When you think of tourist attractions, your mind probably drifts to postcard-perfect beaches, museums, historic forts, and jaw-dropping viewpoints. But the world isn’t all about attractions that are Instagrammable and dreamy. Some tourist attractions are just downright bizarre and even terrifying. From walls plastered with used chewing gum to museums dedicated to phalluses, we’ve rounded up our top 7 picks for the weirdest tourist attractions in the world. And what better occasion to know more about these unique tourist attractions in the world than World Tourism Day?
7 Weirdest Tourist Attractions In The World: Hair Museum, Doll Island, Gum Wall, And More!
1. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic: Bone-Chilling Attraction, Literally!
You must’ve heard of churches built of wood, stone, and concrete. But have you ever heard of a church made of bones? Well, it’s exterior is not made of actual bones – it’s quite unassuming and ordinary to look at from the outside. However, step a foot inside and you’ll see a bone-chilling scene, quite literally! The interiors of the church have decor elements that are made of actual human bones, including gigantic chandeliers and the coat of arms!
Its spooky-sounding history dates back to the 13th century when Cistercian abbot brought soil from the Holy Land in Jerusalem to the Sedlec Cistercian Monastery. As word about the holy soil started spreading, more and more people desired to be buried in the Sedlec cemetery as it would be a prestigious honor to be buried near a site where the holy soil of Jerusalem was kept.
The number of burials at the cemetery only kept increasing, with the plague and Hussite Wars adding to the massive burial numbers. In 1400, a Gothic church was built near the cemetery, with its basement used as an ossuary (a place to house the remains from mass graves). It was centuries later in 1870 that a French woodworker František Rint decided to organize the ossuary – the result of which we see today in the impressive bone carvings and installations!
Address: Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora 3, Czechia
Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM
Best time to visit Czech Republic: March to May, September to October
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 50,650 (March to May); INR 53,700 (September to October)
2. Avanos Hair Museum, Turkiye: Love Is In The Hair!
Turkiye is known for its hot-air balloon rides, world-famous coffee, historic sites, and immaculate desserts. But there’s something more that’s bizarrely famous about this country – a museum dedicated to hair! A day trip to Avanos will make it possible for you to visit the Avanos Hair Museum, a place that began in 1979 and is one of the most unique tourist attractions in the world today.
When artist Galip Körükçü’s intern-turned-friend was about to leave Avanos, he insisted she leave behind a lock of her hair as a memento. When other female guests and visitors heard about it, they too willingly left locks of their hair as mementos. Soon, a mere departing act had turned into a custom and this custom is what led to the birth of the Avanos Hair Museum.
Today, this museum houses the hair of an estimated five million women from around the world as well as of a few men, and we’re not even exaggerating! Each hair strand has the name, nationality, and a few other details of the donor, so photography and videography inside the museum is prohibited. Every year in June and December, the first visitor to Chez Galip (Galip’s ceramic art workshop) is invited to the museum to choose ten locks off the walls. The women they belong to are then invited to Cappadocia for a week of lodging and pottery workshops, for free of cost!
Address: Yukarı, 110. Sk. No: 24, 50500 Avanos/Nevşehir, Türkiye
Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM
Best time to visit Turkiye: April to May/July, September to November
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 21,442 (April to May/July); INR 27,160 (September to November)
3. Island Of The Dolls, Mexico: Annabelle’s Heaven!
Mexico has a fair share of interesting and absurd sites that have a dark history, but nothing tops the list like the Island of the Dolls! Located in the canals of Xochimilco, south of Mexico City, this island is home to hundreds of dolls – creepy, dismembered, and straight from the sets of a horror movie! These dolls hang lifelessly from trees, buildings, and fences and can easily creep you out even in broad daylight.
These dolls were collected by a man named Don Julian Santana, who believed that they would appease the restless spirit of a girl who drowned in the canals nearby. And while no one knows if it did indeed appease her spirit, the island has become notoriously populated with dolls lying around in almost every corner.
Some tourists have claimed that the dolls ‘stare back’ at you and even whisper in the eerie silence. Isn’t this simply one of the creepiest and weirdest tourist attractions in the world? We’re sure Annabelle would love it here!
Address: Xochimilco, south of the center of Mexico City, Mexico
Timings: No set timings, but recommended to finish a boat tour before sunset
Best time to visit Mexico: December to April
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 84,883 (February and March are the cheapest months to fly)
4. Hell Garden, Thailand: Garden Of The Gory And The Grotesque
Thailand is one of those countries that is easily accessible for plenty of Indians, thanks to its proximity, affordable flights, and more or less a similar culture. And while there are enough picturesque tourist attractions in Thailand, nothing will prepare you for the grotesque ‘tourist attraction’ that is the Wat Saen Suk or Wang Saen Suk Monastery Garden, better known as the Hell Garden! It is located in the bustling Chon Buri district and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The place takes inspiration from the Buddhist concept of ‘Naraka’, or more commonly, the concept of hell that is prevalent across major religions in the world.
Prepare yourself for some rather graphic visuals of sculptures depicting the different aspects of hell – from impaled bodies to demons punishing humans with the most torturous (and uncensored) punishments! While it might be too graphic or even scary for some visitors, the locals visit the site with respect and devotion.
This place is a living reminder for Thai Buddhists to follow their religion with utmost faith – and the consequences of not doing so have been unapologetically displayed at the Hell Garden!
Address: 150 Bang Saen Sai 2 Rd, Saen Suk, Chon Buri District, Chon Buri 20130, Thailand
Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM
Best time to visit Thailand: November to February
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 11,365
5. The Market Theatre Gum Wall, United States: Gross Or Truly Unique?
You must’ve heard of countless lanes, fountains, and gates where tourists leave something behind as a memento. Think of locks, paper clippings, coins, and ribbons. But what if we tell you that there’s a place in the US where it is common to leave behind a piece of gum…as your memory? This absurd tradition began in 1991 when impatient visitors waiting in line for shows at the nearby Market Theater began sticking gum on this wall. And soon, other visitors began following suit.
The wall is cleaned regularly, but it doesn’t take much time for the wall to fill up with vibrant pieces of chewed gum. Over the years, this landmark in Seattle has attracted its fair share of controversy, with people divided over contrasting opinions.
Some say that it is a one-of-a-kind public art installation, while others are concerned about the health hazards of sticking hundreds of chewed gum (that contains millions of bacteria) on a wall. When you visit Seattle, would you visit this site or downright skip it?
Address: 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
Timings: Open 24 hours a day
Best time to visit the United States: March to October
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 60,000
6. The Icelandic Phallological Museum, Iceland: Time For Phallus Mania!
Museums can be fascinating places to take a glimpse into the wonders of our past. There are museums about a lot of things – from taxidermied (preservation technique involving an animal’s real skin mounted over a sculpted form) animals and toilets to shoes and dolls. But what can be a top contender for one of the world’s strangest museums is located in Iceland – the Icelandic Phallological Museum!
As the name suggests, the museum is dedicated to phalluses of all kinds and all species. The project started as a modest personal collection but has grown into a thriving museum patronized by donors around the world.
The museum has dozens of phallological displays arranged neatly and with complete information. Plus, there’s also an in-house cafe and a brewery. Visit the museum for its weirdly bizarre and equally amusing display of phalluses, including waffles that take inspiration from this human organ!
Address: Hafnartorg, Reykjastræti 4, 101 Reykjavík, Switzerland
Timings: 10 AM to 7 AM
Best time to visit Iceland: June to August; September to March
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 99,999 (June to August); INR 84,913 (September to March)
7. Unko Museum, Japan: When Sh*t Gets Real!
We’ve talked about museums dedicated to phalluses and hair, there’s one more absurd museum that’s dedicated to something even more gross – human poop (of course it’s NOT REAL)! Situated in Tokyo, the Unko Museum is dedicated to poop – but in its most fascinating ‘kawai’ way as the Japanese say it.
The museum has plenty of colorful attractions filled with decorations inspired from our human waste. You have a dedicated game corner, a poop mart, an illuminated poop room, a dancing poop room, as well as room where you can ‘craft’ your own poop memento!
Perfect for family travelers as well as just about anyone, this is a highly entertaining museum that adds a fun, vibrant spin to something as gross as poop! Definitely a must-visit weird attraction in Japan!
Address: 135-0064 Tokyo, Koto City, Aomi, 1 Chome−1−10
Timings: 11 AM to 8 PM
Best time to visit Japan: March to May; September to November
Flights from India: Round-trip starting INR 42,920 (March to May); INR 72,805 (September to November)
Summing Up
Did you take note of all these weirdest tourist attractions in the world? From museums dedicated to hair, phalluses, and poop to an island filled with eerie dolls, these tourist attractions redefine what is considered ‘touristy’ with their bizarre and amusing concepts. While these might be some of the weirdest attractions in the world, would you add them to your bucket list?
