To this day my mother tells anyone who will listen that I wrote a story in grade school about being locked inside the American Museum of Natural History overnight with dioramas springing to life. It was a decade before they made a movie about it. I have yet to receive any royalties.
Today I'm writing about Pennsylvania museums no one has ever included in a screenplay, though maybe they should. Here are five examples of Pennsylvania's offbeat, excellent, and overlooked collections.
Smog Museum
In 1948, smog containing fluorine killed 20 people in Donora, a town about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, and sickened scores more.
It was the worst air pollution disaster in U.S. history, prompted national outrage, new environmental protections, and jumpstarted the fields of environmental and public health research, per Smithsonian.
An extensive collection of related archival materials is on display at the Donora Smog Museum, which is open Saturdays.
The Stoogeum
The "world’s first and largest museum of Three Stooges memorabilia," is located in Ambler, Montgomery County, and appointment-only.
The 10,000 square foot, three-story building draws thousands of visitors annually and contains over 10,000 pieces of Stooge stuff.
Via The New York Times:
Life-size bellhop statues of the Stooges usher you in, and galleries are filled with memorabilia: movie posters, magazine covers, a 1980s video game, comic books and displays of new acquisitions. There’s a ceramic cat made by Moe, rare family photographs of Curly, and Larry’s driver’s license.
Center for PostNatural History
Created by Carnegie Mellon University art professor Richard Pell, the Center is dedicated to the many ways humans have toyed with nature and animals — from the dawn of domestication to genetic engineering:
"The postnatural world is presented through diorama, taxidermy, photography and living exhibits, from engineered corn to Sea Monkeys to modified Chestnut Trees to BioSteel™️ Goats."
It's located in Pittsburgh and open Sundays.
Science History Institute
Often overlooked among Philadelphia's higher-profile exhibition halls, this museum boasts one of the world’s best chemistry-related collections.
Atlas Obscura describes a rare experience laying bare the sometimes dark histories of alchemy with an events lineup ranging "from carnivorous plant feeding to monthly drop-in tours and WikiSalons."
House of Houdini
Scranton's Houdini Museum claims to be "the only building in the world" dedicated solely to the magician and contains exhibits on his life and artifacts, including his straitjacket, handcuffs, and stage props.
Houdini was no stranger to Scranton, a vaudeville proving ground not far from New York City where he performed several times.
Looking for more unusual Pa. museum recs? See Atlas Obscura's list. It has a zombie museum in a mall, the largest collection of religious relics outside the Vatican, a cigarette lighter museum, and one accessed by coal cart.
—Colin Deppen, PA Local editor | 
