6 “Must-See” Unusual Museums of St.Petersburg
If you are not a classical tourist, and your goal are Unusual Museums – here are a couple of suggestions.
1. Дом вверх днем (Upside-Down House)
This museum is exactly what is sounds like- a house that is flipped upside down! It is a very popular site in St.Petersburg, for good reason. You walk into the house and feel very disoriented, and find that the entire museum is very impressive! Even things like towels look like they are hanging properly, and you feel like you are standing on the ceiling. One of the most fun parts is taking pictures and showing them to your friends later to confuse them!
Location- Невском, 5
2. Музей смерти (Museum of Death)
Although it may seem a little grim, this museum is a great cultural learning experience. There are displays of different cultural traditions all around the world regarding death. Some of the exhibits on display are death masks of the Vatican from Italy, death god sculptures from Nigeria, and a collection of interesting funeral stones and urns. There are also videos and interactive features that make the museum a fun experience.
Location- ул. Льва Толстого, 9а
3. Музей шоколада (Chocolate Museum)
This museum is really just a store located on Nevsky Prospekt. However, they do display many very impressive sculptures and figurines that were created from chocolate. Some of their displays include a bust of Lenin, miniature grand pianos, airplanes, flowers, and even a life sized Father Frost (St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, or however you would like to call him). It is a great place to get your chocolate fix and see some interesting sculptures.
Location- Невском, 17
4. Комната Эймса (Ames Room)
This museum is very similar to Дом вверх днем, although it will disorient you even more! The room is not rectangular, and everything is shaped or placed in a way that creates a serious optical illusion. When a person is standing up straight they appear to be leaning over, and things that are on tables look like they should be rolling off. Sometimes you look like a giant and sometimes you look very short, it’s a very fun photo op!
Location- Московский пр.,107 к. 5
5. Музей советских игровых автоматов (Museum of Soviet Arcade Games)
It is very difficult to call this a museum, as you have the opportunity to touch many of the artifacts! There are many old Soviet games on display, over 40 different types. Some games that you can play include “Battleship”, “Safari”, “Sniper”, and many more. Definitely worth checking out!
Location- ул. Марата, 86
6. Кунсткамера (Kunstkamera)
Kunstkamera is likely the weirdest and most disturbing museum that you will find in the city. It is actually St. Petersburg’s first museum, as it was founded my Peter the Great himself. The museum is extensive, although the most visited and talked about exhibit is that of Peter’s collection of deformed human and animal fetuses. There museum was founded as “Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography” and contains many other exhibits as well. Peter’s “cabinet of curiosities” is an interesting experience that you won’t want to miss out on.
Location- Университетская набережная, 3
This blog was brought to you by Allison, currently studying Russian at Liden and Denz
