veterans and the princess of pop who put the area on the map. In one portion of the museum, there are pictures of soldiers who served in WWII and items they brought back with them. The other portion of the museum is devoted entirely to Britney Spears, who was born in Kentwood in 1981, says Atlas Obscura.
6. National World War II Museum in New Orleans
The National World War II Museum’s collection commemorates the battles of Normandy and WWII. In 2006, an act of Congress officially designated the museum “America’s National World War II Museum,” formalizing it with a Smithsonian association. The museum focuses on U.S. involvement and strategy, as well as troop movement and weaponry, via immersive, high production exhibitions, according to Atlas Obscura.
7. Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans
Museum of the American Cocktail has been recording and celebrating the history and evolution of the famous Sazerac cocktail, which is said to have been created in New Orleans. This museum contains cocktail and bar memorabilia like cocktail shakers, cups, bottles, as well as pro- and anti-prohibition propaganda, says Atlas Obscura.
8. House of Broel in New Orleans
The House of Broel is a Victorian mansion that features a collection of dollhouses and a homage to the frog-leg canning industry. The first floor of the mansion has been restored to its antebellum state and serves as venue for weddings and other events, but the second floor hosts a collection of miniature houses. Also on the second floor is an exhibit dedicated to frog farming, which features vintage cans of frog legs and other themed items, according to Atlas Obscura.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
