1

Neon Museum - Las Vegas, Nevada

Image: 李林Alwen

Let’s kick off this list with the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. The location seems just about right since Las Vegas is always bright and shining with luminous signs.

This museum, founded in 1996, holds a collection of over 250 historic signs from the city. It is located a few blocks away from the iconic Las Vegas Strip and exhibitions and projections display signs that once adorned the venue. Moreover, you will be able to see some paradigmatic signs restored like the Silver Slipper and Benny Binion’s Horseshoe.

2

International Spy Museum - Washington, D.C.

Image: Marten Newhall

Haven’t we all dreamed of becoming an international secret spy? Well, you can make your dream come true, at least for a few hours, at the International Spy Museum in Washington.

This museum was established in 2002 and it features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever displayed. From spy gadgets and concealed weapons to covert operations and famous espionage cases, you’ll get inside the life of a true spy.

Furthermore, it is an interactive museum so visitors can test their own skills with the experiences offered within the establishment.

3

National Mustard Museum - Middleton, Wisconsin

Image: Simona Sergi

Mustard is so much more than just a condiment, and if you think it is not, the National Mustard Museum is here to challenge that notion.

Founded in 1992 by Barry Levenson, this quirky museum celebrates all things mustard with the world’s largest collection of mustards and mustard memorabilia. It showcases over 6000 mustards from over 70 countries and visitors can learn about the mustard history and take a look at antique elements like tins, mustard pots, vintage signs, and advertisements.

If you are a foodie or a culinary curious, you can’t miss this museum!

4

Idaho Potato Museum - Blackfoot, Idaho

Image: Lars Blankers

Idaho’s love and pride for potatoes is so big, that they had to build a museum to display it and they are waiting for you!

The Idaho Potato Museum is a spud-tacular tribute to the beloved potato, fittingly located in the "potato capital of the world." Housed in the former Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot, this space of over 5,500 square feet offers exhibits on the history, cultivation, and nutritional value of the humble tuber.

Highlights include one of the world’s largest collections of potato mashers and the biggest potato crips ever made. Visitors can even perform experiments in the Potato Lab and savor a freshly baked potato in the museum’s cafe.

5

International UFO Museum and Research Center - Roswell, New Mexico

Image: Danie Franco

UFOs have always raised curiosity and the theories behind sightings and paranormal activities are one too many, right? Or at least enough to create a museum devoted to exhibiting all things UFOs.

The International UFO Museum and Research Center offers an intriguing exploration into the world of UFOs, and it is housed in a former movie theater. The creation of the museum was inspired by the Rosewell incident in 1947, a crash of a flying saucer, and it presents a variety of written, audio, and visual materials.

This museum is pet friendly and visitors can enjoy exhibits like a spinning UFO with aliens and an outdoor "Rosewell Belevies" mural. When are you paying a visit?

6

National Museum of Funeral History - Houston, Texas

Image: panyawat auitpol

There’s no denying it, we are going to die eventually. However, is death enough of an intriguing topic to open a museum devoted to it? Apparently, it is, and you can find one in Houston.

The National Museum of Funeral History houses the country’s largest collection of funeral service items, including caskets, coffins, and hearses.

The museum is over 30,000 feet and it features 19 permanent exhibits covering topics that range from embalming to the history of cremation and mourning photography. To make it even more interesting, the museum offers a unique look at funeral traditions and culture from ancient Egypt to modern times around the world.

7

Museum of Bad Art - Somerville, Massachusetts

Image: Rainer Bleek

Even if art is not for everyone, we can all agree there are standards for what is considered good or bad, right? Well, The Museum of Bad Art is here to prove us wrong!

Located in Somerville, the Museum of Bad Art is a delightful celebration of artistic mishaps and quirky creativity. What began in 1993 in a Boston basement has now expanded to the Somerville Theater’s basement in Davis Square.

This unique museum boasts over 700 pieces from artists, amateurs, and anonymous creators, featuring donations, thrift store finds, and gifts from the artists themselves. Despite its impressive collection, only about 25 works are displayed at a time , ensuring a fresh experience with each visit. Best of all, it’s free! For a fun and offbeat adventure, this is the place you need to visit!

8

National Bottle Museum - Ballston Spa, New York

Image: James Cousins

Here’s a museum you never thought would exist! But considering bottles are part of our everyday life, have you ever stopped and thought about how bottles are made? Wonder no more, better visit the museum!

The National Bottle Museum is a charming three-story brick building and it showcases over 3,000 bottles on its first floor alone! With seven permanent exhibits, you can marvel at pre-machine-made bottles from every state and even see glowing uranium glass!

Don’t miss the quirky temporary exhibits that go from Coca-Cola bottles to shot glasses, and spa bottles! And, if you are a bottle collector yourself, you’ll love the extensive library available!

9

Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Image: Jonathan Borba

Teeth are the subject of contrarian opinions! Some love it, some find it disgusting. But that wasn’t enough of a reason to prevent Michigan from having a museum devoted to dentistry.

The Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry in Ann Arbor is a hidden gem tucked away in the atrium of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. It’s one of the few museums in the world dedicated entirely to dentistry!

With over 25,000 objects on display, you will find everything from antique dental tools to quirky historical products dating back to the 18th century. The museum also features fascinating temporary exhibits and engaging programs. Plus, admission is free, so you can enjoy this unique journey through dental history without spending a dime.

10

Museum of Jurassic Technology - Los Angeles, California

Image: Mauro Sbicego

You read that right, the words "Jurassic" and "technology" are part of the same name and they have nothing to do with Spielberg’s millionaire production.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. Despite its name, there’s nothing particularly Jurassic about it. Instead, this delightfully bizarre museum leads you through dimly lit halls filled with curiosities, from mini models of Napoleon and Daffy Duck to oil portraits of Soviet space dogs.

It’s a wonderfully chaotic mix that keeps visitors scratching their heads and smiling. Perfect for those who love a good mystery, the museum’s quirky collection is as baffling as it is fascinating. Come ready to be amused and bewildered!

1

Martha Washington

Let’s begin with the inaugural first lady of our country. In May 1789, Martha Washington inaugurated the role of First Lady of the United States when she arrived in New York City to meet her husband, George Washington. Interestingly, the name "First Lady" wouldn’t be used until some time later. Instead, Martha was simply referred to as "Lady Washington".

As you would expect, Martha Washington installed practices that went on to become traditions held by many future First Ladies, including receptions to the general public on New Year’s Eve. Furthermore, President Washington asked Martha to hold special drawing room events at their residence. These social gatherings became instrumental in forming what was known as the "Republican Court" , an influential group of American intellectuals and politicians.

2

Rosalynn Carter

According to Rosalynn Carter , she first became attracted to her husband, future president Jimmy Carter, when she saw him in a photograph dressed in his U.S. Navy uniform. What followed is a long and prosperous love story, which only ended in 2023 after Rosalynn passed away at the age of 96 years old.

During her tenure as First Lady, Rosalynn became an advocate for mental health and women’s rights, and she continued to support these causes through her work in the Carter Center. Both Rosalyn and President Carter were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999.

3

Barbara Bush

Few First Ladies hold the honor of being both the wife and the mother of a U.S. President, and Barbara Bush is one of them. She served as the First Lady during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who acted as the 41st U.S. President from 1989 to 1993.

Although she presented herself in an almost apolitical manner, Barbara often engaged in charity work, most notably in campaigns to fight illiteracy. After her husband’s presidency ended, she continued to work in campaigning for her sons, including our 43rd President, George W. Bush.

4

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered as the longest-serving First Lady in U.S. history. However, the legacy of this amazing figure is not limited to this fact. Roosevelt is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking First Ladies in history, completely revolutionizing the function.

Roosevelt took an active role during her husband’s terms, actively engaging in public events, travels, and cultural activities. Not only that, she was instrumental in President Roosevelt’s involvement with the then-newly formed United Nations. Eleanor served as a delegate to the U.N. General Assembly, acting as the leading figure behind the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5

Nancy Reagan

Just like her husband, Nancy Reagan’s career before the White House was filled with the glamour and excitement of Hollywood. Between the 1940s and 1950s, she starred in several blockbusters such as "The Next Voice You Hear...", "Night into Morning", and "Donovan ’ s Brain", acting under her maiden name, Nancy Davis.

In 1952, she married then-fellow actor Ronald Reagan, the president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time. Nancy first served as First Lady of California when her husband was governor of the state, and later on as First Lady of the country in 1981.

6

Lady Bird Johnson

Some First Ladies (although not many) are better known by their nicknames, and that’s certainly the case with " Lady Bird" Johnson . Born Claudia Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas, this First Lady’s nickname comes from the fact that her nursemaid apparently stated that young Claudia was "as pretty as a ladybird".

When she was in her early 20s, Lady Bird met a young congressional aide named Lyndon B. Johnson after a mutual friend introduced them. The First Lady would later declare that she felt "like a moth drawn to a flame" on that first meeting. A few weeks after their first dates, the couple married and went on to have two daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.

7

Jackie Kennedy

For many Americans, First Ladies are the pinnacle of glamour. Their impeccable manners and warm personalities perfectly match their classy outfits. In that sense, Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy is considered to this day an international icon, known for her daring yet elegant attire and her devotion to their family and her country.

Jackie met President Kennedy, then U.S. Representative for Massachusetts, at a dinner party held by journalist Charles L. Bartlett. A year later, in 1953, the couple married in an event that was listed as the social event of the season. Jackie took a rather active role in her duties as First Lady. She conducted a massive restoration process of the White House and often joined her husband on many trips abroad, becoming a beloved cultural ambassador for America.

8

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is definitively the person on this list with the most political experience. She was Secretary of State, Senator for the State of New York, and presidential candidate. However, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that she dutifully served as First Lady of the United States while her husband was in the White House.

While the world knew her as Hillary Rodham, she entered Yale Law School in the early 70s, where she met a fellow law student by the name of William "Bill" Clinton. They married in 1975 and welcomed their only daughter, Chelsea, in 1980.

9

Michelle Obama

Following her graduation from Princeton University, a young lawyer by the name of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson started working in a Chicago law firm, focusing on marketing and intellectual property law. During her time in this office, she met another young lawyer named Barack Obama. Did any of them know that they were meeting their future spouse?

Let’s now jump to the year 2009: Barack Obama was the first African-American President of our country, and Michelle Obama became the First Lady of the United States. During her time in the White House, Michelle took a stand against many difficulties, like poverty, childhood obesity, and illiteracy.

10

Betty Ford

Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Ford assumed the role of Second Lady when her husband, Gerald Ford, served as Vice President to Richard Nixon (1973-1974), and she became the First Lady when Nixon resigned from the presidency in August 1974.

However unexpected her rise to the role was, Betty Ford is fondly remembered as one of the most courageous First Ladies of our country; she was not afraid to speak her mind and get involved in politics. During her time in the White House, she became known as a passionate defender of the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as a public spokesperson for breast cancer awareness.

1

Beware of the banana peel!

Image: SHVETS production

It might sound like a scene straight out of The Three Stooges , but we assure you, this was once a legitimate concern. It’s no myth that residents of Waco, Texas are forbidden from eating bananas and tossing the peels into the street. Lawmakers feared horses could slip on the peels and injure themselves.

This is also true for Elmira, New York. A city ordinance from 1899 stated that no person could throw any banana peels—or any other fruit skins—onto the sidewalk. As it happens, back when bananas were introduced to the northern states, they were very cheap and people usually bought them in bulk. The surplus was huge and the waste was becoming a problem. In fact, in 1893 a woman sued the city after slipping on a banana peel, falling on the sidewalk, and breaking her leg.

2

Dueling candidates

Image: various illustrators, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It may sound old-fashioned, but this law is still in effect in West Virginia. To be eligible as governor, a candidate must not only be at least 30 years old and have resided in the state for at least five years preceding the election, but they must also never have participated in a duel.

According to §6-5-7 of the West Virginia Code, any citizen who sends or accepts a challenge or participates in a duel with deadly weapons "shall ever thereafter be incapable of holding any office of honor, trust or profit in this state." By the end of the American Civil War dueling had become almost obsolete, but for some reason, The Mountain State is one of the few states that still hasn’t repealed its dueling laws.

3

Extraterrestrial exposure

Image: Bradley Dunn

Despite popular opinion, Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations did not make it illegal for Americans to have contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles. Instead, the law was enacted just before the Apollo 11 mission to give the government authority to quarantine astronauts in case they became contaminated with an alien virus during their moonwalk.

This regulation, best known as the Extra-Terrestrial Exposure Law was adopted by NASA in 1969. It stipulated that astronauts be kept in isolation for 21 days after their liftoff from the Moon in case there was a remote possibility that they were harboring "unknown lunar organisms that might endanger life on Earth." The rule was revoked in 1977 and formally repealed in 1991.

4

Women vote

Image: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know that although American women were not universally granted the right to vote until 1920, state laws in New Jersey allowed them to vote as early as 1776 ? In 1790, when the New Jersey State Constitution was reformed, it formalized what the previous constitution had only implied: that propertied women could vote.

A few years later, a law expanded the previous election reforms and allowed women without "clear estate" to vote too. So, after the adoption of this 1797 law, the number of women voters at the polls significantly increased. New Jersey women enthusiastically exercised their rights until 1807, when the state finally restricted voting to white men.

5

Keep it classy

Image: Clay Banks

If you want to live in North California, you have to follow some rules of good taste. In 1998, the city of Wilson outlawed the keeping of upholstered furniture on front porches, on the basis that the practice was unsightly and tacky.

A year later, the town of Morganton followed suit, outlawing couches, recliners, and similar indoor furniture from verandas and yards. Mel Cohen, the city mayor at the time, said that outdoor furniture was drawing many complaints, so the city embarked on a quest to "beautify" the neighborhoods. Violators of the ordinance could be fined up to $300 for their offense.

6

Three-second hugging

Image: Mary Taylor

By the beginning of the 21st century, the rules of public displays of affection seemed to be changing and left previous generations in a state of confusion. In 2009, after noticing an increasing number of students embracing in the hallways, school officials in Hillsdale, New Jersey, implemented a "three-second hugging" rule. Apparently, adults were concerned that the constant displays of affection could disrupt the flow of hallway traffic.

Teenagers argued that the gesture was entirely unromantic and merely a way of saying "hello." However, schools preferred to go back to the old handshake in order to maintain an atmosphere of academic seriousness and to prevent any instances of unwanted physical contact.

7

Blue sundaes

Image: Markus Spiske

Ever heard of "blue laws"? Blue laws are rules that once banned certain activities on Sundays, adopted originally for religious reasons. Blue laws often restricted business and recreational activities to encourage observance of the Christian day of worship.

For example, buying ice cream on Sundays was once illegal in Ohio because it was thought to be frivolous and luxurious. To circumvent this law, ice cream vendors began adding fruit toppings to disguise the frozen treat below and make it appear more "nutritious." This clever workaround ultimately led to the creation of the ice cream sundae.

8

Poking turkeys

Image: RDNE Stock project

Finding the perfect Thanksgiving turkey can be an artistry or a real challenge. How can you ensure that the well-rounded breast you pick up in the supermarket’s poultry section will turn into a delicious, juicy treat?

Everyone has their own strategy, but depending on which state you are in, your method might actually be illegal without you even knowing it. For example, did you know that in Los Angeles, California, it is prohibited to poke a turkey for sale in a meat market to check its tenderness? Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

9

Permanent marks

Image: Linda Xu

Carrying a marker in your pocket, purse, or backpack while walking the streets of California could land you in trouble. In the Golden State, it’s illegal to possess "broad-tipped indelible markers" —a.k.a. permanent markers—in a public space. Any person carrying a chisel, an awl, an aerosol paint container, or a harmless felt tip marker can be accused of committing vandalism.

The law is in place to curb graffiti and other forms of unauthorized street art. It is considered a misdemeanor and can be punished with up to 90 hours of community service, typically scheduled outside of school or work hours.

10

Go nuts!

Image: Vladislav Nikonov

Nuts can be a real problem for many people with food allergies. But even so, these laws prohibiting the consumption of nuts in public places may surprise you. For instance, in Boston, Massachusetts, it’s illegal to eat peanuts in church . Meanwhile, in Charleston, South Carolina, eating nuts on a public bus can result in a fine of up to $500 and as much as 60 days in jail.

If you thought it couldn't get any more specific than that, hold your horses! In Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, people are not allowed to eat peanuts while walking backward in front of the Barnstormers Theater during a performance. Probably the craziest law on this list, don’t you think?