International Banana Museum facts for kids
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Museum interior, July 2017
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | Mecca, California |
The International Banana Museum was a special place in Mecca, California. It was a museum completely focused on the amazing banana! This unique museum had over 20,000 items, all about bananas. In 1999, it even earned a Guinness World Record. It was named the biggest museum dedicated to just one fruit! Sadly, the museum announced it would close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August 2023, it was still closed.
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The Museum's Sweet Start
The International Banana Museum began with a fun idea. In 1972, a man named Kenneth Bannister was the head of a company. His company made equipment for photography. At a big meeting, he gave out thousands of Chiquita banana stickers. He thought bananas looked like a smile. He hoped they would make people smile too!
People really liked his idea. So, Bannister decided to create the International Banana Club. He was called the "Top Banana." Soon, he started getting lots of banana-related items in the mail. He quickly ran out of space for them all. That's when he decided to open the museum in 1976.
Joining the Banana Club
The International Banana Club and Museum first opened in Altadena. It was in a building that they rented. The Banana Club became very popular. It grew to have 35,000 members! These members were from 17 different countries.
To join the club, you just had to donate a banana-related item to the museum. Members would get a special banana nickname. They could also earn "banana merit points." If you earned enough points, you could even get a degree in "Bananistry"! Even President Ronald Reagan was a member of this unique club.
Moving the Banana Collection
In 2005, Kenneth Bannister moved the museum. It went to a new location in Hesperia. The city let the museum use the space for free. However, in 2010, the Hesperia Recreation and Park District needed the space. They wanted to create a new exhibit there.
So, Bannister decided to sell the entire banana collection. He put it up for sale on eBay for $45,000. He later lowered the price to $7,500. In 2010, a man named Fred Garbutt bought the collection. The exact price he paid was not shared. Fred Garbutt then moved the museum to Mecca, California. He became the new curator, or manager, of the museum.
What Was Inside the Museum?
In 1999, the International Banana Museum earned a Guinness World Record. It was recognized as the largest museum dedicated to just one fruit. At that time, the museum had an amazing collection of 17,000 items.
The collection was full of fun and quirky items. These included a "banana couch" and "banana soda." There was also a gold-plated banana and a banana boogie board. You could even find banana ears! The museum also had something very rare. It was the only petrified banana in the world. This special banana came from a girl's closet in Kentucky. The museum was a great place for families to visit.
There was also a special "Banana Bar" at the museum. Here, visitors could enjoy different foods and drinks. Of course, all of them were related to bananas!
