Visiting the SPAM Museum

The year was 2014 and I was road tripping across Minnesota, on my way to Walnut Grove, Pipestone National Monument, and ultimately Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

A stop in Austin, Minnesota to visit the iconic SPAM® Museum was on my bucket list for some time, so I pulled off the highway to see the attraction in real life.

Where to Stay

Find family-friendly accommodations in Austin, Minnesota from traditional hotels to private vacation rentals through Stay22.com:

Note: The SPAM Museum was closed a month after my visit and will re-open in 2016 in a new location in downtown Austin. You can still, however, visit the SPAM store and shop for all your curated meat merchandise.

Photo below: A SPAM store full of t-shirts, hats, recipe books, and other souvenirs.

gift shop

I’m not certain if any of these attractions will carry over to the new-and-improved museum, but I learned a few things about:

  1. How the product is manufactured (see bad hair photo below):  making spam2. Where the product is shipped and consumed—if you’ve ever visited Hawaii, you may have seen SPAM on the menu, as the Pacific Ocean island state is the number one consumer of SPAM worldwide.

spam exhibitOr, 3. Perhaps some SPAM theater? If anything, the museum is a super fun place to take touristy photos and buy a souvenir.

spam on couchIf you visit, plan to spend a few hours fully exploring the museum and the exhibits. I remember a nominal admission fee, but can’t tell you exactly what we paid.

Chances are someone will be out with food samples and you can try some SPAM for yourself.

Happy trails!

About the Author

Julie Henning
Julie Henning is a freelance writer and journalist based out of Eugene, Oregon. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and owner of the family-travel website RoadTripsForFamilies.com. She is a recent past member of the Midwest Travel Writers Association and the Association for Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. In March 2018 Julie Henning published the book "100 Things to Do in Eugene Before You Die" (Reedy Press). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and recent past member of the Midwest Travel Writers Association and the Association for Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. She has been published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin State Journal, Travel Wisconsin, Travel Oregon, Hometown News Group, The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Illinois), the Rochester Post Bulletin, Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine (DNR publication), Experience Michigan Magazine, the Official Oregon Wine Touring Guide, Metro Parent Milwaukee Magazine, Eugene Cascades & Coast Official Visitors Guide, Trivago, Intercom Magazine, Roadtrippers.com, Amtrak.com, Eugene Magazine, and FTF Geocacher Magazine. Julie has appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio, Ohio Public Radio, and KCBX FM Central Coast Radio. She has produced episodes for Journey of Discovery with Tom Wilmer, a National Public Radio travel podcast. Julie has also produced travel apps with Sutro Media and Bindu Media. She works full time in marketing. Julie has appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio, Ohio Public Radio, and KCBX FM Central Coast Radio and is an affiliate producer with the Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer, a National Public Radio travel podcast. She has blogged for TravelWisconsin.com, Travel Oregon, and VISIT Milwaukee. Julie travels with her three kids and black lab as much as possible and lives by the motto, "Not all who wander are lost." Check out some of her best work at www.juliehenning.com.