Most people associate museums with incredible art and important historical artifacts that define certain eras of the world. Many don't realize that there's a museum for just about anything, including creepy, gross, and macabre art and artifacts. These are some of the weirder exhibits out there...
A Scientific Severed Head
This is the severed head of Peter Kürten. He was a German serial killer from the 1930s. At the time, he was known as the "Vampire in Dusseldorf." In order to study the mind of a serial killer, his head was saved after he died. Now, it resides in Ripleys Believe or Not! Museum in Wisconsin.
Naked Sea Snail
Ever wanted to know what a sea snail looks like without its shell? Yeah, me neither. This sea snail, also known as the giant spider conch, was collected on a reef off of Cerg Island in 1957. It now resides in Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
Mysteriously Creepy Baby
The origins of this creepy doll are unknown. The museum staff didn't know where it came from or why it was so terrifying looking. Eventually, they put a bag over its head while it was in storage. One day, a staff member was going through some of the artifacts and saw that the bag had a hole ripped into it where the eye was... Creepy.
Two-Snouted Pig
This pig became a sought-after specimen due to the fact that it was born with two snouts. Sadly, it was stillborn, but the farmer decided to preserve it and donated it to Zemědělské Muzeum.
Stillborn Conjoined Twins
One day, medical staff at an undisclosed hospital found a jar with conjoined twins inside. After inspecting them, they figured out that the twins had been stillborn. No one at the hospital had a clue as to who they were or why they were left in a medical closet, but they knew that they couldn't just lay them to rest. Instead, they opted to give the twins the attention that they deserved and donated them to the Mütter Museum.
Wax Mannequin Gone Wrong
This poor wax child got some unwanted facial reconstruction over the years. The mannequin was left in the attic of an old building in Germany for decades before it was found. It was laying face down on the floor, which is why the forehead and nose are flat! Apparently, it got a little too hot in the attic.
Band of Clowns
This is a photograph of a band of clowns that was taken in 1920. There isn't much else behind the photo, as it's hard to find information on "DeLairs' Clown Band." The photo now resides in the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
Aging Wax Doll
This doll didn't always look this crazy! Isobel is a doll from 1851 and one of the oldest dolls at the Chelmsford City Museum. Over time, the wax on the dolls would crack which would end up giving them a "deranged" look... Eventually, these types of dolls were known as "Mad Alice" dolls.
Sheep's Heart
This is a photo of a sheep's heart that someone stuck with pins and nails. They also strung it on a loop of cord. This all seems random, but it was actually done as a ritual to "break evil spells." It was made in 1911 and resides in Pitt Rivers Museum.
Creepy Ceramic Doll
This creepy little doll is part of a collection at the Centre of Ceramic Art at York Art Gallery in England. Sometimes, art doesn't have to make sense. Sometimes, it just wants to be creepy!
Gout Hands
These jarred hands were kept by medical scientists in order to study the effects of gout on a person. The bulbous knuckles were not post-mortem, but from gout that the person suffered from before they died. Gout was very common in the 19th century.
Netsuke
This is actually a very small ornament, known as a "netsuke," that is just over one-and-a-half- inches tall. It was mainly used in 19th century Japan to hold a small box onto the obi sash of a kimono. No, it's not carved from human bones.
Crab Art
The York Castle Museum has this bizarre little art installment in one of their exhibits. This shadow box depicts two "people" playing some cards, but the people are made out of crab legs and claws! Art is art, right?
Not Your Average Wax Heads
These look like your average wax heads, right? Well, they are... to a point. The teeth and hair are actually from real people. It's not clear as to why the person who made them chose human hair and teeth, but it's still creepy.
Pregnant Kitty
According to the Grant Museum of Zoology, this exhibit is what disturbs people the most. And why wouldn't it? It's creepy! This cat was pregnant when it died, and it still doesn't give us an answer as to how cats fit so many kittens in their bellies.
Wart Necklace
Okay, the actual purpose of stringing these warts up wasn't for it to be a necklace. They actually strung them together to make them easier to study! Regardless, I hope no one decided to wear them out for a night on the town. They can be found at the Mütter Museum.
The Doll with Three Faces
This three-faced doll is part of a collection at the Rideau District Museum in Westport, Ontario. The manufacturer obviously had a twisted sense of humor since they decided to make a doll so devilish. The faces all express a different range of emotions.
Drinking Bear
This creepy little bear was actually a toy marketed to children back in the day. It's displayed at the Toy Museum of Penhurst Place. You can feed the bear coins and it'll drink from its cup! That's about it. Also, it's demonic.
Not Just An Axe...
This looks like it's just an ax, but it's actually not your ordinary ax. In fact, it's a historical ax! This was used by the county executioner between the years of 1770 and 1866. It helped execute 88 people. It's now hanging in Sweden's Västernorrlands Museum.
Model Eye
These little wax moldings were actually used by medical students back in the late 1800s. An artist would create multiple different eye conditions for medical students to train with. This was purchased from a Parisian firm and put in a museum. It currently resides in the Mütter Museum along with other models.
Part of Einstein's Brain
Parts of Albert Einstein's brain ended up all over the world after he died. It was removed in 1955 and has been passed around since. Pathologist Thomas Harvey kept his Einstein brain sections and eventually donated it to the Mütter Museum.
Bouquet of Hair
This may look like a regular bouquet, but it definitely isn't. This bouquet is made of real human hair. It was gifted from a son to his father for some unknown reason. The son crafted the bouquet using the hair of their deceased family members. To each their own! This exhibit currently resides at the Tot Zover Museum in Amsterdam.
Embalming Kit
This extensive embalming kit dates back from the turn of the 20th century. Most Americans regarded embalming as a pagan ritual until the Civil War when soldiers who were dying far from home needed to be embalmed to be transported home.
A Toy for a Child
Truthfully, it's unclear as to how a child would play with this, but it's still being called a child's toy. This abomination was found within the walls of a 155-year-old mansion. It currently resides in the PEI Museum.
Cholera Studies
During the cholera outbreak in 1849, physicians preserved specimens of intestines from cholera patients. Thanks to these specimens, the actual strain of the outbreak was identified in 2013.
A Mermaid
Obviously, this isn't a real mermaid. The fishtail is actually real and from a Pacific wrasse. The head and the thorax were sculpted separately, and it was all put together by the artist. The teeth are real fish teeth.
A Doll Named Michelle
This cloth doll is named Michelle. It was used by laryngologist Chevalier Jackson to showcase his non-surgical techniques for removing foreign objects from children's throats. In a way, this creepy little doll probably saved a lot of lives!
A Mummified Pigeon
If you ever wanted to know what a mummified pigeon looks like, this is your answer! This little guy is part of the Education Collection at Minnesota's Bell Museum. It was accidentally sealed in a wall of a building when it died and was ultimately eaten by insects... Well, minus the feathers.
Necropants
On the first glance, this looks terrifying. And it is! This exhibit is in the Iceland Sorcery Museum. They're called "necropants" and are made of real human skin. According to history, people would need to put a stolen coin from a widow in the pants to "access its power."
Mysterious Slide
This mysterious mourning slide is full of wonder. The inscription of "AB" remains unknown. Investigators also found human hair inside. It currently resides in the Holburne Museum, although its purpose remains unknown. The museum dated this piece back to the late 17th century.
Peas in a Pod
This was probably meant to be cute, but it's actually horrifying. This was an old art project depicting "four peas in a pod," as the saying goes. Except, it's not as cute as the saying goes. The blush on the dolls kind of looks like blood, which makes the disembodied heads even creepier.
Hangin' Out
This creepy doll was found strung up under a notorious petrifying well. A petrifying well is a well that turns objects inside of it to stone if they are kept there long enough. This doll ended up becoming victim to the well and is now an exhibit inside of it.
Two-Headed Kitten
This two-headed kitten was full of wonders when it was born in 1948. Now, it's displayed at the ON at Fife Museum in the UK. The kitten was born in Nairobi.
Skin-Bound Book
This little display actually has a gruesome backstory. The object on the left is the scalp of William Corder, also known as the Red Barn Murderer. He died over 200 years ago. The book on the right is a book bound by the skin on his back. Why someone did this is unknown.
PH Mask
This mask is one of the earliest versions of a gas mask. It was used by the British forces during WWI in 1916. It's called a PH mask, where PH means Phena-hexamine, a caustic chemical.
Tray of Eyeballs
Thankfully, these are not real eyeballs. But, this was randomly found at the Birmingham Back to Backs Museum in England. No one really knew what it was for or why it was tucked away in storage, but it's still crazy to look at!
Wax Figure Of a Scabies Mite
Thankfully, this is not the true size of a scabies mite. But, it is accurate in what they look like, which is pretty terrifying! Scabies is is an infestiation of these little mites that burrow and lay eggs in people's skin.
Shrunken Heads Hangin' Out
Most "shrunken heads" aren't true, traditional shrunken heads. The traditional shrunken heads are ancient traditional techniques of the Jivaro Indians from Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador. The heads were usually made from enemies who died on the battlefield and kept as trophy's.
A Wooly Pig?
Apparently, a "wooly pig" was a thing that existed! It looks like a mix of a curly-haired cow and a sheep. Below is an "elephant" egg, which certainly didn't exist. Honestly, these exhibits just get weirder and weirder...
The Weirdest Room in the Museum
This particular room takes on a lot of different themes. For starters, there's a skeleton of a tiger in the background. The thing on the wall is a "Fijian" merman that was created by an artist. And then, for the kicker, there's a stuffed lion with a hat on. Why? No one knows.
Cat Skulls
There is a large display of cat skulls at the Viktor Wynd Museum. They are on display for artistic purposes instead of scientific purposes. It is interesting to see how they are all the same, though!
A Hairball
Yes, that is an actual hairball! Thankfully, not from a cat. This was actually found in a cow's stomach after a farmer noticed the buldge. The three little balls below it are bladder stones, which were probably just as painful! This poor cow was going through it.
A Shrunken Head
Shrunken heads were a very popular practice back in the day. Depending on the culture, it was used to for less-than-ideal intentions. A true shrunken head is rare to come by, though. The process is very difficult to get right!
Amy Winehouse's "Poo"
Yes, this is a real thing on display at a museum. Is the poo itself real? Apparently, Viktor Wynd says so. Most people say that it's not. Honestly, it's just a weird thing to have on display and a weird thing to lie about in general. People can get pretty weird!
Two-Headed Kitten Skeleton
This is a real skeleton of a two-headed kitten. According to the tag, it was stillborn to a cat named Sooty in 2006. Even though the poor thing didn't make it, its body lives on in science!
The Cabinet Dedicated to Dead People
Weirdly enough, the Viktor Wynd Museum has a cabinet that's "dedicated" to dead people. It's unclear as to why, since a lot of the objects in here are just dolls and fake skulls, but it sure is creepy...
Dysentery Infection
This specimen is of a real colon that's infected with Dysentery. It was taken from a patient who passed away and studied by numerous doctors to try and help aid in the healing of Dysentery patients. This was a super common ailment of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially during the Civil War.
Heirloom Medical Chest
This medical chest used to belong to Dr. Benjamin Rush. It was donated by his family after he passed away in 1813. He was a premier physician at the Pennsylvania Hospital and was a huge forefather in medical history.
Ovarian Cyst
This is a donated ovarian cyst from 1865. Luckily, the surgery went smoothly and the woman was able to live a normal life after she recovered. It was 74 pounds! Oddly enough, it was not the largest cyst ever. The largest one was removed from another woman in Shanghai in 1864... That one was 182 pounds.
Self Amputations
During the Civil War, many soldiers had to make the decision of amputating injured body parts while on the battlegrounds. Many of them knew that if they continued to have the injured limb, they would surely die. Union surgeons managed to save save limbs for research purposes. Now, they reside in the Mütter Museum.
The Soap Lady
The Soap Lady is one of the most popular medical exhibits in the world. She was exhumed in Philadelphia in 1875 where doctors found that a fatty subtance encased her body. Essentially, the chemical structure of the subtance is the same of soap... So, she's the Soap Lady.
A Woman's Horn
This is a wax model of a woman who had a "horn" growing from her head. It was successfully removed after growing on her face for six years in the late 19th century. These can be common in certain types of people, but they usually never grow to that size!
Twin Placentas from the 19th Century
A mother sent her placenta to be studied after she birthed two twin boys. One of the boys was healthy, while the other was tiny and compressed into the placenta. Apparently, she had a condition where the one boy crowded and essentially killed the other one.
Deadly Steam Atomizer
This is a carbolic acid steam atomizer. It was developed by Lord Joseph Lister in the early 20th century. The atomizer released a cloud of germ-killing carbolc acid which ended up soaking the entire room in a bizarre liquid. The surgeon himself was even wet!
Human Skulls
The Mütter Museum aquired these human skulls from Viennese antomist Joseph Hyrtl in 1874. He collected 139 skulls in order to study them. Once his study was over, he donated them to the medical museum.
Bloodletting Tools
Bloodletting was a popular mode of medicine back in the mid 19th century. It was supposed to help prevent and cure diseases. In reailty, it didn't do anything and many people ended up dying from lack of treatment.
Evidence of Dematillomania
Dermatillomania is a compulsive disorder where people pick at their skin. This cannister is from a woman who compulsively picked at the skin on her feet. She saved it all and donated it in 2009.
Human Large Intestine
This is an actual human intestine that's stuffed with paper product. It was donated in 1892 after the medical patient suffering from the enlarged intestine passed away. It represents congenital aganglionic megacolon... Aka, chronic constipation.
Late-Stage Syphilis
This wax model is supposed to represent the dangers of late-stage syphilis. It can ravage human flesh in multiple ways, and the wax model represents one of the more gruesome effects. It was used as a teaching tool in the 1800s to teach doctors the signs to look for.
Anesthesia Kit
This is an anesthesia kit. It contains a glass flask, inhaler, and tongue forceps. This was basically used to knock patients out using chorloform to put them asleep for medical procedures. This was a popular kit used by doctors up until the 1950s.
Dried Hands
These dried hands help showcase the anatomy of the human hand. At the Mütter Museum, they are featured in the Grimm's Anatomy exhibit, which showcases the morbitity of fairy tales.
Head Full of Teeth
This looks like it's something out of a nightmare, but it's actually what all children's skulls look like! The skull was chipped away to show the structure of adult teeth in a child's skull before they lose their baby teeth. It was donated sometime before 1941, but the donor is unknown...
Post-Mortem Dissection Kit
This medical tool set from 1870. The toolkit was used in post-mortem dissection by physicians. It was passed down for generations within a family of physicians and finally donated to a museum in 1975.