A look at some of New England’s most unusual museums.
By Allie Herzog
From larger-than-life animals made of greenery to 4,000 square feet dedicated to a bite-sized hard candy, some of New England’s quirkiest attractions have caught our attention. Forget what you know about the traditional museum experience and get ready to have a new kind of fun at these offbeat spots worth visiting.
Pez Visitor Center, Orange, Connecticut
Did you know that the iconic hard candy Pez, sold in multitudes of themed dispensers, has been around since 1927 and is made right here in New England? Their Connecticut-based factory not only produces the famous “candy with character” in 10 popular flavors but is also home to the world’s largest Pez dispenser, a Pez-themed motorcycle, and the most extensive collection of Pez memorabilia in the world, including dispensers featuring everything from past presidents to movie characters. Make sure to visit on a weekday if you want to catch a glimpse of the production in progress and test your Pez knowledge at one of their interactive games.
Museum of Ice Cream, Boston, Massachusetts
If you’re active on social media, chances are you’ve stumbled upon images of this Insta-famous and brightly colored museum dedicated to celebrating our favorite cold dessert. The newly opened Boston location is a sensory explosion and an ice cream lover’s dream, which includes unlimited ice cream, a hall of freezers, and plenty of unique sweet treats to try (ice cream hotdog, anyone?). Kids (and kids at heart) will love their interactive playscapes, including a transition kitchen, “funway” park, the legendary “sprinkle pool” and a froyo factory. Be sure to snap some pics in this perfectly pink paradise.
Green Animals Topiary Garden, Portsmouth, Rhode Island
The looming natural installations that overlook Narragansett Bay from the nation’s oldest Topiary Garden have been there for over a century since then-property superintendent Joseph Carreiro first experimented with the shrubbery in 1912. The country estate was purchased initially by Thomas Brayton in 1872, and he tasked Carreiro with designing and maintaining ornamental and edible gardens as part of a self-sufficient estate. In addition to planting fruit trees and vegetable beds, Carreiro and his son-in-law began transforming greenery into a botanical menagerie.
Brayton’s daughter made the property her permanent residence in 1939 and hosted several Newport notables over the years, including Jacqueline Bouvier (Kennedy), Caroline and John Kennedy Jr., and the Eisenhower family. A passionate gardener herself, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to The Preservation Society of Newport County upon her death in 1972. Today, visitors can roam the property seasonally (May to October) and enjoy the lush scenery, including 80 topiary animals and figures, colorful flower beds, orchards, and vegetable and herb gardens.
New Hampshire Telephone Museum, Warner, New Hampshire
Long before smartphones, rotary and touch-tone phones rang supreme. But the story of the telephone is far more complex than equipment updates. History buffs and tech junkies will enjoy learning about the most pivotal moments in telephone history, including the race to the patent office and the undertaker who invented the dial system. Astound your kids and relive your teenage memories, inspecting “relics” such as a phone book and novelty phones from around the world. There is plenty to see at this telecommunications hub, including 1,000 artifacts, a Sound Wave Lab, and the chance to experience being a switchboard operator.
Patten Lumberman Museum, Patten, Maine
If you find yourself in Penobscot County, Maine, you should consider logging some hours at this museum, which celebrates Maine’s rich lumbering history. Visitors can explore what life was like during the booming days of Maine’s logging industry, and the museum also hosts annual events that are equal parts quirky and delightful. The Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival features live music, food and craft vendors, and fresh fiddleheads available for purchase. The Annual Bean Hole Bean Dinner, which is always the second Saturday in August, draws quite the crowd and includes authentic Bean-hole baked beans (“just like the river drivers used to do it”) along with other Maine food staples, wagon rides, live music, and blacksmithing and woodturning demonstrations.
Museum of Everyday Life, Glover, Vermont
For the ultimate “non-museum” museum experience, visit this revolutionary self-serve museum located in an unheated barn in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Visitors can show themselves around from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and are encouraged to view the familiar objects that adorn the space with fresh eyes and fresh perspectives. Featured exhibits have explored ordinary objects such as the pencil, the safety pin, the mirror, the toothbrush, scissors, and dust. The museum also holds workshops, including parades and puppet shows, and is home to a team of philosophers who ruminate on everyday life. If you visit in the winter, don’t forget your coat, and be sure to turn the lights off when you leave!
