Spam Museum
The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The museum tells the history of the Hormel company, the origin of Spam, and its place in world culture.
![](../I/Spam_Museum_Sign.JPG.webp)
History
The Spam Museum originated in 1991 as the Hormel Foods First Century Museum, when Hormel opened a small storefront company museum in celebration of the company's 100 year anniversary. Located in Austin's Oak Park Mall, Hormel later re-branded it as the Spam Museum.
A much-larger Spam-focused museum opened in September 2001.[1] The 16,500-square foot space included a theater, historical displays, family activities and games, and a gift shop. The lobby of the museum featured a wall of Spam with more than 3,300 Spam cans and, for many years, the theatre showed a short film entitled "SPAM: A Love Story."[2][3] In late 2014, the museum temporarily closed while it moved to a new downtown location.
Exhibits and galleries
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The museum re-opened on 22 April 2016 at its new location at 101 3rd Ave NE.[4][5][6]
The location in downtown Austin is approximately 14,000 square feet in size and comprises seven main galleries. These include Can Central, "the heart of the museum";[7] the World Market, where visitors can learn about the advertising and use of Spam and Spam recipes from 44 different nations; a World War II-themed exhibit explaining the importance of Spam as a staple for American troops; and Spam Brand 101, an interactive exhibit where visitors learn about 15 varieties of Spam and families are able to compete in the "assembly" of mock cans of Spam.[7] Many of the exhibits include games, interactive videos, and hands-on activities.[8]
The Spam Shop offers hundreds of Spam-branded items and gifts. Volunteer guides - known as Spambassadors - offer visitors small bits of Spam on a toothpick or pretzel stick, commonly known as Spamples.[9][10]
Gallery
- World Market exhibit at Spam Museum
- World Market (England) at the Spam Museum
- 1891 and Beyond exhibit at Spam Museum
- Canstruments at the Spam Museum
- Kids CAN Play zone at Spam Museum
- Gift Shop at the Spam Museum
- Spam Museum in Downtown Austin (2016–present)
- Former Spam Museum location (2001-2014)
- The Spam Museum at dusk
See also
- Hormel Historic Home - Museum and historic home in Austin focusing on the Hormel family
References
- "Museum reports high traffic - Austin Daily Herald". 22 October 2002.
- "SPAM Museum, Austin, Minnesota". RoadsideAmerica.com.
- Pohlen, Jerome (2003). Oddball Minnesota: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places. ISBN 1569764700.
- "Spam, the Edible Kind, Could Be a Boon for This Minnesota Town".
- "Spam Museum sets opening date - Austin Daily Herald". 29 March 2016.
- "Canning its old location, Austin's new Spam Museum opens".
- "Up and running; New Spam Museum opens doors to public - Austin Daily Herald". 22 April 2016.
- "New Spam Museum Opens In Austin, Minn". 25 April 2016.
- "SPAM Museum : Explore Minnesota". www.exploreminnesota.com.
- Garennes, Christina (2002). Great Little Museums of the Midwest. p. 74. ISBN 1931599084.