While we’ve all spent time in expansive museums spread across many storeys, can you say that you’ve been in one of the smallest museums in the world? While most of them will only take a few minutes to visit and there might not even be enough space to turn around, they are no less fascinating.
Macedonia: The Ethnographic Museum of Dzepciste
Created, curated, and owned by Simeon Zatlev, the Ethnographic Museum of Dzepciste in Macedonia is the smallest ethnographic museum in the world.
Celebrating the history, culture, and folklore of this small Macedonian village, Zatlev has spent his life collecting objects, tools, jewellery, watches, and art from the locals of Dzepciste. The museum is located in his home and he even has his mother’s almost century-old wedding dress on display.
New York: Mmuseumm
Located between Chinatown and Tribeca in New York City, Mmuseumm is housed in an abandoned elevator shaft and is a former Broadway costume workshop.
The tiny museum in Cortlandt Alley has hosted exhibitions on modern artifacts and everyday objects to everything in between and their exhibits centred on religion are particularly interesting: Modern Religion, Nothing is Perfect, and Venezuela Counterfeits.
Arizona: The World’s Smallest Museum
It’s all in the name for the World’s Smallest Museum located in Superior, Arizona along Route 60. While no longer the official world record holder, the World’s Smallest Museum is only 12.5 square metres in size; it has everything from antique household items to original songbooks from the Beatles, and most importantly, the largest Apache Tear in the world. Said to possess healing properties, Apache Tears are round volcanic stones from the mountain known as Apache Leap.
Alabama: Edgar’s Closet
Dedicated to one of the world’s greatest writers, Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar’s Closet in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is housed inside a high school closet and is just 2 square metres in size. Despite its diminutive size, the museum has a surprisingly large number of objects – over 2000 – and includes artworks, designs, and memorabilia in a macabre ode to the mystery and delight of Edgar Allan Poe.
Monza: Mimumo
Located inside the Casa della Luna Rossa or ‘House of the Red Moon’, one of the oldest houses in Monza, Italy, the Mimumo museum is just 2.29 square metres and is open 24/7, 365 days a year like the websites of online casinos. Created and curated by architect Luca Acquati, Mimumo was opened to showcase the works of both well-known and emerging artists.
North Yorkshire: Phone Box Art Gallery
While the sight of a red telephone booth will send most of our minds to the iconic red telephone booths spread all across the United Kingdom, there is a very special green telephone booth located in Barningham, North Yorkshire. One of just 5 across the United Kingdom, this particular green telephone booth dates back to the 1920s and is a protected landmark owing to its cultural value and historical significance. John Hay, a Barningham local, has decorated the telephone booth with memorabilia from World War I.