Canned Hammin’ it up at The Spam Museum!

I think therefore I Spam tee shirt at the Spam Museum in Minnesota

When we spied the signs along Interstate 90 for The Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota, we jumped at the chance to canned-ham it up!

Like moths to a flame, soon we were pulling off the highway toward the light.

Situated right next to the Spam packing plant, the first thing we (or anybody with a working olfactory organ) noticed was
the unique and not-so-savory smell.

The Spam Museum in Minnesota

A whole museum dedicated to a canned meat? Our wondering eyes had to see, we never pass up a cheesy tourist diversion.

Passing by the bronze pigs being led to slaughter, through the front doors, we were greeted by three thousand Spam cans stacked in a stunning display in the lobby.

This museum is no cheesy collection.

The Hormel folks have done a fine job of capturing the history of their preserved meat-food product through displays of packaging, ads and pop culture references.

See more about what to do around The Spam Museum

Three thousand Spam cans are stacked at the entrance of The Spam Museum

Hall after hall of the stuff while the infamous Monty Python Spam-Spam-Spam-Spam song played over and over (and over) again.

Ah memories… the dancing can ads, the smell of frying mystery meat, the bloody fingers nearly severed by the twist key top’s ribbon
of razor sharp metal… good times.

Honestly, everything we ever needed to know about Spam was at the tip of our lid-scarred fingertips. And, if at any time, we had a question, a friendly Spambassador was ready with a snappy answer.

A display at the Spam Museum in Minnesota

An old Spam Advertisement at The Spam Museum in Minnesota
Memory lane: We adored the vintage ads for Spam products and their close cousins

Vintage Ads for Hormel Ham at The Spam Museum in Minnesota

Army display at The Spam Museum in Minnesota

Special attention is given to the love-hate relationship between GIs and Spam.

From what we could gather, the good ole US of A would never have had a chance while fighting WWII if not for this magical blend of ham and pork by-products shoved into wind-up cans.

An entire exhibit is dedicated to an unseen soldier in a tent bitchin’ about all the spam he and his fellow men-in-arms must consume in the field.

Seriously folks, if an army moves on its stomach and Spam was keeping those bellies filled… it follows that we would all be speaking German if not for Spam.

Something to ponder as we head towards our next roadside distraction, uh attraction.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See more about what to do around The Spam Museum

YOUR TURN: Are you a fan of Spam? Are you itchin’ to ham it up at the museum? Isn’t it a hoot?


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16 thoughts on “Canned Hammin’ it up at The Spam Museum!”

  1. LOL love this post! I’ve only ever had Spam in Hawaii where it was fried and served tenderly on top of burgers in lieu of bacon. Someday I’m going to make it to the Waikiki Spam Jam and eat the chefs’ creations. I’ll sacrifice my tastebuds for a good cause!

  2. LOVE the Spam Museum! Some friends and I went out of our way on a Minneapolis trip to go visit. Everyone I know got Spam flip flops for Christmas that year…just because I thought they were awesome!

  3. My old college roommate would have been all over this! She’s Hawaiian and I don’t know what it is with Hawaiians and SPAM, but they love the stuff. I remember many a morning waking up to the smell of fried SPAM.

  4. I’ve been to the Spam Museum – really a well-designed museum that makes Spam interesting and fun. But would you believe that I did not sample any Spam?? In fact, I’ve never had Spam. I really should have taken at least a taste, I know.

  5. Great article. I attended SPAM JAM Waikiki in Honolulu and it was a blast. Hawaii is crazy for SPAM. I didn’t know there was a Museum so now that I do…..ROAD TRIP.

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