Is The SPAM Museum Austin MN Worth Visiting? 2024

If you like to discover off-the-beaten-path places or explore unusual stops, we are here to tell you that the SPAM Museum, Austin MN is well worth the visit. We were not disappointed when we stopped to check it out, and neither will you be.

Romantic getaways where you have time to stop and check out the local wacky museums that you may come across can be exciting, scary, boring, and sometimes even creepy.

Visiting the SPAM Museum Austin MN

Fun and quirky is what we enjoy most. You will find visiting the SPAM Museum is that and more. This very entertaining SPAM Museum Austin MN features the history of Hormel and SPAM and is filled with many hands-on and interactive displays. The SPAM Museum is a place couples and families will enjoy.

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Cost to visit the SPAM Museum

The SPAM Museum offers free admission to all visitors, making it a budget-friendly destination. This is a great place to explore the fascinating history of this iconic canned meat without breaking the bank, making it an ideal stop for curious travelers looking for a bit of fun.

What is behind the door at the SPAM Museum Austin MN

What’s behind the doors at the SPAM Museum? Well, SPAM, of course! And so much more.

Once through the doors of the SPAM Museum, you will discover how SPAM got its name, how it caught on, and how it has changed and stayed the same throughout the years.

You will meet the mastermind behind this mystery product and hear his vision for the company. Take a selfie with Spammy, and check out a motorcycle that runs on bacon.

You will see how different countries enjoy SPAM, and throughout your visit, get to sample some of the many SPAM flavors. Be careful. You may find several favorites.

Many things are interactive throughout the museum. Kids and couples of all ages can have some fun, whether it’s canning your own SPAM or checking your trivia knowledge of SPAM; make sure you don’t exceed the maximum height.

SPAM across the world

A part of the museum called the “world market” shows how SPAM is culturally different in select areas around the world. The “world market” area showcases the many countries where SPAM is available. The displays are fun and colorful.

Visitors can get a look at SPAM’s international packaging and commercials that run showing the impact of SPAM in other countries.

SPAM is well known in several other areas besides the conventional U.S., with Hawaii having the highest SPAM sales.

Other countries where SPAM is well known and loved are:

• China
• South Korea
• Japan
• Philippines
• England
• and Latin America ~ to name a few

The history of SPAM

SPAM was originally first produced in 1937 by Hormel. SPAM requires no refrigeration, and because of its canning process, it is good for years. This combination made SPAM the ideal product to feed our service members during WWII.

A section in the SPAM Museum shows how the military received the SPAM and how the military played a huge part in making SPAM the iconic American product it is today.

Over the years, not everyone has fallen in love with this iconic can of meat called SPAM. Hormel has an entire file of letters from people who were not fond of SPAM. A letter from one of our former presidents expressing his dislike for SPAM is on the museum’s wall. This does not stop others from feeling the opposite.

How did Spam get its name?

According to the SPAM Museum, Jay Hormel offered $100 to anyone who could come up with the ideal name for his new product during a New Year’s Eve party. And someone came through and went home $100 richer ~ SPAM is a shortened version of spiced ham, even though there is very little spice or ham in the product.

The SPAM gift shop

No fun and quirky museum stop would be complete without a gift shop. The SPAM Museum gift shop in Austin MN was a fun addition to the museum.

The gift shop was amazing; a conveyor moves SPAM throughout the museum overhead, even throughout the gift store.

The gift store has many different flavors of SPAM, some of which are not available in the stores. Lots of fun and quirky SPAM merchandise, including clothing, pins, and fun trinkets to send home to the kids.

Where is the Spam Museum located?

Getting There: Google Maps to the Spam Museum

In 1991, a small museum of Hormel products was started in a local mall. It didn’t take long to see that what people were most curious about was SPAM. In 2002, the museum relocated adjacent to the Hormel plant, and its main feature became SPAM.

The SPAM Museum was such a success that it relocated to a place in the center of downtown Austin.

Once in Austin, locating the museum was easy. Driving into town, lots of signage will direct you. With or without any help from Siri, finding the SPAM Museum is easy. You will also find plenty of free parking on the streets or in the parking lot by the museum.

Where can you enjoy SPAM?

When you first arrive at the SPAM Museum, the very friendly staff not only offers to answer any of your questions before you get started but will also make sure you know which restaurants in Austin, MN have added SPAM to their menu. It looked like over 15 restaurants in Austin MN serve SPAM. We were surprised to find so many.

We couldn’t help but at least try one. We chose to check out a restaurant from back home in Wisconsin that we love and see their take on a SPAM burger. We stopped at one of our favorite Wisconsin restaurants located in Austin, MN, the only Culver’s restaurant to have SPAM on their menu, and we were not disappointed.

Conclusion ~ Is the Spam Museum Austin MN worth visiting?

Absolutely! You may think that a museum that focuses on a can of meat with an unusual name is going to be a strange stop. And you may be a little correct, but this was such a fun find.

If you want a fun stop or some entertaining history lessons, the SPAM Museum Austin MN is worth visiting. The SPAM Museum has managed to make a museum about this can of meat both fun and informative as well as quirky and interesting.

If you are in the Austin, Minnesota area or looking for a short day trip from Minneapolis, we suggest adding a stop at the SPAM Museum to your agenda to check out this iconic meat and its history. Even if you are unsure you like SPAM, we are positive you will enjoy this fun museum. You might even become a fan of SPAM.

For more adventures and fun, check out some of our quirky stops in Wisconsin and see what kind of adventures we have stumbled on.

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