1

The Museum of Bad Art (Massachusetts)

Founded in 1994, MOBA showcases art "too bad to be ignored," featuring paintings so spectacularly awful they circle back to being captivating . We're talking off-kilter portraits, baffling subject matter, and techniques that defy explanation.

The collection includes masterpieces like "Lucy in the Field with Flowers," featuring a grandmother dancing in a meadow while wearing what might be a nightgown. Each piece comes with a tongue-in-cheek description that treats these disasters with the same reverence the Met gives to Rembrandts.

2

The International Banana Museum (California)

This museum holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of banana-related items . With over 25,000 banana things crammed into one yellow-painted space, it's exactly as bonkers as it sounds. Banana phones, banana lamps, banana art—if you can slap a banana on it, it's here.

The museum's motto is "Yes, we have no bananas... we have more!" which pretty much sums up the gloriously ridiculous vibe.

3

The Museum of Broken Relationships (California)

This surprisingly poignant museum displays donated objects from failed romances , each accompanied by a brief story from the heartbroken donor. Started in Croatia and once home to an outpost in Los Angeles (before it closed in 2017), it transforms personal pain into a shared human experience. You'll find everything from wedding dresses to an actual prosthetic leg, each item representing a relationship that didn't quite make it.

What could be depressing is actually oddly uplifting: there's humor, anger, relief, and occasionally shocking pettiness on display. One exhibit features an axe someone used to destroy their ex's furniture.

4

The International Cryptozoology Museum (Maine)

This Portland museum is dedicated to creatures that may or may not exist , from Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster to the Chupacabra. Founded by cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, it houses hair samples, plaster casts of mysterious footprints, and endless speculation about what's lurking in our forests and lakes.

5

The Mustard Museum (Wisconsin)

Wisconsin's National Mustard Museum celebrates that yellow squeeze-bottle staple with 6,000+ varieties of mustard from all 50 states and over 70 countries . Curator Barry Levenson started collecting after his beloved Boston Red Sox lost the World Series in 1986, and a voice in a grocery store told him to pursue mustard instead. As one does.

The museum offers free tastings because, apparently, there's a whole world of mustard beyond French's that many of us have been missing. From champagne mustard to chocolate mustard to varieties with names you can't pronounce, it's a full-on condiment education.

6

The Museum of Clean (Idaho)

Spanning 75,000 square feet, it chronicles the history of cleaning from ancient times to modern day . It features vintage vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning products that would horrify today's safety inspectors.

The museum makes a compelling case that cleaning technology has shaped civilization more than we realize. You'll see how our ancestors scrubbed, swept, and sanitized before electricity, and gain a weird appreciation for your Swiffer.

7

The Mutter Museum (Pennsylvania)

This Philadelphia institution houses medical oddities, anatomical specimens, and antique medical equipment that can look more like torture devices. Think preserved organs, skeletal anomalies, and a wall of skulls that's both educational and nightmare-inducing.

The museum's most famous resident is the "Soap Lady," whose body turned into a soap-like substance after burial. There is also a sample of Albert Einstein’s brain tissue on display, because why not?

8

The American Toby Jug Museum (Illinois)

Toby jugs are those quirky ceramic pitchers shaped like people's heads and bodies, usually depicting jolly characters in tricorn hats. This Evanston museum houses over 8,000 of them, representing the world's largest collection of these peculiar drinking vessels .

The collection spans centuries and includes rare jugs worth thousands of dollars alongside kitschy modern versions. You'll learn that Toby jugs have depicted everyone from Winston Churchill and Sherlock Holmes to characters from literature and politics.

9

The Spam Museum (Minnesota)

This 14,000-square-foot museum in Austin, Minnesota, celebrates the canned pork product that fed armies and annoyed email users everywhere . Interactive exhibits let you pretend to work on the Spam production line, and you'll learn more about processed meat than you thought possible.

10

The International UFO Museum and Research Center (New Mexico)

Located in Roswell, the site of the most famous alleged UFO crash in history, this museum is ground zero for alien conspiracy theories. Founded by people who claim firsthand knowledge of the 1947 incident, it presents eyewitness accounts, declassified government documents, and enough speculation to keep you wondering all night .

Beyond Roswell, the museum explores UFO sightings worldwide, alien abduction stories, and government cover-up theories that range from plausible to completely bonkers.

1

New York’s many names…

Image: ian dooley

Did you know that New York has had several names throughout its history? The first documented European visit to New York Harbor was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer who claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême), after the French city located on the banks of the Charente River.

Almost a century later, English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York and claimed it for the Dutch East India Company, who christened Manhattan Island as Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam). In 1664, due to the war between The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the British took over the area and renamed it New York , as a tribute to King Charles II's brother, James, Duke of York.

2

…and nicknames

Image: Artem Zhukov

In addition to its various official names, New York City has earned a good number of nicknames over the years. For example, Canvas Town, The Empire City, The City of Churches, Second City of the World, The Melting Pot, The City that Never Sleeps, The Center of the Universe, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, The Five Boroughs, and Metropolis, among many others.

But perhaps the most iconic New York City monikers are Gotham —coined by writer Washington Irving in 1807— and, of course, The Big Apple . In May 1921, sportswriter John Joseph Fitz Gerald of the New York Morning Telegraph first used The Big Apple in a feature on horse racing. As he later explained, that was the way New Orleans grooms' referred to New York City. Later, in the 1970s, an advertising campaign revived the nickname, and the rest is history.

3

National capital

Image: Cornelius Tiebout, artist and engraver of the original; this copy engraved by Hatch & Smillie and printed by J. &. G. Neale., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Given its cultural, political, and financial richness, it's curious that New York is not the capital of the United States. However, although it was only for five years, at one point in history it became a reality. Between January 11, 1785, and August 12, 1790, The Empire City served as the last capital under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the U.S. Constitution .

While the capital resided in New York, the representatives of Congress met in Federal Hall, a building located close to the current site of the Wall Street Stock Exchange. In fact, this is where George Washington was sworn in as president in 1789. However, a year later the Residence Act established the temporary seat of government in Philadelphia until the construction of the new capital, Washington, DC, was completed. Congress met for the first time in its new and current location on November 17, 1800.

4

Linguistically diverse

Image: Dan Gold

Did you know that New York is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world? It’s like a modern-day Tower of Babel, which is no surprise given its nickname, The Melting Pot . It is estimated that up to 700 different languages are currently spoken in New York, many of them endangered. For example, in Queens, there is a small community that speaks Tagalog, the language on which Filipino is based. In the Bronx, on the other hand, several families still speak Laotian at home.

Alongside these lesser-known dialects, other more widespread languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, and Italian, are spoken daily by communities that migrated to New York from their native countries. And that today, after several generations, still have a relevant representation in the most cosmopolitan city on the planet.

5

First pizza

Image: Jon Tyson

Not surprisingly, the first pizzeria in the United States is located in New York. The Italian immigrants who arrived in the city at the end of the 19th century brought with them their language, customs, and of course, their delicious food. One of these immigrants, Gennaro Lombardi, used leftover dough from the bread he sold in his Little Italy grocery store to make "tomato pies," following his Neapolitan family's recipe.

This pizza was so successful that in 1905, Lombardi converted his store into a pizza place. Little by little, he adapted his pizza to American ingredients and tastes, and lo and behold in a short time he had created what we now know as New York-style pizza. Lombardi's Pizza, today one of the most legendary pizzerias in New York, is the oldest in the United States. Be sure to grab a slice next time you visit The Big Apple — you won’t regret it!

6

Golden city

Image: Zlaťáky.cz

A city of firsts and mosts, New York is also home to the world's largest known depository of monetary gold. Buried 80 feet below street level, on the bedrock of Manhattan Island, hides an incredible treasure. Established in 1924, the vault of the main building of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, located in the Financial District, stores more gold than The United States Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox.

As of 2024, it houses approximately 507,000 gold bars. This reserve is enclosed in a 140-ton steel-and-concrete frame protected by a state-of-the-art security system. About 98% of the gold belongs to foreign governments, while the rest is owned by the U.S. government and other financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund.

7

Unique ZIP codes

Image: William Wachter

Apart from being home to major companies, the most photographed building in the world, and getting struck by lightning about 25 times a year, the Empire State Building is also notable for having its own ZIP code: 10118.

Although located in South Midtown, the building is so large that the U.S. Postal Service needed to assign it a unique zone improvement plan—ZIP for short—to handle its high volume of mail more accurately and efficiently. To be fair, other buildings in New York also have their own ZIP codes , including 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Chrysler Building, The Pavilion, Park Avenue Plaza, and the Pennsylvania Building, among others.

8

Birding paradise

Image: Laila Zouaki

New York has something for everyone, but wildlife? Who would have thought! When it comes to fauna, New York is much more than just rats, squirrels, and cockroaches. In fact, this concrete jungle has had animals at its heart since the beginning: two beavers adorn the official city seal. But not many New Yorkers know that Central Park is one of the nation's top spots for bird-watching.

The city is located at a concentration point on the Atlantic Flyway bird migration route, making it possible to observe birds year-round. In 1886, the park's first official bird census counted 121 species. Since then, 282 have been observed, including cuckoos, warblers, sparrows, owls, gulls, and Peregrine Falcons, among many others. Some of the best places in Central Park for birding are North Woods, The Ramble, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, and The Pond.

9

Times Square

Image: graphicsdays1989

The busiest street in the Big Apple owes its current name to a newspaper . Formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street, this area is now a spectacle of lights, screens, neon signs, theaters, and hordes of people. However, it was once the center of New York's horse carriage industry. For this reason, in the late 19th century it was known as Longacre Square.

In the early 20th century, The New York Times moved its offices to a skyscraper on 42nd Street. A new subway station soon followed and the area was given the name we know it by today, Times Square. Although the newspaper moved out a few years later, that building is still famous for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve.

10

Film mecca

Image: Marta Wave

Declared a National Historic Landmark, Central Park is a staple of New York City. It’s no wonder that this area, in addition to its natural beauty, is a world cultural icon. Central Park is, in fact, the most-filmed location in the world , having been featured in movies as far back as 1908.

With silver screen classics like An Affair to Remember or Breakfast at Tiffany's and modern films including Home Alone and The Avengers , more than 300 productions have chosen this 843-acre park in the heart of the bustling city to film some of the most iconic scenes in movie history. Have you ever spotted Central Park in a film or TV show? Now you won't stop seeing it everywhere!

1

The Plaza Hotel, New York

Image: Harri Nieminen

The Plaza Hotel, located at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in Manhattan, New York City, is one of the most famous hotels in the world . It was opened in 1907 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Known for its luxury, iconic architecture, and high-society clientele, it has a past of having hosted figures like F. Scott Fitzgerald (who immortalized it in The Great Gatsby ) and Marilyn Monroe.

The Plaza’s featuring in several films has gained international fame. Scenes from Home Alone 2 or North by Northwest , and Eloise at the Plaza have the iconic backdrop of the hotel as its setting. It was also the lodging The Beatles chose for their first stay in the U.S. in 1964, but the hullabaloo of the fan craze was such that they chose lower-profile hotels for their subsequent visits.

2

Willard InterContinental, Washington

Image: Pixabay

Just two blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C. stands the Willard InterContinental. The same site has hosted a hotel since 1818, but the current building opened in 1901. It’s nicknamed the "Residence of Presidents" because nearly every U.S. president since Franklin Pierce has either stayed there or visited.

Its notable location granted the Willard other historical honors. For example, it’s said that President Ulysses S. Grant enjoyed spending calm moments in the opulent hotel’s lobby, but there he would be crowded by people who would seek favors or influence policy decisions. He coined the term "lobbyists" to refer to them. It was also where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. completed his famous "I Have a Dream" speech before delivering it.

3

The Stanley Hotel, Colorado

Image: Luke Scarpino

If the sight of The Stanley Hotel makes you a bit uncomfortable, you are not alone. It is the very building that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining (1977). After staying there in the 1970s, King had a dream about his son running through the hotel’s halls, which led to the idea of the haunted Overlook Hotel featured in the book. Though the Stanley itself is not the setting for either the novel or Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation, the myth surrounding this 1909 hotel has made it a hotspot for paranormal tourism.

The hotel is said to be haunted, after all. Reports of mysterious piano music, flickering lights, and strange apparitions keep drawing fans to it. Room 217, where Stephen King stayed, is the most famous of these "haunted" rooms . Guests and staff have reported seeing Mrs. Wilson, a housekeeper who worked at the hotel in the early 1900s, tidying up the room.

4

The Bellagio, Las Vegas

Image: Antonio Janeski

Las Vegas Strip, an area bright enough to be visible from space, holds in its heart many impressive hotels. But The Bellagio probably takes the crown. It was the most expensive hotel ever constructed when it opened in 1998, having cost $1.6 billion. Its facade features the famous Fountains of Bellagio , which perform water shows synchronized to music and lights daily.

In its boastful style, the hotel also has an upscale casino, five-star restaurants, and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art , which features rotating expositions but once featured works from Picasso, Monet, and van Gogh, among others. The hotel has also, since its opening, been home to Cirque du Soleil’s show "O", aquatic-themed and occurring in and around an on-stage pool.

5

Palace Hotel, San Francisco

Image: Pixabay

San Francisco’s Palace Hotel opened in 1875, so it was already around for the 1906 earthquake, which damaged it and demanded renovations. But it always remained a stunning hotel, featuring a grand lobby with a stained-glass dome and chandeliers. Many prominent guests walked its halls, including Mark Twain, Frank Sinatra, and Queen Elizabeth II .

In its inauguration in the 19th century, it was the largest hotel in the world. 19 presidents of the U.S. have been esteemed visitors, and most notably President Woodrow Wilson hosted luncheons at the Palace Hotel when he was building support for the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I.

6

Crescent Hotel and Spa, Arkansas

Image: Evgenia Basyrova

Eureka Springs’ Crescent Hotel and Spa is a top tier in many lists of "most haunted hotels." Its old age and eerie story are enough to earn it this honor. Opened in 1886, the Victorian in the 1930s functioned as a hospital for treating cancer patients. It is said that a con doctor called Norman Baker took patients in to allegedly cure them, but caused some untreated guests to pass away as a result.

Legend has it, that one of his patients, as well as Baker, still haunts the rooms of Crescent Hotel. Some TV shows, like "Ghost Hunters" and "Ghost Adventures", have explored the venue. Of course, the hotel also offers ghost tours .

7

Jekyll Island Club Resort, Georgia

Image: Pixabay

The Jekyll Island Club Resort is located on Jekyll Island, one of the barrier islands off the coast of Georgia. It was founded in 1886 as a winter retreat for some of America’s wealthiest families , including the Morgans, Rockefellers, and Pulitzers. This earned the place the reputation for being one of the most exclusive and prestigious social clubs in American history.

The hotel houses the Historic Jekyll Island Museum, which showcases the island’s past in the Gilded Age. To this day it is still praised for its beautiful natural landscapes and trails. The island offers stunning natural surroundings , and the hotel prides itself on its commitment to preserving its environment.

8

Omni Parker House, Boston

Image: Patrick Foreman

The Omni Parker House from Boston, Massachusetts, opened in 1855 as the "Parker House", and is now the oldest continuously operating hotel in the United States. It has hosted many notable guests, like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and John F. Kennedy. Babe Ruth and other baseball greats frequented its restaurant. The place also holds the separate honor of being the birthplace of the Boston Cream Pie , a chocolate-and-cream dessert that now symbolizes Massachusetts.

Of course, a hotel that is 169 years old cannot be free from haunted allegations. Reports of ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises are common for the Omni Parker House, particularly around its historic rooms.

9

Chateau Marmont, Hollywood

Image: Edgar Colomba

Chateau Marmont, from West Hollywood, California, has been operating since its opening in 1929. It was designed in a French Gothic style, inspired by the Château d'Amboise in France. Its location has granted it a long history of receiving a large celebrity clientele and fame associated with glamour, legend, and scandal.

James Dean and Judy Garland would find refuge in the hotel, which soon became known as a haven for stars for its strict privacy policies . The Chateau has also appeared in Hollywood self-referential films like The Player or A Star is Born .

10

Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Island

Image: Donhu Rickerby

The Hotel del Coronado, a.k.a. "The Del," is a historic beachfront hotel that opened in 1888. Its grand exterior with red-and-white striped roofs is easily recognizable, and it has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Many dignitaries have visited it, like Richard Nixon, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Thomas Edison, although, opposing popular belief, he had nothing to do with the early installation of electricity that the hotel boasted.

If you’ve seen Some Like It Hot , featuring Marilyn Monroe , you have spied places in the hotel. Many scenes were filmed there, which made it appear as the "Seminole Ritz Hotel" in Miami in the film.