Visiting the Spam Museum (A shrine to the only SPAM I like, well sort of like)

Spam – the luncheon meat, not the annoying e-mails – is an American Icon.  And there is even a museum dedicated to it!  Of course it’s called the Spam Museum.  It’s located in Austin, Minnesota – the headquarters of Hormel Foods, a Fortune 500 company.

The History of Hormel and Spam

If you ever wondered about the history of Hormel, you can learn about George Hormel’s butchery and how it morphed into the multi-brand company of Hormel under his son Jay.  There’s even statues of George and Jay that tell the retirement story of George.  Maybe the only historical statues in the world memorializing a retirement announcement?

The World of Spam

See how Spam is used around the world.  As a travel blogger I loved these little nooks about how Spam is used in places like Australia, Japan, Philippines, and of course Hawaii.  For you trivia buffs:  Hawaii has the highest consumption of Spam of any US state.

Spam Can Conveyor Belt

A 390-foot conveyer belt runs overhead in the museum and shop.  It contains 20 varieties of Spam – 15 from the USA and 5 international.

Let the Spam Museum send you the other kind of Spam

Use the interactive recipe terminals to send recipes to yourself.  If you check the box, Spam will also send you spam e-mails.  If you really want to be funny/vindictive make sure you send spam to your friends/enemies.

Selfie Zones

There are a few places to get a fun photo with Spam:

• Spammy – the big Spam can with arms and legs. If you travel near the holidays, he’s complete with a giant Santa hat.
• Sir Can-a-lot – a cartoon knight and Spam spokesman.
• The Spam Can Height Chart. Fun fact: I am 21 and ¾ Spam cans tall.

Farm Themed Indoor Playground

There’s an indoor playground for the little ones.  Especially useful on those cold Minnesota days, like the -10 F day I visited in January.

Beat the Clock – Can Spam by Hand

You can assemble your own can of Spam (a plush version of it) and then hit the button to see how many cans the factory produced in the same time.

Free Samples

Supposedly, the museum has free Spam samples but not were seen on my visit.

The Spam Museum Gift Shop

You can pretty much equip your kitchen, office, and closet with Spam gear.  There are 100’s of Spam branded stuff – from pens and magnets, to sweatshirts and stuffed animals.  Make sure you pick up your own Spam slicer… slices a full can of Spam in one swoop.   Or pick up  a 12-pack of Spam varieties.

Spam Museum Hours

April – October – Monday-Saturday: 9:00am-6:00pm and Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm
November – March – Monday-Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm and Sunday: 12:00am-5:00pm
They are closed on New Year’s Day, Easter,Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Spam Museum Review

I love the Spam Museum.  I’ve been several times, both at the old and the new locations.  Lots of fun and history within.  It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area, but it might not dispel any of your Midwestern Stereotypes.

International Spam Museum Location

Austin, Minnesota is about 100 miles south of the Twin Cities.  The closest airports are Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) 98 miles away and Rochester (RST) at 35 miles away.

Find your Austin, MN hotel at booking.com.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you found this information useful, consider using the links to support this website which earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.

Pin it:

Sharing is caring!