Little-Known Museums to Consider - Computers, Tinkertown History and Culture
7 Museums for the Curious Traveler
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images When the Smithsonian is not in your travel plans, consider what another city may offer, like the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. En español They may not have the recognition of, say, Washington, D.C.'s many Smithsonian options or New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art or Museum of Modern Art, but there are many underexposed museums in small towns and cities across the United States that have much to offer the curious traveler. We picked seven favorites: Places where you will learn, laugh (at the Tinkertown Museum, anyway) and definitely want to linger. 1 The Computer History Museum Mountain View California
Don't be turned off by the dry-sounding name: This museum regularly wows visitors with stimulating interactive exhibits and countless cool low- and high-tech artifacts, from an abacus to a massive early mainframe to the video game Pong. ("Fun and geeky!" one visitor gushed in an online review.) You can even play Jeopardy! against a simulated version of Watson — the IBM system that famously beat two human Jeopardy! champs. Not surprising, the museum also has a vast amount of historical information on their website. 2 National World War I Museum Kansas City Missouri
Many are not aware that the United States has an official World War I Museum. We do. It's seven years old and it's gripping from the start: Upon entering, visitors cross a glass bridge above a symbolic field of 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 people killed during the "War to End All Wars." The museum's vast collection includes replicas of life-size trenches, dramatic firsthand battle accounts and an FT-17 Tank battered by German artillery. 3 Lower East Side Tenement Museum New York New York br
The perfect stop after a visit to Ellis Island, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum is housed in a five-story brick building at 97 Orchard Street and offers an eye-opening look at the immigrants' day-to-day experience in their new land. Costumed interpreters in authentically restored apartments stand in for a few of the thousands of actual residents from around the world who lived in this crowded tenement from 1863 through the 1930s — many, in the early years, without running water or electricity. 4 Tinkertown Museum Sandia Park New Mexico br
Surely unlike anything you've seen, the Tinkertown Museum "folk art environment" includes a massive collection of carved wooden figures, mechanized dioramas and funky Americana begun by a man named Ross Ward back in 1962. It's now a weirdly compelling must-see for roadside attraction buffs, just a half-hour drive from Albuquerque — and very far from normal. 5 Spark Museum of Electrical Invention Bellingham Washington
The Spark Museum of Electrical Invention has a lightbulb made by Thomas Edison (it's burned out), antique radios, vacuum tubes, telegraphs, a static electricity laboratory and a replica of the Titanic radio room. But the biggest attraction here is the Lightning Cage, a screened metal ball in which visitors sit while a Tesla coil bombards them with bolts of electricity. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. 6 Titan Missile Museum Sahuarita Arizona
Enter the Titan Missile Museum through the concrete-reinforced belly of an atomic missile launch base for the chance to see a decommissioned intercontinental ballistic missile in its silo — a powerful memento from the Cold War. On hour-long tours a guide will sometimes offer a visitor the chance to turn the actual key that once would have led to mutually assured destruction. 7 The Gilmore Car Museum Hickory Corners Michigan
A small-town guy named Donald S. Gilmore started this collection of vintage cars 50 years ago, and now the Gilmore Car Museum is a key stop for auto geeks and nostalgia trippers. The museum displays some 400 cars and motorcycles, including rarities like the 1911 Stanley Steamer. You can also check out a re-created service station, circa 1930; a London double-decker bus and an authentic 1941 diner. Christina Ianzito writes on travel, entertainment and lifestyle for AARP Media. Also of Interest
AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.