As many of you will remember, I have given myself a challenge for 2017, which you can read about fully HERE. To sum up my challenge, I am trying to visit strange food places and other destinations in or near the Portland/Vancouver area.
For this blog, I chose The Freaky-But-True Peculiarium and Museum, at 2234 NW Thurman St., Portland, Oregon, 97210.
Located in the northwest side of Portland, the Peculiarium offers passersby an intriguing and thought-provoking outside display.
When you venture inside, the first thing you notice is that the shop is on the small side. Nevertheless, the ceilings are tall. How tall? Tall enough to accommodate a life-size Bigfoot.
The owners have packed an insane amount of peculiarities into every nook and cranny of the small storefront area. Most of these items are for sale, but some are for display only. Your eyes don’t know exactly where to focus, since there are objects of intrigue all around you.
When I walked into the store, I noticed the curtained doorway directly to my left that marked off where the museum began. I also took note of how the small storefront area was separated from the museum via carefully positioned display cases, curtains, and temporary walls. I surmised that the museum took up the bulk of the building, leaving the leftover space of the storefront cramped but cozy.
After I browsed around and found a few fun items to purchase, I went to the cashier to pay for my goods and to pay for a ticket to walk through the museum. By the way, great staff members work at this place! Super nice and easy going.
For a single person, it costs $5 to go through the museum, unless you have an awesome costume, and then it’s free. There are also some group-rate bargains, as you can see from the picture below.
So What Is inside the Museum?
For the most part, it is a collection of pictures, statues, knickknacks, movie props, antiques, and other strange items. Here is a good sample of pics that show some of the highlights:
When you walk through the museum, it really captures that shock and awe sensation of the 1950s and 1960s science fiction and horror genres. Cult classic design. Some of the items might frighten or upset the average person, but given that I write contemporary supernatural and horror fiction, I’m not exactly the best person to judge what is and is not “creepy.”
Would I Recommend This Place to You?
If you are in this part of Portland and you have some time to kill, it’s an amusing way to spend half an hour or so.
You should probably go with another person, if not with a small group. I don’t say this because you might get too scared – far from it. I suggest you take another person, because there are several spots in the museum where you can pose with or in the displays, and this works better with someone else holding your camera.
Realize before you go that this place offers cheesy schlock sci-fi and horror thrills. It’s totally the type of place that the guys from MST3K would mock extensively! If you are looking for serious artifacts that unlock the secrets of the unexplainable, you might be disappointed. If you are looking for a good laugh, come visit the Peculiarium.
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