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There is an idea that travellers either plan everything in advance or just show up somewhere and see what happens. I tend to more of the travel planner side. However, I’ve never been one to plan every part of a trip. There are some attractions I come across that I didn’t know about before. Here are a few of them (in no particular order).
Dublin, Ireland
Before I moved to Dublin I did next to no research on its tourist attractions. This was mostly as I knew I’d be living there for a while and would have time to visit them. There were some attractions I knew about, like the Guinness Storehouse and the Book of Kells at Trinity College. However, I didn’t know about was the General Post Office (GPO) and how it’s an important historical site in Ireland. Actually, I knew very little about Irish history before living in Ireland. My first day in Dublin (August 12, 2016) I was walking on O’Connell Street. I saw posters that said Remember 1916, and had no idea what that meant.
Witness History Museum at the General Post Office
I learned that in 1916 during Easter week (April 24-29) there was a Pro-Irish/Republican rising in Dublin. At this time the entire island of Ireland was under British rule, and had been for hundreds of years. The General Post Office (The GPO) on O’Connell Street in Dublin was the headquarters for the leaders of this rising. This rising didn’t last long, and most of its leaders were executed at Kilmainham Gaol. However, it reignited the idea of a free independent Ireland, which eventually lead to the formation of the Republic of Ireland. Obviously, I glossed over a lot of history (including a Civil War and The Troubles). The main point is that the GPO in Dublin is a pretty historic site. Today it still serves as a post office where you can buy stamps and mail letters, but there is also a museum on site where you can learn more about the history of the 1916 Easter Rising.
The GPO Museum Witness is history is located on O’Connell Street Lower, North Dublin. The museum is open 10am to 5pm (last admission at 4pm) Tuesday to Saturday. Admission prices range from €7.50 for children to €15 for adults. Check their website for more information about admission and to book admission online. If you’re looking to stay in Dublin you can book your hotel here.
Birmingham, England
I went to Birmingham, England just because I was still in Ireland at the time and Ryanair had cheap flights. It was December 2017 and I saw there was a Christmas Market, which I thought would be cool to check out. I didn’t know much about Birmingham or what to do there. On the last day of my short 2 day trip I came across a building that said Coffin Works Museum. It piqued my interest and I went in to see if this museum was really about coffins.
The Coffin Works Museum
Yes, it is, but it’s not some spooky attraction. Instead this museum shows you the history of of coffin making, particularly coffin furniture making which was a big industry in Birmingham from 1894 to 1998. During its heyday this factory produced coffin furniture for the funerals of several historical figures including Sir Winston Churchill, Joseph Chamberlain and for members of the British royal family, including George V, George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Diana. You can even see some of the machines they used for making coffins, including a stamping machine. This gave me a unique souvenirs – a small piece of tin with RIP embossed on it. When I went I got a guided tour. These are done by passionate volunteers sharing this building’s history with visitors. This is definitely one of the most unexpected museums I’ve come across and I’m very glad I went I for a visit
The Coffin Works Museum is located at 13-15 Fleet Street in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The museum is open 10:45am to 4pm Friday to to Sunday. Admission prices range from £4.95 for children to €£9.35 for adults. Guided tours are only available at 11am (admission for guided tours are £11). It’s advisable to book your tickets online as only 8 slots/day are available for the guided tours. Check their website for more information about admission. If you’re planning to stay in Birmingham book your stay here.
Humboldt, Saskatchewan
I have family in Saskatchewan and when I visit them I tend to go the same route. In 2012 on one of these trips to see family I took a different route than I normally do, which brought me through the small town of Humboldt. I stopped in Humboldt to stretch my legs and snap some photos (the main street has this European kind of kitsch to it and several murals showing the town’s history). Then I noticed a big tower (well big for a small town in the Canadian prairie) and decided to drive toward it.
The Humboldt Water Tower
The tower I was seeing was the historic Humboldt Water Tower, which was first built in 1915. When I was there it was being renovated. The hope was to turn it into a lookout point. A young kid (probably 14) asked if I was interested in a tour and learning about the restoration. I paid a couple of dollars to be shown around. The lookout point at that time wasn’t open then, but it is now. At some point when I’m back in Saskatchewan I might take this detour to Humboldt and go to the lookout at the top of the Water Tower.
The Humboldt Water is located at 407 3rd Ave in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. The museum and lookout tower is by guided tour only. These run in the summer from July 3 to August 24 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1:30am to 4:30pm. Admission is $5/adult or $3/kids under 18. Admission is cash only. Check their website to contact the museum about admission in the off-season. Note: the lookout requires climbing 140 step and an elevator is not available. Humboldt is a small town so I’d suggest booking a hotel in Saskatoon (about 120km away) and driving to Humboldt in the late morning.
Edinburgh, Scotland
When I went to Edinburgh in August 2017 it was mainly to check out The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and check out some sites. The afternoon I arrived I wandered around and found myself in front of a sign pointing to a free musical instrument museum. I’d enjoyed the Musical Instrument Museum I’d visited in Brussels a couple months prior, and if this museum was free then I was going to check it out.
St Cecilia’s Hall – Concert Room & Music Museum
St. Cecilia’s Hall is run by The University of Edinburgh. It’s concert room is oldest purpose built concert hall in Scotland. It also has a small musical instrument museum attached to it as well. The museum has a variety of instruments (not just bagpipes, but keyboard, percussive, woodwind, and brass instruments). It’s a smaller museum, but I still probably spent about an hour looking around (I love seeing those ornate pianos and harpsichords). The next time I’m in Edinburgh I’d love to go back to visit this museum and see a concert at the St. Cecilia’s Hall as well.
St. Cecilia’s Hall is located at 50 Nidry Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:30pm. Hours may vary during the holiday. Admission to the museum is free (charges will apply if you want to see a concert). Check their website for further information about admission and events. If you’re looking to stay in Edinburgh you can book your hotel here.
New Orleans, Louisiana
On my first visit to New Orleans I was walking down Esplanade to the French Quarter when I came across a beautiful house. In New Orleans there are many beautiful houses, but this one had a sign saying Edgar Degas Historic Home & Museum. I learned this was a bed and breakfast, but also a historic home where French Impressionist Painter lived for a few months (his mother had been born in New Orleans and he had family in the city).
Degas House Museum
Although I don’t know much about art, I’d seen some of Degas’s work at a traveling exhibit my local art gallery had a year before. I decided to book the breakfast tour, where you go for breakfast and get a tour of the house. The tour when I was there was led by Degas’s great grand-niece who was able to provide lots of interesting details about Degas and his family that I didn’t know before. This museum is the only one in the world where you can visit a home or studio where Degas lived. This was an unexpected find for me in New Orleans, but one I’m really glad I visited.
The Degas House Museum is located at 2306 Esplanade Ave in New Orleans. The museum is open by guided tour only. The breakfast tour I did is $50 and includes breakfast and a tour. It starts at 9:00am and lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes. Visit their website to book a tour or to learn more about the classes they are offer.
What unexpected attractions have you come across during your travels?