California – Visiting the International Banana Museum
When on your way to the Salton Sea, the International Banana Museum is a delightful beacon of yellow light that cheerily prepares you for the weirdness you will encounter. Sitting on the northwest corner of the Salton Sea, there are signs to guide you home. The poor outdoor bananas have faded with time, but do not let this dissuade you from visiting the sweet interior.
Visiting the International Banana Museum
There is plenty of parking at the International Banana Museum. The building is unassuming except for the previously mentioned faded outdoor bananas and signs. Upon entering, we immediately noticed two things: the delightful smell and the size of the museum. The entire museum is in one medium-sized room and filled to brim with nearly every banana-esque object imaginable. You will see banana phones, plush bananas, plastic, bronze, trophy, and bejeweled bananas. Also, you will see banana characters, monkeys with bananas, peeled and whole bananas. And also, it will be tempting to touch all these bananas, but you should resist because this is a museum!
At a Glance:
- Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars, would do it again if I were in the area
- Intensity: Banana outfit, if available
- Location: Mecca, California
- Cost: $1
- Restrooms: Not clear if there are restrooms at this location
Highlights:
- Banana costumes
- Bananas of all types
The admission fee to the view such splendor is only a single dollar per person. Also, the woman working, who was also decked out in bananas, gave us change and offered insights to the banana realm. If we were smart, we would have asked more about the collection and how it came into existence. But, alas, we were too overwhelmed by the bananas.
Banana Costumes
The owner of the International Banana Museum informed us that she washes the banana costumes regularly. Rebecca immediately began wearing a banana costume around the museum and convinced me to join her. I recommend joining in the silliness and getting pictures as a banana in the museum.
The overly-sweet smell in the shop is from the ice cream cones that the International Banana Museum offers as a treat. We asked if any of the flavors were vegan, but when we got an unclear “yes” answer to our question. In Hawaii, we had straight up banana soft serve that was delicious, but the store owner’s lack of explanation made me caution. We decided to pass, know we were already deep into date territory. Overall, this is a great pit stop on our way to Salvation Mountain and a delightful single dollar experience.
What other food museums are out there (besides the Museums of Ice Cream, of course). We loved the bananas and want another food immersive experience ASAP.
Happy Travels,
Hanna
