In a town in the middle of the Albertan prairies, there lies a museum. Not just any museum though- one of the most specific and interesting museums in the country. Say hello to the Torrington Gopher Hole Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to taxidermied gophers.
You’re probably shaking your head right now. Taxidermied gophers? Somebody was crazy enough to build that? Yes, they were, and you know what they say about building stuff…
With thousands of visitors each year, you would expect that the Gopher Hole Museum might have a little more fanfare. But between a particularly inconvenient location and a seasonal schedule, this gem has remained hidden since it was first built in 1996.
Sure, there have been a few articles, and the museum isn’t shy about displaying all the hate mail they’ve received either. But if you do visit, you’ll see what is more or less a trailer, on a plot of land, in a small town called Torrington, and whose biggest claim to fame is that gophers are painted on fire hydrants. Well, that and the museum.
We wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus, the displays (dioramas, as they’re called) are a mixture of camp aesthetics and morbid humour. From (probably sinful) depictions of religious figures to recreations of the Old West, no stone is unturned in here. It needs to be seen to be believed, because it could honestly pass as contemporary art at the Met.
The final bonus? The gift shop. Whether you’re in the mood for a gopher related doily or just need a t-shirt, you’ll walk out of there knowing that nobody you know would believe it exists if you didn’t have the souvenir.
Well, there is an unofficial website, but that’s not as fun as actually visiting.
