thisbelongsinamuseum:

Even though I lived in Great Britain for over a year, I didn’t make it down to see the country’s number one tourist attraction, Stonehenge. Fortunately (or unfortunately) America has its own version in Virginia. Foamhenge was made entirely of, yes you guessed right, foam. It was created by artist Mark Cline in 2004, which is part of his Enchanted Castle Studios. Foamhenge may or may not be a homage to the best scene in the film This Is Spinal Tap. But probably the greatest part of Cline’s make-believe fiberglass world is Dino Kingdom, an alternate history where Northern Civil War soldiers have the evil plan of using Dinosaurs against the South, but the plan backfires and the Dinos end up attacking the Evil Yankees instead. Only in the South, right?

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thisbelongsinamuseum:

In a former jailhouse in the middle of Switzerland is one of the world’s most unusual museums. The Henkermuseum (only press that link if you want to hear the sounds of some weird science fiction movie gone wrong) has a collection of antique torture and execution instruments that would drive Rick Perry and Dick Cheney into a jealous rage. Considering this is the Hangman’s Museum, one shouldn’t be too surprised to see things like rare beheading axes, used straitjackets and guillotines galore. Yes, the guillotine is usually associated with France, where it was last used in 1977, but Switzerland used it a lot too. Actually for nearly a hundred years until capital punishment was abolished in 1942. So if you happen to be hiking through the hills of the Ergolztal valley and are looking for a macabre experience, well, this is the place for you.

Executioner Theodor Mengis awaits…

thisbelongsinamuseum:

I’m one of those weird people who keep my internet identities separate from each other. Yeah, I know…weird. Anyway, if anyone happens to be on the twatter (also known as “reading-140-characters-instead-of-a-book”) then please follow me here. It’s not as if I’m revealing my real identity or…

thisbelongsinamuseum:

Affecting humans for 4,000 years, leprosy is not a pretty sight. St. Jorgen’s Hospital in Norway is one of world’s oldest medical institutions, establishing itself in the Middle Ages to treat lepers. Between 1850 and 1900 Bergen was the international capital of leprosy, with three hospitals and the largest concentration of patients in Europe. Dedicated to the 8,000 people who died of the disease in modern Norway, the Leprosy Museum started in 1970. Located in the former 18th century hospital, there are exhibits on Dr. Gerhard Hansen, the man who discovered the cure for leprosy, as well as the history and treatments of the disease. If you’re in a bit of a funk, just watch this 1960s Iranian documentary on a leper colony (especially after the 5:00 minute mark). Be thankful for what you got…or don’t got.

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thisbelongsinamuseum:

“Welcome to Karosta Prison! Enjoy your stay!”

Even though this blog covers museums dedicated to brains and wax and other spooky stuff on a regular basis, now that it is officially October, I am challenging myself to to write about Halloween-related collections on a daily basis. So get ready for skeletons, witches, medical oddities and a religious attraction or two (I don’t know about you, but that last one scares the bejesus out of me).

Not your typical museum, but more like “living history” gone horribly wrong. If your dream is to have a unique hotel experience, kind of like that film Hostel, then I found the place for you. On this blog’s first trip to Latvia we visit the former Karosta Prison. Between 1900 and 1990, military criminals, captives of war and political prisoners were held here by both Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union during their control of the country. But now it’s a place to stay and rest your head, if you don’t mind the guards walking the halls and yelling at you in Latvian. Since 1997, brave tourists, looking for a bizarre experience replicating that of a Latvian prisoner, are given prison garb, spend the night in a locked cold, barren cell and are regularly interrogated by guards. American visitors are often surprised to find no one speaks English (WHAT?) and day-long exercises and toilet cleaning are typically part of the physical punishment. And if that’s not enough torture, the prison is considered to be the most haunted site in Europe. Hundreds died within its walls and now haunt the paying prisoners at night sitting in the corner of a dark, dank prison cell wondering why the hell they signed up for this so-called “holiday”? And don’t even ask me what this is, maybe something to guarantee at least one nightmare per cell.

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