National Mustard Museum facts for kids
The museum in 2019
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| Former name | Mount Horeb Mustard Museum |
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| Established | April 6, 1992 (original location) November 2009 (new location) |
| Location | Middleton, Wisconsin |
| Type | Food museum |
| Accreditation | April 5, 1992. |
| Collection size | 5,601+ items |
| Founder | Barry Levenson |
The National Mustard Museum is a super cool place in Middleton, Wisconsin. It's a museum all about mustard! You might think it's a bit unusual, but it's full of interesting facts and fun displays. It's even been called one of the most unique museums in the United States.
Contents
Discovering the Mustard Museum
How the Museum Started
The National Mustard Museum was created by a man named Barry Levenson. He used to be a lawyer in Wisconsin. Barry started collecting mustards in 1986. He was feeling a bit down because his favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, lost a big game. Collecting mustards cheered him up!
What started with just a dozen jars has grown into a huge collection. Today, the museum has over 5,600 different mustards. These mustards come from more than 60 countries around the world. There are also hundreds of items related to mustard. You can see how mustard has been used throughout history.
Where to Find the Museum
The museum first opened its doors on April 6, 1992. It was in a town called Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Back then, it was known as the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum. In October 2000, it moved to a bigger spot across the street. Then, in November 2009, the museum moved to its current home in Middleton. That's when it got its new name, the National Mustard Museum.
Visiting the Museum
It's free to get into the National Mustard Museum! It's usually open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, it closes on some holidays. These include Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
About half of the museum's space is a gift shop. Here, you can try many different kinds of mustard for free! They have a special refrigerated case with tons of varieties. The museum also sells mustards online, so you can order your favorites from home.
What You'll See
Types of Mustards
The museum has all sorts of mustards to explore. You can find sweet hot mustards, which are a mix of sweet and spicy. There are also fruit mustards, made with different fruits. If you like things really hot, check out the hot pepper mustards or horseradish mustards. They even have spirit mustards, which are made with alcoholic drinks.
The collection includes many French and English mustards. But you'll also see mustards from lots of other countries. It's amazing to see how many different ways mustard can be made!
Featured on TV and Radio
The National Mustard Museum is quite famous! In 2002, it was shown on the Food Network TV show Unwrapped. The museum and its founder have also been featured on National Public Radio. They were on Morning Edition in July 2010. They were also on Weekend Edition Saturday in February 1995, when the museum was still in Mount Horeb. More recently, the museum was featured on CBS News Sunday Morning in July 2025.
