
May 18 is International Museum Day. Aside from educational institutions, museums are great places to learn about history, culture, and the arts.
Museums are home to artifacts and artworks that hold a significant story behind them.
They are not just showcased for their visual impact, but more importantly they are exhibited to educate people.
We are mostly familiar with national museums, museums that house famous artworks, and some museums built in honor of historical events and important figures.
But over the decades, museums that have extraordinary themes and out-of-this-world exhibits, have popped up all over the world.
See some of them below in GMA Lifestyle's list of unique museums and check out which ones you'd like to add to your post pandemic travel bucket list.
Cancun, Mexico is best known for its beautiful beaches and a buzzing nightlife. But there's also a special place in Cancun that introverts, thalassophiles, and art-lovers can explore, the underwater museum of contemporary art called Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA).
The underwater museum was constructed in 2009 and has over 500 life-size sculptures fixed to the sea floor, which also doubles as an artificial reef.
The sculptures depict humans' interaction with the environment.
They're eerie and stunning at the same time, as they seem to be frozen in time.
It is a collaboration between artist Jason de Caires Taylor and biologists in Cancun.
Visitors can view them by snorkeling or scuba diving, or through a glass bottom boat.
Another interesting museum in Mexico is the Museo de las Momias Guanajuato or the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato.
As its name suggests, the museum is home to around 50 naturally mummified bodies, which were interned during a cholera outbreak in 1833.
It is however not for the faint of heart, as some of them graphically show the last moments of the mummified person, which can be a horrifying sight for some.
The Mummies of Guanajuato/ Photo by: @Roa3 (Tripadvisor)
If you're a sweet tooth or want to know what it would be like to be in a real-life Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, then you should head on over to Switzerland and visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate Museum.
The 65,000-square-foot museum in Zurich opened on September 13, 2020 and is said to be the largest chocolate museum in the world, which also houses the largest chocolate fountain in thw world.
Toilets are part of our everyday lives and if you want to learn more about its evolution and the history of hygiene and sanitation, then you should visit the International Museum of Toilets in. New Delhi India.
At first it may seem like just another quirky museum, but there's actually a great advocacy behind it, as many homes in India still lack access to modern toilet facilities.
Plus, if you're looking for a fun and unique experience, you can try sliding into their toilet slide.
Come experience our Toilet Slide! pic.twitter.com/yv1g8MneaR
-- International Museum of Toilets (@IMoToilets) February 3, 2018
Have you ever been curious about what spies actually do? You can learn more about them in the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, USA.
Some of the awesome things showcased in the museum are the Kiss of Death lipstick pistol and the actual Aston Martin DB5, which appeared in the 1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger.
Aside from learning a thing or two about the history of espionage, you can also make your James Bond dream come true--well, sort off--in their hour-long interactive exhibition.
For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.
Check out also these must-visit museums of cartoon characters.
Check out also the spectacular parade that Egypt held to welcome the royal mummies to their new home in the gallery below.