10 Oddball L.A. Museums Worth Seeing

Marie Astrid González, Courtesy of the Wende Museum

An East German vandalized bust of Lenin, 1965/89

7. Best Collectivist Nostalgia: Wende Museum
Who would expect Culver City to host a scholarly archive and museum of Cold War material? The Wende Museum is named for "turning point" in German, which refers to the collapse of the GDR and Germany's subsequent reunification. It claims that its surprisingly large distance from the nexus of socialism in Europe helps keep it a neutral institution, while museums in Europe are often busy rewriting the not-so-distant past. Begun as a private collection in 1990, the museum is a treasure trove of rare finds, such as an archive of East German head of state Erich Honecker's personal papers, items from East Berlin's monolithic Palast der Republik, and dissident art books and zines published during socialism. It's great for the finding your inner communist dork, as well as for those who want to learn about an utterly different life that, for better or for worse, has now mostly vanished. 5741 Buckingham Pkwy., Suite E, Culver City. (310) 216-1600, wendemuseum.org. --Sophie Duvernoy

Christopher J. Lynch

6. Best History in Wax Form: Oran Z African Black Facts and Wax Museum
While Africa is represented at the Oran Z African Black Facts and Wax Museum, Oran Z -- world-class hairstylist, inventor of the world's first and fastest hair weave and head of Black Media Productions (offering "a wide spectrum of services related to the entertainment industry") -- cuts the jive in this gem across the parking lot of Jerry's Flying Fox. Hundreds of thousands of items pertaining to African-American history are displayed in the anonymous building, drawn from Oran Z's private collection, including authentic slave shackles, dolls, books and signed sports memorabilia, but it is the wax figures that anchor the museum. For more info check out our blog post on Oran Z. 3742 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Free private tours for groups of up 
to 12 people. (323) 299-8829, oransblack​museum.com. --Skylaire Alfvegren

Courtesy of Kidspace Children's Museum, Pasadena

5. Best Trading Post for Kids: Kidspace Museum in Pasadena
Did you know you can barter some of those curious seedpods and snakeskins you found on your last hike? Kidspace Museum's Nature Exchange allows you to trade your wild discoveries for other natural treasures, such as polished minerals, shells and fossils. You are allowed to bring in three items at a time, and points are given based on both the item's rarity and your child's ability to explain it. The more research you've done together -- they even have field guides there to help you look up all your finds -- the better. By the way, ask me the history of ginkgo trees. 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 449-9144, kidspacemuseum.org. --Elizabeth Bernheim

Courtesy of the Bhagavad-gita Museum

Part of a diorama depicting the universal form.

4. Best Obscure Path to Enlightenment: Bhagavad-gita Museum
It's one thing to read that "the perishable body and the eternal soul are not the same," and quite another to eyeball the lessons via Bhagavad-gita Museum, the "world's first multimedia exhibition" dedicated to illustrating, in three dimensions, the world's oldest book. The figures' realism comes courtesy of a group of Disney sculptors who traveled to India in 1973 at the behest of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the figurehead of Vedic (read: Hare Krishna) consciousness. Through 11 dioramas, Krishna flutters about in disguise, at the reins of the senses, on the back of a garuda -- stunningly rendered and ornamented with lightning flashes, dramatic sound effects and a booming-voiced narrator. 3764 Watseka Ave., Culver City. (310) 845-9333. bhagavadgitamuseum.com --Skylaire Alfvegren