If your idea of a good road trip involves haunted objects, creepy dolls, Ouiji boards, and a collection of things that might make you wonder whether you should have touched that, I may have found your next destination.
The America Oddities Museum in Alton, Illinois, is just a few hours from the Evansville area, and describes itself as a place to "escape from the ordinary world."
Based on what you'll find inside, I'd say they've accomplished that.
What's Inside the American Oddities Museum?
Located at 301 Piasa Street in Alton, the museum is home to a collection of the strange, unusual, and downright macabre assembled over roughly 30 years.
Exhibits include:
- Haunted items and Ouiji boards
- Sideshow Oddities
- Funeral and mourning objects
- Eerie dolls
- Tattoo history
- True crime relics
- Items connected to cults and murders
The museum recently shared that visitors can also check out new and enlarged exhibits along with an expanded bookstore.
So, you know, normal museum stuff.
The Museum Has a Strange History of Its Own
As if the collections weren't enough, its location adds another layer to the experience.
According to Atlas Obscura, the museum was formerly housed inside Alton's historic Mineral Springs Hotel, and an earlier version of the museum that opened in the 1990s focused specifically on torture objects.
The museum eventually changed hands and expanded into a broader collection of oddities. It was later taken over by author Troy Taylor, whose work explores true crime, hauntings, and the unexplained.
Plan Your Weird Illinois Road Trip
One of the best parts? This isn't an expensive excursion.
The American Oddities Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and admission is just $7 per person, with children 10 and under admitted free.
You'll find it at:
American Oddities Museum
301 Piasa Street
Alton, Illinois
For those in Southern Indiana, it's close enough for a weekend road trip while being just far enough away to feel like you've gone somewhere.
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Gallery Credit: Melissa Awesome
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