13. A museum dedicated to the male sex organ
The Icelandic Phallological Museum’s website states it is “probably the only museum in the world to contain a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all of the various types of mammal found in a single country”. It claims to contain over two hundred taken from “…almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland”. That includes over seventeen species of whales, 36 from seals and walruses and 115 specimens from various land animals. Yes, that includes four from homo sapiens, donated as gifts. The first such gift came from a 95-year old man, post-mortem of course. The museum’s collection began in 1974, with a pizzle, a whip fashioned from a bull penis. It exists, in its own words, “for individuals to undertake serious study into the field of phallology in an organized, scientific fashion.”
The museum opened in Reykjavik in 1997, moved for a time to the whale watching village of Husavik in 2004, and returned to Reykjavik in 2011. At that time, the number of visitors pursuing knowledge in the science of phallology reached 12,000 annually. In addition to the physical specimens, the museum features artifacts, and “…about 350 artistic oddments and practical utensils related to the museum’s chosen theme.” The museum defines phallology as “an ancient science which, until recent years received very little attention in Iceland, except as a borderline field of study…” The Icelandic Phallological Museum charges admission based on the age of the visitor. It should be noted its website states children under 13 enter free in the company of parents. By the way, the size of specimens ranges from two millimeters (hamster) to 1.7 meters (5′ 6″, sperm whale).