The UK's Alnwick Garden is full of killer plants. Photo / Getty Images
The UK's Alnwick Garden is full of killer plants. Photo / Getty Images
Gone are the days of stuffy old exhibits, these museums, gardens and exhibitions will surprise as much as they will enthrall, writes Anna Sarjeant
The Alnwick Garden’s poison garden, UK
Every now and again, a villainous plant is shipped off to the United Kingdom’s Alnwick Garden to serve a life sentence behind bars. In July 2023, the notorious Gympie-Gympie was sent “down” for crimes against human skin. Notably, extreme pain akin to “being electrocuted and simultaneously set on fire”. As one of the world’s most venomous plants, Alnwick is the perfect place to keep Gympie under lock and key. Located in Northumberland, in the UK’s north-east, Alnwick Garden is full of killers. Dedicated to housing deadly and/or narcotic plants, the sign above the gate reads: “These Plants Can Kill”, and likely would, given half a chance. Fortunately, the deadliest specimens are caged. Open for guided tours only, visitors are prohibited from smelling, touching or tasting any of the flora. One light brush with ole Gympie and victims are left in heinous pain for weeks.
Visitors are prohibited from smelling, touching or tasting any of the plants at the Alnwick Garden's poison garden. Photo / Getty Images
The Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia
Croatia bound? Pack a bag of cement – you’re going to have to harden up to survive the ordeal that is Zagreb’s Museum of Broken Relationships. As sombre as the name suggests, the exhibit is a compilation of items donated by people who have endured hardship and heartache. Each possession has a message to explain what – or whom – caused the pain. A number 2 door plaque: “He couldn’t make me his number 1; I couldn’t stand being his number 2″. A magnifying glass: “She always said she felt small whenever she was around me”. Items are as odd as they are extensive, ranging from belly button fluff to a lone frisbee; a gift from an ex with the accompanying put-down: “Darling, should you ever get a ridiculous idea to walk into a cultural institution like a museum for the first time in your life, you will remember me”. This is a museum that’s compelling for all the reasons you wish it wasn’t. A total must-do.
Outside the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia. Photo / Getty Images
The Paris Sewer Museum, France
Forget the exhibits at Louvre Museum – who needs The Mona Lisa when you can descend into Paris’ network of 19th-century sewer canals and poke about in the city’s pungent underbelly? The Musée des Égouts de Paris (Paris Sewer Museum) has been a city must-do since the 1860s and yet its popularity is hardly ever spoken about. While not an obvious tourist attraction, the labyrinth of underground tunnels mirrors the street network above, so while you squirrel your way through the sewers, each tunnel is branded with its own street name. Centuries before, visitors would paddle through the sewage system via boat or dredger wagon, but these days it’s far more sanitary and a self-guided burrow is undertaken on foot. It’s certainly less smelly than yesteryear, and an extensive 2021 refurbishment resulted in greater accessibility, various underground galleries and a gift shop.
For something different, visit the Paris Sewer Museum. Photo / Getty Images
The Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia
There’s always something unusual (if not controversial and globally newsworthy) happening at the Museum of Old and New Art, aka Mona, in Tasmania. The name may suggest it’s an art gallery but in reality, it’s a creative and thought-provoking ensemble of curiosities that will linger on visitors’ minds long after they’ve left. Accessible by both road and ferry, take the latter to kick start a day out that is a thrill from beginning to end. Both past and present exhibitions offer creative comment on global topics, from consumerism to cognitive illusions and everything in between. Up until recently, “Tim” a tattooed man sat on a plinth inside the museum for months on end. When Covid-19 closed Mona’s doors, Tim decided to carry on sitting there, alone. This is the kind of unique exhibit you will find at Mona. Expect the unexpected, and you’ll still be left surprised.
The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart. Photo / Tourism Tasmania
Kyoto Railway Museum, Japan
Pioneers of the ground-breaking bullet train, a trip to a railway-focused museum in Japan is way more exciting than most train-track exhibits. A big hit with kids and train geeks alike, the Kyoto Railway Museum in its namesake city is home to a wealth of interactive displays, including train simulator games, full-size locomotives from various eras, steam train rides and an elevated Skydeck restaurant where you can watch the shinkansen (bullet train) hurtle by. You can even sit down in the driving seat of a retired bullet train and play train driver for the day. This is an enormous museum that’s well-equipped for families. Kids love the miniature trains zipping through the exhibit halls, and the working level-crossing is always a big hit.
Museum of Bad Art, Boston Massachusetts: We’ve all had a titter at spectacularly bad (attempts) at artwork at one time or another, and now you can celebrate the best of the very worst at a museum dedicated to just that. museumofbadart.org
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Osaka, Japan: An ode to the humble - and delightfully cheap – noodle, this museum was devised by students. Complete with noodle factory and the opportunity to make your own personalised cup of noodles. cupnoodles-museum.jp/en/osaka_ikeda
The Museum of Failure, Budapest: Showcasing over 200 products and services that were a total flop, such as purple ketchup and fat-free crisps that later caused “anal leakage”, the Museum of Failure has already toured the world and is all set to take up residence in Budapest, Hungary from June 14 2024. Go and take a look - it will make you feel better about flunking high school chemistry. museumoffailure.com
Try not to laugh too much at the Museum of Bad Art in Boston Massachusetts. Photo / Getty Images
