Freakybuttrue Peculiarium
Freakybuttrue Peculiarium
4
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
About
Portland's ground zero for unique art, books, comics, gifts, urban legends, interesting history, interactive exhibits, events, and an unforgettable experience.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Address
Neighbourhood: Northwest District
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
98 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
32
Average
18
Poor
6
Terrible
7
NeoWasHere
Frederick, MD3 661 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
I know it's freaky, but true. When we asked our son where he wanted to go for a summer vacation trip, he showed us pictures of this Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum. It was then we knew and decided that Oregon was where we were headed to explore. Parking for us was found about one block up and right off of NW Thurmont Street. We paid $2 to the City of Portland using their official mobile parking app, Parking Kitty. Pay to Park up to 4 hours is required in this area of the city 9AM-7PM Mon-Sat unless you have a Zone M permit. We didn't have a Zone M permit, nor do we know or care what that is.
Back in 2019, this same store and museum cost $5 for admission. Fast forward five years later to 2024 and it's $10 for a Gallery Admission One Ticket. Does that mean that in 2029, visitors can expect to pay $20? Woops, I shouldn't have divulged that information that I learned using my time machine since it may cause a paradox. So very sorry.
A poster on the front of the shop provides answers to "What the Heck is This Place? The Peculiarium is an ART GALLERY, featuring urban legends, pop culture, movies, sci-fi, and all things peculiar". We went in and saw what may have been a sculpture of a Deep Ones, a fish-like creature from the novel, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, written by H. P. Lovecraft. There was a framed photographed picture of Cassandra Peterson, who has played Elvira, Mistress of the Dark since 1981. Elvira herself visits Freakybuttrue every year on July 3rd. Don't miss the funny recounting of The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens told by a Peculiarium Intern. We also found a Wacked comic book on The Adventures of Tonya Harding and Her Pals. Who in the world is Tanya Harding? She's just some ice skater from Portland some may say. If you pay extra close attention, you may notice the singer Katy Perry may have also been interested in this particular display area. We also got to enjoy a haunted dollhouse, Vampire killing kit, alien autopsy, Bigfoot, Alfonse "Al" Capone memorabilia, and all things weird and peculiar.
Go with others. Have fun and take pictures at some of their exhibits like the cliffhanger skyscraper parapet and the alien autopsy table. Anything that you can look back at later to remember all the fun you had after deciding to stop by this little shop, that used to be a grocery store back in the 1960s, in northwest Portland is highly recommended.
Back in 2019, this same store and museum cost $5 for admission. Fast forward five years later to 2024 and it's $10 for a Gallery Admission One Ticket. Does that mean that in 2029, visitors can expect to pay $20? Woops, I shouldn't have divulged that information that I learned using my time machine since it may cause a paradox. So very sorry.
A poster on the front of the shop provides answers to "What the Heck is This Place? The Peculiarium is an ART GALLERY, featuring urban legends, pop culture, movies, sci-fi, and all things peculiar". We went in and saw what may have been a sculpture of a Deep Ones, a fish-like creature from the novel, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, written by H. P. Lovecraft. There was a framed photographed picture of Cassandra Peterson, who has played Elvira, Mistress of the Dark since 1981. Elvira herself visits Freakybuttrue every year on July 3rd. Don't miss the funny recounting of The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens told by a Peculiarium Intern. We also found a Wacked comic book on The Adventures of Tonya Harding and Her Pals. Who in the world is Tanya Harding? She's just some ice skater from Portland some may say. If you pay extra close attention, you may notice the singer Katy Perry may have also been interested in this particular display area. We also got to enjoy a haunted dollhouse, Vampire killing kit, alien autopsy, Bigfoot, Alfonse "Al" Capone memorabilia, and all things weird and peculiar.
Go with others. Have fun and take pictures at some of their exhibits like the cliffhanger skyscraper parapet and the alien autopsy table. Anything that you can look back at later to remember all the fun you had after deciding to stop by this little shop, that used to be a grocery store back in the 1960s, in northwest Portland is highly recommended.
Written 16 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PH2003
Denver, CO387 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
This was one of the things that came up on the “things to see in Portland” list we saw before traveling. It’s a fun spot to go to if you’re in the city. It’s pretty small so I’m not sure if it’s necessarily worth $10, but I enjoyed it. There are fun things to look at, as well as the gift shop.
Hot tip: if you go into the “museum” there is a bathroom, which is pretty scarce in Portland
Hot tip: if you go into the “museum” there is a bathroom, which is pretty scarce in Portland
Written 12 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA1 018 contributions
Mar 2022
The Peculiarium is a collection of various oddities for an admission price of $5. The collection is much smaller than I anticipated and is composed of 2 small rooms. A lot of the space in both rooms is comprised of some large photo ops, which are fun, but severely restrict the amount of stuff in each room. Most of the oddities can be described as something out of National Enquirer. There is also a pretty comprehensive gift shop, which is accessible without paying admission. If you look at the gift shop and are amused, then pay the admission and enjoy. If you are not amused by the gift shop gags, then this is not the spot for you. This is a fun little attraction, but it is not remarkable by any means, primarily because of its small size.
Written 26 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nomad_LA
Los Angeles264 contributions
Dec 2022
Spent an hour in this little quirky art/museum/gift shop of humorous displays, Sci-Fi collections and selfie-heaven. Great little break from the rain a short drive from downtown. My wife and I had a blast and the quirky things you could buy in the gift show were fun as well.
Well worth the small admission charge.
Well worth the small admission charge.
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stu B
Omaha, NE202 contributions
May 2022
"Keep Portland Weird" is a longtime city slogan, and this place is doing its best in the crusade. I enjoyed interacting with the Theremin, took a wonderful picture of myself being dissected by aliens, and generally had a good time. On a slightly more serious note, I'm glad that the witty description of their Vampire Killing Kit makes it obvious that the assemblage is tongue-in-cheek. There are a lot of folks out there who think these things were really used to hunt the undead - the Peculiarium is keeping it real.
Written 1 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TvS7
Ohio16 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Uh… no! We like oddities and hometown/non commercial places but this wouldn’t be worth it if the entry was free. It seemed like someone’s overgrown personal collection of “stuff” that they charged me $10 to look at for 5 minutes. I’m not sure why some people are rating this so highly but my opinion is to just skip it.
Written 8 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizabeth L
Baltimore, MD1 053 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
This was such a disappointing experience. We like unusual places but this small place just did not work out for us. There was nothing in there to spark our interest and we spent as little time as possible. Fortunately, it was only $10 for a ticket but I would have preferred to spend my money differently.
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ray S
50 contributions
Nov 2021 • Family
Interesting use of a hour to kill. Not large, just a storefront. Much one of a kind stuff. Ok for kids. Worth the $5. Props and displays. An small gift shop sells posters and t-shirts and other items
Written 21 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Apanda8
Austin, TX296 contributions
Aug 2019
My husband and I walked here from downtown. It is a little trek and off the beaten path. I was at times trying to determine if it would be worth the visit. It definitely was!
When we reached our destination I was surprised by the location. I would actually think they would get better foot traffic downtown. However, during our visit, there were about 10-15 people at $5 a ticket. Not too shabby!
Overall this place has really cool and creative interactive exhibits. I enjoyed my time while here. They also have a gift shop where you can buy cookies made with insects.
When we reached our destination I was surprised by the location. I would actually think they would get better foot traffic downtown. However, during our visit, there were about 10-15 people at $5 a ticket. Not too shabby!
Overall this place has really cool and creative interactive exhibits. I enjoyed my time while here. They also have a gift shop where you can buy cookies made with insects.
Written 31 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Umpqua42
Colebrook, CT147 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
We went here on our first real visit to Portland after spending some time in the center of town. It was nice to travel to a different neighborhood and the Peculiarium was weird enough and eclectic enough to entertain our family of 4 (2 adults and boys ages 11 and 12). We probably spent a little over an hour here and could have easily stayed longer. Of course it's small and you can run through in 5 minutes, but you would miss all the great little exhibits, ridiculously strange artwork and other assorted details that make this place so unique.
We always try to find some offbeat attractions on our trips and this certainly filled the bill. Plus it's in a great little neighborhood with cool coffee shops and bars. Easy to reach by public transport (bus), as is everything in Portland. I would recommend for a nice little detour off the beaten path.
We always try to find some offbeat attractions on our trips and this certainly filled the bill. Plus it's in a great little neighborhood with cool coffee shops and bars. Easy to reach by public transport (bus), as is everything in Portland. I would recommend for a nice little detour off the beaten path.
Written 14 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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