The Neuropathology Brain Museum in Bengaluru, India is a one-of-a-kind, very interesting place, and admission is free.

What makes it so unique, is that all the specimens are encased in acrylic, so you can pick them up, turn them over, and really get a good look at them.

Since the 1970′s, brains have been gathered from autopsies, and there are examples of trauma, cancer, infection, infestation, or birth abnormalities. 

A highlight of the visit is the most hands-on anatomy lesson one could hope for this side of a medical school. Visitors are encouraged to take a real human brain into their bare hands, while a staff scientist introduces you to its geography.

The World Through Wooden Eyes - Glasgow, Scotland

Hidden away within Glasgow's impressive Victorian Mitchell Library lies a collection of puppets and masks from across the history of the puppet arts from the earliest days to modern times.

The dramatically named The World Through Wooden Eyes is a collection of puppets, masks, toys, prints, and books which have been amassed over the last fifty years by puppet-master, director, and designer John M. Blundall. Blundall's collection focuses on the long tradition of puppetry on a global scale, featuring examples from ancient Japan, India, the New World and Continental Europe including the famous "Punch and Judy" marionette traditions. The museum places a specific emphasis on the theatrical nature of the creations, essentially espousing that the artistry of the puppets cannot be understood without a performative context. To this end, the "Ideas Store" as the collection is also known, not only provides workshops on the construction of puppets, but also stages historical performances. The World Through Wooden Eyes is an impressive collection for fans of puppetry and history, but it may be terrifying to visitors with pediophobia (fear of dolls).

Kattenkabinet - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The death of a pet can inspire a number of reactions, but rarely has anyone taken their grief and started a museum, as was the case with The Netherlands' KattenKabinet.

The KattenKabinet, or "Cat Cabinet," was founded by Bob Meijer in 1990 as an act of remembrance for his own departed cat, John Pierpont Morgan. Throughout J.P. Morgan's nine lives, the feline received birthday gifts from Meijer's friends such as paintings, a bronze cat statue, and even a recreated American dollar bill with Morgan in place of Washington, and the coda, "We Trust No Dog." With these pieces already in hand, Meijer began the museum in the bottom floors of his historic 1667 townhouse.

While Meijer and his family still live in the upper floors of the old patrician merchant's house, the public museum rooms display cats of all species and hue, depicted in a variety of mediums from paintings and sculptures to posters and books. While a cheeky collection such as this could be presented as gaudy or tacky, the KattenKabinet is decorated and the artworks displayed in the baroque style of a stuffy classical museum.