It’s officially summer, and baby it’s HOT outside!
Stories like this are everywhere.
Thus there are also many stories like this one about how to stay cool.
Here are 7 Fun Ways to Beat the Heat this Summer (Kelly Chan, Boston.com)
I was surprised to see that the above story didn’t mention museums, though.
Of course, I’m probably biased about this because I just updated my New Media Museum’s guide to learning about media and computing in the Boston area (NMM@Boston).
Media & Perception
Harvard’s Mark I & Hopper
MIT’s Whirlwind & Forrester
Artificial Intelligence & Robots
Logo & LEGO
Games & Immersion
Micro Center & MIT Flea
Not everybody is going to want to geek out to my guide.
Most folks are likely to opt for well-known museums like those in this article.
12 Boston Museums Everyone Should Visit at Least Once (Kristi Palma, Boston.com)
There’s actually a whole website devoted to the Museums of Boston.
If you’re further afield, here’s a website for finding somewhere to enjoy cooling off.
Museums & Galleries in New England (Visit New England)
Finally, if you’re nowhere near Boston, then there’s a site for you, too.
The 51 Best Museums in the United States (Condé Nast Traveler)
If you’re lucky, you may even have get free admission if you are a member of a museum in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association.
“The North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association® network is a mosaic of 1,470 art museums and galleries, historical museums and societies, botanical gardens, children’s museums, zoos, and more. When you sign up with your favorite participating NARM institution, you can receive reciprocal membership benefits across the United States, Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.”
My membership to Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) includes it. If you have a museum membership, it’s worth checking.
Perhaps you’re feeling adventurous and want to try a museum that’s a bit off the beaten path, but is specific to your interests.
For example, if you’re into sports, there’s a Sports Museum located in Boston’s TD Garden (which is above where I catch the commuter rail).
In fact, there are other sports museums here in this state.
Sports Museums in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism)
There are also hundreds of them around the country. You can find them here.
Sports Museums in the US (Museums.US)
Museums.US is a great place to find all sorts of museums.
Here’s a page with links to well over a hundred categories.
Museums in the US (Museums.US)
Although, I couldn’t help noticing that “illusions” wasn’t a category on the list.
This means that you wouldn’t find some of the experiences described in this post.
Perception, Illusions & Holograms@Boston (New Media Museum)
One of the experiences covered in the post is the Museum of Illusions, Boston.
It has illusions galore, and many of them are mind-bending!
This museum displays a variety of well-known optical illusions.
It also has many more elaborate exhibits such as an Ames Room.
If you’re not in Boston, there are plenty of other neat museums out there.
Here’s a story about some of them.
10 of the Most Unique Museums In the United States (Nina Derwin, MSN)
The post includes the Idaho Potato Museum in, where else, Idaho. It covers the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, and last, but not least, the Spam Museum in Minnesota.
Of course, if you live anywhere near them, you’ve probably already heard of them.
Here’s a “somewhat” obvious trick for finding museums near you that you haven’t heard of yet.
Google “Unusual and Weird Museums, and then add your location to the search.
For example, my search for Unusual and Weird Museums in Boston included this article.
11 Quirky and Unusual Museums in Greater Boston (Celina Colby, The Boston Calendar)
The search also included this article from Atlas Obscura.
Unusual Museums in Massachusetts (Atlas Obscura)
If you’ve never hear of Atlas Obscura, then you MUST check it out!
Atlas Obscura: The Definitive Guide To The World’s Hidden Wonders
You’re bound to find something interesting near you.
Finally, it’s only fair to mention the museum that inspired this post.
The Museum of Ice Cream is a “cool” and “instagrammable” place (and yes that’s a real word according to the Cambridge Dictionary).
One just opened in Boston, and there’s one in New York where it originally started.
You can also find one in Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, Austin and even Singapore!
There you have it. I hope this inspires you to find a cool, refreshing experience near you!
However, if you prefer to stay ensconced in your air conditioning, then perhaps you might enjoy exploring this “Web World” with links to hundreds of virtual 3D and 360° experiences!
Click on objects to see 3D and 360° experiences, and click doorways to go to other Web Worlds.
If you can’t see it, or it isn’t working, you can also see it directly on Kuula.
You can find out more about “Web Worlds” in this post …
Hike, Wander & Walk-in the Web!
Stay Cool & Happy Summer!
Find out more about Museums@Cosma …
