These Are the Weirdest Museums in Illinois You Have to See

Museums are the best, whether they focus on history, industry, or even fish. Illinois is home to some of the best museums in the country, but it also boasts some of the weirdest. I came across this list on OnlyInYourState.com and had to share a few of the strangest museums in Illinois that deserve a spot on your bucket list.

A Museum Dedicated to Tiny Treasures

Let’s start with one for the short people in your life (no jokes, please). Michael’s Museum, located inside the Children’s Museum in Chicago, gives visitors the chance to experience tiny and miniature treasures.

This permanent exhibit fosters the art of collecting and features nearly 100 collections of tiny objects, including miniatures, trinkets, artifacts, and curiosities donated by founder and curator Michael Horvich.

A Historic and Unusual Lincoln Connection

You can also step inside a replica of the mental hospital where Mary Todd Lincoln was2025 sent after the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln. She was committed to Bellevue Place by her son following her husband’s death, and today, a replica of that hospital can be seen at the Batavia Depot Museum in Batavia, Illinois.

A Creepy Collection in Alton, Illinois

If creepy and unusual are more your style, check out the Curiosity Museum in Alton, Illinois. Here, you’ll find everything from Victorian vampire-killing kits to items that are just plain weird. The 1,500-square-foot museum is dedicated to all things strange and features torture devices, robots that watch you as you explore, and ghost-hunting kits—just to name a few.

So if you're looking for something strange, these are some of the weirdest and oddest museums that you might want to look at visiting in the new year.