Museums

When some of us hear the word "museum" we envision a dusty display of antiquity, or a famous collection from who-knows-where that we were supposed to get tickets for six months ago. Fortunately, there are some fascinating museums that you've probably never heard of. How about museums of neon art, gold mining, cartoon art, the circus, food, peace, music, miniature figures, sports, quilts, the military... You name it, there is probably a museum devoted to it somewhere. There are also several wonderful museums devoted to natural history, culture, art collections, antiquities and science and technology.

Still not tempted? How about a date at one of the following:

Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming. Perhaps the most respected western heritage museum around.

Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas. Birthplace of Dr. Pepper. This museum chronicles the story of the soda drink industry.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Take a tour of the prison and art from the prison system.

The Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Florida. Here you'll find a huge display of cartoon art and comic strips. Maybe they'll even have some of the ballots from the 2000 presidential election!

Museum of Questionable Medical Devices in Minneapolis, Minnesota—a scary collection of quack medical devices.

Hershey Museum, Hershey, Pennsylvania. You'll never guess what the subject matter is at the Hershey Museum.

Museum of Unnatural Mystery, Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Looks at scientific explanations for UFOs, sea monsters, etc.

COST

Many are free, others charge up to $25 or more per person, especially when they are housing traveling exhibits. Also allow for food and parking.

HOW TO FIND

Wow! Here's an amazing resource from the folks at the Oakland Museum. Go to www.museumca.org and then "Online Resources." Search for museums by state, type or name.

Go to www.cftech.com, then to "TheBrainBank," then to "Other Reference," then to "Libraries and Museums." The museum part of this site can be difficult to get into, but it provides a good list.

Try your local visitor center or the Yellow Pages under "museums."

PREPARATION AND TIME

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Call the museum ahead of time for hours of operation. Ask how long they think a visit to the museum will take. Some of the smaller museums may take fifteen minutes to walk through while others will be an all day affair.

LUNCH AT THE MUSEUM

Some museums, especially the bigger ones, have cafes and restaurants. Even if you don't want to tour the museum, these can be nice places to meet for a date. Since the cafe might not have the same hours as the museum, be sure to call ahead for when it is open and ask if you need to make reservations. Also ask about the price range of their meals just in case the food costs as much as the art.

ALTERNATIVES

Bigger museums often have stores that stock unusual and interesting things. Why not meet for lunch at the museum (see above) and allow enough time to browse through the museum store?

DATING AN ALIEN?

Visit the UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico to meet your date's people.