Museum of the Weird

It’s a winding hallway full of half real, half fake stuff. It’ll take you a whole 10 minutes to get through. Then a performer takes you for about 15 minutes. The performer isn’t paid by the museum for liability reasons so you’ll need to tip on top of having paid for your overpriced ticket. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, but overall the museum was not worth my time or money.

This is only good to visit if you are looking to kill an hour. I don’t know why you would visit this place 2 separate times since it takes 10 minutes (at most) to see everything. There is a 15 – 20 minute «show» that is more like a poor mans magic show. I took my kids (ages 3 & 5) and they were scared most of the time.

We were looking for something to do and we probably found the most crazy thing to do in Austin. The guy that gets you half way into the tour was really entertaining and did some really cool magic. He is the worthiness of the 4 stars. Otherwise they deserve 3.

Not the coolest thing you’ll ever do in your life, or maybe not even the coolest in Austin, but def. Worth checking. For the price it was worth the hour to peruse the museum especially if you watch the side show. Ours hammered a nail in his nose and out his hand in a bear trap.

Museum of the Weird is a fun place to go. I’ve been twice, I liked it so much. It is located on 6^th Street in Austin, which is an area known for its eclectic mix of punk rockers, suits and everything inbetween. Definitely stop in, especially if you love freak shows. The first time I went my friend and I saw a sword swallower, Juan Martinez, and he was brilliant. The second time I went with my boyfriend and we saw a reader, Doc Ravencraft. I call him a reader simply because I’m not sure what to call him. The museum calls him a Mojo Man. He did a reading on me and I was very surprised at his accuracy. He either was able to figure things out by my body language, etc., or was truly able to read me. It doesn’t matter, either way I was blown away. I loved this museum.

I felt ripped off after having taken a group here based on other reviews. The end of the tour act had called in sick and they still charged full price. If they combined both the museum and the wax museum owned by the same owner and charged half it might be worth it.

When I’m traveling I love to check out museums, and the weirder the better. The Museum of the Weird definitely fit the bill and I was excited to walk on over to the ever popular 6^th Street to check it out. What an experience!
The museum is definitely on the small side, so I wouldn’t plan to spend all day here. It’s also very, very kitschy. For those of you who are aficionados of both museums and the bizarre, like me, it’s like a cross between Coney Island’s Freakshow, the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota, and the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. It’s a bunch of random stuff that’s all quite peculiar, some of it is legit and some of it is probably totally fake, and yet it somehow all works together. This particular museum had a whole section on the Texas bigfoot, a Mexican and Egyptian mummy, some strange farm animals (via taxidermy) and the skeleton (and accompanying ghost) of Emily. They also had a puppet from the movie Tales from the Darkside, and a giant King Kong which was perfect for a photo op. Oh, and fun fact, in the early 90’s Johnny Depp used to live next door (because of course he did).
At first I walked through by myself, and then I went on a guided tour with Saul. He was very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. He taught me how to use a pendulum and shared some really interesting stories with me. I was happy to have met him and will remember his tour fondly.
For a memorable, fun little stop in Austin I definitely think you should check this place out. I sure hope everyone keeps Austin weird!

Cool place to visit with the kids open till midnight call for hours. Kinda unique Collection of items.

$ 12 for admission is unreasonably overpriced. There is a decent gift shop and as you enter the actual museum, there is about 15 showpieces of different sizes. You need 5 minutes to have a look at them. The freak show will take another 10 – 15 minutes. There is a dissonance between the style of the exhibit and the room on the second floor, and, what’s more important, the performer themselves. The performer accepts tips through Square though. Guys in front are very nice and helpful!

If you are looking to escape the heat and like the strange and unusual then you will enjoy the museum. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that I wish it was more spread out to view the exhibits and that all had descriptions. Overall a fun afternoon.

My partner and I have avoided touristy things whilst on this trip BUT after hearing all about this place HAD to go in! And we do not regret it… We had a look around the shop to start with and discussed weather it was worth $ 12 each and decided on it– Why not?! When in Austin ;)
We had an awesome time. We had a very intimate live performance at the end. (Just us two and the performer) who (and Im sorry but for the life of me can’t remember his name or his «skill Description») but basically he was a physic of sorts. And it was just freakin weird! I being not a believer nor a disbeliever was floored! We spent the rest of the night discussing how insane it was– that this man knew the name of the dog I had when I was 9! Not only that but gave a description of her!
Best $ 12 ever spent.
P.s I was actually quite worried before going in as I am the worlds biggest scardy cat! But it is not at all scary. Kinda creepy. But you relax quite quickly.

Silly, kinda cute, and a great respite from the midday heat. It’s pretty much all old school side shows, complete with fake mummified mermaids and yeti footprint castings. The sword swallower was quite nice, but I felt bad for him since I was the only member of the audience for his grand performance. It’s a small place, easy to breeze through in 30 — 45 minutes. Is it a must-​see Austin staple? No, not by any means, but you could do worse if you’ve got some time to kill.
Mention you’re a student and get a dollar off the standard price of admission. Word to this wise: there’s no public bathroom.

You really have to appreciate weird stuff or you won’t get it. The «Freak Show» was incredible. We had a blast and went home with some sweet souvenirs. Thanks for a great time!

This place was the highlight of our trip to Austin. Full of a real sideshow act and awesome sideshow artifacts. The curator was there and gave a tour. Super knowledgeable and great with the kids… We will be back!

This was one of my favorite things in Austin!
You have to have a fascination with freakshows or oddities. It was remarkable with sideshow history. You have to pay the extra to see the show … and see the Iceman.
But the best part is John. THE HUMAN ELECTRIC SOCKET! HE IS FULL OF ELECTRICITY. And it’s legit. I used to be a magician so I know the tricks to make a light bulb light up … this shizzle is for rizzle. Kids may get scared by the «weird» mood. But as an adult there are some interesting things to see, like the Hand of Glory (Harry Potter fans? They have the legit Hand of Glory).

My two friends and I went to The Museum of Weird because we saw it on Unilocal and we were very excited.
When you first enter, you come into a little gift shop and you’re greeted immediately. The woman behind the counter was really chill and super nice. My friends and I bought our tickets and started towards the museum. We stopped at the fortune teller of course, because why wouldn’t you? And when you start to make your way through the museum, you see so many cool things hanging on the wall. (I don’t want to give too much away by describing what you see) but I will say the Elephant Man was cool and creepy. All the crazy animals with multiple heads were so fun to look at! The man who took us on our tour told us all about the wax sculptures behind the glass and was extremely friendly and was willing to wait on us as we took a while checking out the first part of our three part tour.
Next, he lead us upstairs and told us about how Johnny Depp used to live there while filming What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (which fascinated me because that is one of my favorite movies, but I mean of course that’s the kind of place he’d stay in, haha!) We were lead up to King Kong and took some pictures with him. And we also got to pet the sweet lizard just chillin’ on the floor, and watch the bearded dragon chill in his terrarium. Then sat down and got ready for the show. The man who doesn’t feel pain and could sword swallow had my friends and I oohing and ahhing the whole time. He for sure entertained! Then after his show, he answered all our many questions about how he got into the side shows and such.
Last, we ventured back down to see the incredible «Ice Man»! At first, I had no clue what to expect, but we go in and he tells us all about the Ice Man from beginning to end. The story about where he came from and how «The Owner» (which he mentioned that «The Owner» is always called «The Owner» in freak shows like theirs). He told the story well, and let us gander at the Ice Man for as long as we wanted before leaving through the gift shop.
This place, in my honest opinion, is worth the money. I mean, my friends and I had so much fun. It’s just so interesting and an all around good time. We were really impressed with the sword swallower, and he showed us after his performance that he could also put a screwdriver through the center of his head! I really do love this place. The people were amazing, and I don’t know what any of these 1, 2, 3 star reviewers are thinking. Other than they have no room for fun or pizazz in their life! 5 stars worth, for sure!

First off, let me say that if you’re not the kind of person who appreciates weird things, don’t bother going here. You’ll feel ripped off, you’ll write a bad review, and everybody loses. It would be like me going to a trendy nightclub and then writing a review about obnoxious guys, barely dressed women, and overpriced drinks. That’s not my scene, so it wouldn’t be fair for me to go and then trash someone’s business.
On the other hand, if quirky roadside attractions get you excited, this is your place. If you’ve always secretly fantasized about your own personal Bigfoot sighting out in the wild, this is your place. If you use the term «freak» with a note of affection rather than derision or disgust, this is most definitely your place. And really, if you’re a curious human being with a positive attitude and a good sense of fun, you’ll probably enjoy this little museum.
At $ 12, the Museum of the Weird is a bargain among tourist attractions. I recommend trying to go at a time that’s not too busy, as the space is a little cramped and your experience won’t be nearly as good if you feel too crowded to slow down and read the signs and watch the video. I was fortunate enough to go on a cloudy and cold weekday when nobody else was around, so it was nice and leisurely until just before the guided part of the tour when a few other people joined in. They didn’t spend much time looking at the exhibits, and I’m guessing they didn’t enjoy it as much as I did because of that.
After touring a small room with lots of fun artifacts, you’ll watch a short sideshow performance by one of a few rotating performers. When I went, the performance was by a sword swallower named Juan. This was a major unexpected bonus, as I’m a huge circus and sideshow lover. I’ve been to clown camp, I can juggle a bit, and I do flying trapeze and other aerial stuff as often as I can. But sword swallowing — that’s just a whole different level.
Sword swallower Juan was pretty hoarse from a cold, but he was friendly and gave a great show. Unlike most sword swallowers I’ve seen, he even juggled a few clubs while swallowing the sword. If you don’t get why that’s such a big deal, Google «sword swallowing» and read up a little on the art. I have no qualms about jumping off a trapeze platform, but you’ll never find me swallowing giant sharp metal objects. That’s a very special mix of skill + crazy.
The final part of the tour is a viewing of the Minnesota Iceman. Now, there are those who say it’s all a giant hoax, and that the «Iceman» is actually made of latex and fur obscured by a thick layer of ice. And who knows, that could be true — but isn’t it more fun to just enjoy the exhibit and let yourself believe as you stare down through the ice at his creepy snarled lip?

I mean, unlike the one crazy dude who gave the place one star because it didn’t resemble a state museum, I get it: it’s intentionally kitschy, revels in its status as a breezy tourist diversion, celebrates its sideshow roots, etc.
But still: the museum itself is tiny, the artifacts of varying quality (not fake – of course they’re fake – but of varying qualities of fakeness), and the animals look sadly enclosed in tiny environments. Maybe it’s just the animal rights freak in me.
Also: the Minnesota Ice Man, not that interesting. The story is actually pretty good, but after the lead-​in, you realize that the ice covering the (alleged) ice dude is white and opaque enough that whatever is underneath could really be anything at all. It’s as if I invited you to see something scary behind a curtain and then told you you had to put on blindfolds before I pulled it back.
Sword swallower dude, though, was pretty awesome. We winced, we cringed, we oohhed and ahhed, it changed our lives. In fact, after everything that I just wrote, I might pay again just to see their other acts.
So, maybe it’s a meta-​joke: like a traveling carnival of old, some of the stuff is sad and junky, and some of it is lively and exciting, and they hope that, as a sly old fraud of a showman once wrote, there’s something for everyone.

This a great little museum/​shop in Downtown Austin. I stepped in because I was carless and needed to kill some time before my husband finished his nearby conference. So, I went in. It was interesting. It was like Ripley’s Believe or Not meets Sideshow-​Juan!
So, as I was reading the captions/​plaques under each of the interesing finds around the world ie six finger football team, a mermaid/​hobbit, and other fascinating atrocities. Juan came by to say the «guided portion of the tour is starting!» So, I followed.
I got to witness sword swallowing, bear trap clamps on a hand, and nails into one’s head. It was grotesquely amusing. I could not NOT watch… Also, I thought it was odd that I was the only one applauding.
Afterward, I finished reading the plaques I’d skipped. It was a good time-​killer, but it has no bathroom — so, for that, I had to walk down the block.

Boy, was this sure weird.
The entrance to this «museum» (and I use that term loosely) is a little gift shop with tons of random stuff, including old comics and various Austin-​related memorabilia. You can head to the counter to purchase tickets for the museum, which go for $ 12 for the full experience, and includes 3 parts:
1. Little room with freak exhibits
The first part of the tour consists of a small area with freaks and other oddities on display. It’s in a hot, dark, claustrophobic area, so you kind of just want to get to the second part.
2. Freak performance
The next part of the tour was administered by one of the «freaks», which is apparently a rotating selection of people. The guy we got was pretty cool — it was a little guy with short arms that was immune to electricity. He was a funny guy that had the whole audience (i.e. the two of us and one other couple) laughing throughout, mostly at his self-​deprecating humor. The cool part was the demo in which he did such things as light up a light bulb in his mouth (a la Uncle Fester), and also allowed us to touch his skin to prove he was conducting electricity. It was really creepy/​cool to feel the shock of his skin.
3. Minnesota Iceman
This part seemed kinda bogus to me, since it seems pretty random that this little museum would be in possession of this supposed iceman. It’s an interesting story though, whether it really is true or not, so stick around to hear this last part of the tour.
This was a semi-​amusing way to kill an hour or so. If you are on vacation and need something to do other than eat for a little bit, then check this out.