There is so much to see and do in California and not enough time. When people travel to California they typically hit the big and famous landmarks but lots of fabulous hidden gems are left undiscovered, such as some totally cool museums in California.
I am willing to bet that even not all locals know about these unique museum in California. I have been living in the Golden State for a long time and I travelled it all from North to South and East to West and I put together the list of my favorites from all over the state.
I would like to explain first the criteria I used to chose my favorite cool museums in California. I didn’t go for the biggest ones or most well-known ones. This is a list of UNIQUE museums in California that you probably won’t find anywhere else.
Some may say that this is a list of weird museums in California and I am not saying that every museum on my list is for everyone but I am pretty sure that EVERYONE will be able to find at least one unique gem for them on my list of cool museums in California.
At the end of the article you will find a Google map of all the unique museums in California that I am talking about in this post tp help you prepare for your road trip.
Cool Museums in California
Cool Museums in California: #1 The Bigfoot Museum
Officially called as Willow Creek China Flat Museum and Bigfoot Collection is a unique museum in Northern California, located in the area where hundreds of people swear they saw the actual Bigfoot. The museum talks about the first most famous sighting and it has the records of subsequent sighting over the years.
If you are a fan of Bigfoot this is the place to visit. You can easily add this stop to your Redwoods National Park itinerary.
Cool Museums in California: #2 Walt Disney Family Museum
If you are a Disney fan, skip the overcrowded Disneyland in Anaheim and visit Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco instead. It has lots of interesting exhibits for both kids and adults.
Here you can learn the history of the Disney empire, unseen images of how Disney cartoons were created and also do some hands on activities like adding soundtrack to cartoons. This museum is both fun and educational at the same time.
Cool Museums in California: #3 Musée Mécanique
Musée Mécanique, also located in San Francisco, is a fun and unique museum in California. It has a huge collection of orchestrions, coin operated pianos, antique slot machines, animations, music boxes and things of that nature.
The entrance to the museum is free of charge but you pay coins to play all the cool games and music machines. Be careful though – you can spend a lot of money here without even noticing it because it is so much fun, both for kids and adults. This is one of my favorite places to visit in San Francisco when it rains.
Cool Museums in California: #4 USS Hornet
There are several military ships turned into museums in the U.S. but USS Hornet in Alameda in San Francisco Bay Area is probably the most unusual. In addition to the typical military exhibition it has 2 unique features. First, there is an exhibit dedicated to a famous Hollywood movie shot on the ship (see link to the tour summary below to find out which one).
Second of all, a part of the ship tour is dedicated to the paranormal activity present on the ship. People do see ghosts on it from time to time! It is really fascinating to learn about it all and may be you will even see one yourself if you are lucky 😉 Check out more information about the USS Hornet guided tour summary for more details.
Cool Museums in California: #5 Winchester Mystery House
If you are a fan of the paranormal then you also need to stop by Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. A huge mansion built by the widow of the famous gun manufacturer, it has a dark mystery, lots of history and a story to tell.
The best time to visit this cool museum is in October where the mansion is fabulously decorated for Halloween and it also offers Halloween themed tours and other attractions. I have put together a detailed guide of Winchester Mystery House Halloween experience – check it out before you go.
Check out our video of the whole Winchester Mystery House experience here:
Cool Museum in California: #6 The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
Would you expect to see a big ancient Egypt museum in California? Neither did I. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose literally blew my mind. It has a wonderful collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts inside (think some really cool mummies, jewelry and more) and a beautiful garden outside (planted the same way you would see them exist around ancient Egyptian palaces). You can even travel through an ancient tomb inside the museum!
Check out my detailed video review of the museum below before you go:
Cool Museums in California: #7 Bee Museum
If you want to learn about the fascinating world of bees and beekeeping, do some hands on activities and taste delicious honey then you should absolutely visit the Bee Museum at California Lavender Honey Farm in San Miguel in greater Paso Robles area. You will be treated to a guided tour of the museum with the beekeeper, which is an ultimate educational and fun experience. It is truly one of the coolest museums in California.
Please, note that the tour of the museum is part of a bigger tour of the entire California Lavender Honey Farm during which, as a bonus, you will also visit the lavender field, learn about olive oil and sustainability and also taste the farm grown yummy vegetables and fruits, whatever is in season.
Cool Museums in California: #8 Museum of Western Film History
If you love Western movies you will LOVE the Museum of Western Film History. If you are not a fan, you will still find it very fascinating. You see, this cool Californian museum is located in Lone Pine, CA where not just Westerns but some other famous movies were filmed such as Tremors, Ironman, The Gladiator and many others and you can see the props and stories from those films production in the museum too.
I have a complete itinerary for you to visit the area that covers the Museum and other great local attractions – Things to Do in Lone Pine.
Cool Museums in California: #9 Crochet Museum
This is not just a crochet museum, it is officially called World Famous Crochet Museum so I had to check it out. Let me be honest: if you love crochet, this is a place for you. If you love super cute little things, this a place for you. For the rest of you it will be a roadside curiosity.
It is quite small but the entrance is free and it is right on your way to Joshua Tree National Park so why not do a short pit stop to check it out? It is part of an artists colony of sorts so you will see some interesting art installations in the area as well.
Cool Museums in California: #10 California State Railroad Museum
Railroad museums may be rare but not unique. What makes this one a really cool museum in California is a combination of factors. First of all, it has great train exhibits.
Second of all, it offers scenic train rides along the Sacramento river and at certain times of the year they also offer themed rides, like Polar Express and Turntable Rides.
Finally, California State Railroad Museum is located in Old Sacramento which is a living history museum in itself. It shows you the life in town in the late 1800s – it is literally like time travel! You can also check out an old school house museum nearby as part of Old Sacramento area. I cannot recommend California State Railroad Museum enough, especially if visiting with kids. It is a great fun and educational experience.
The Map of cool museums in California
Please, see my complete Google map of these unique Californian museums that will help you plan your road trip itinerary. The snapshot of the map can be viewed below:
Conclusion
You can travel California far and wide and be fascinated each and every time. I am planning to continue my local explorations and road trips in search of more cool museums to add to this list in the future. So save this article in order not to lose it!
If you find the article useful, please, do me a small favor and share it with other as it may help them in their travel planning too.
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