The International Banana Museum
DETAILS:
Location: 98775 Hwy. 111, Mecca, CA 92254
Hours of Operation: Saturdays & Sundays - 1PM to 5:30PM
The museum is only open for ice cream & frozen bananas on Mondays - 1PM to 5:30PM
Parking: Free parking lot in front of museum.
Cost: $1 admission
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Miscellaneous:
You might want to call ahead just to be safe since they’ve been known to deviate from their posted hours. 619-840-1429
You can order various banana-inspired treats at the museum like banana bread, banana splits, banana ice cream, banana milkshakes, banana candies and more!
There are some pretty bizarre (and awesome!) museums in the world. Would you believe there’s a Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum in Tennessee? What about an Instant Ramen Museum in Japan? There’s even a Lawnmower Museum in the UK. Yes, the list of these odd memorials goes on and on. Proving that you can dedicate a museum to pretty much anything, I proudly present: The International Banana Museum.
Located in the desert town of Mecca (about 40 miles southeast of Palm Springs), The International Banana Museum pertains to all things, you guessed it. Containing over 25,000 banana-related items, the museum set a Guinness World Record in 1999 as the largest museum devoted to a single fruit. Now that’s… wait for it… BANANAS! The museum was the brainchild of Ken Bannister who created the International Banana Club in 1972 as a tongue & cheek way to make people smile. Banister eventually opened up the museum (the initial one was in Altadena) in order to contain all the banana paraphernalia he would receive after the club’s founding, much of it donated by Banana Club members. He moved the museum to several different locations until finally selling it to current owner; Fred Garbutt, in 2010.
To call this one-room collection; wacky, would be an understatement. If it was made to look like, honor, or lampoon a banana, you will most definitely find it here, and possibly only here. Best of all, you’ll peruse every inch of the museum with a smile, confirming that Ken Bannister’s mission is alive and well. After you’ve taken it all in, don’t “split” until you’ve saddled up at the bar and ordered one (or more) of their many banana flavored-treats. It would sort of be a crime if you didn’t!
RESOURCES:
International Banana Museum website.
