Every now and then, to satisfy your morbid curiosity, it does you good to search out the abnormalities which make the world such a fascinating bundle of matter, mind and soul. From museums filled with various deformities to strange tourist destinations spread across the country, there are plenty of ways to witness general weirdness.
Dr. Mütter's Marvels is the biography of a 19th century surgeon whose collection of anatomical oddities eventually formed the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. It turns out the good doctor was a remarkably skilled, forward-thinking and compassionate physician. The museum itself came to life as an academic attempt to keep unusual specimens off the exploitative freak show circuit, so if you get a chance to visit the museum, you can stare at the brain pieces guilt-free.
The Ripley's Believe It or Not brand has spawned all sorts of sideshows and publications highlighting the fantastical people and wonders that make you think twice about reality. A Curious Man is the story of the person who started it all, a talented cartoonist turned world traveler and international success. His life is almost as odd as the things he discovered.
But you don't need to travel the world to be disturbed. You don't even have to go to Philadelphia. From abandoned asylums and hell gates to a town devoted to protecting its squirrels, you can find it all right here in Illinois! Weird Illinois highlights some of the many places you can visit and stare about in awe.
Those should hold me for awhile. If I ever get bored in the near future, the local news will suffice.
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