15+ Mildly infuriating museum visits: 'A history museum... is not your Instagram photo stage'

Spending an afternoon at the museum can be a great way to break out of your usual monotonous routine. When was the last time you went to one? Depending on where you live, there may be tons of art museums, history museums, or kid-focused museums. It's not for everyone — some people find them boring — but you're sure to see things you've never seen before, and maybe broaden your horizons. Plus, in some places, if you're a resident, you can get into that museum for free or for like, a dollar using the pay-what-you-wish system. Especially if you've got kids and a long summer's afternoon to fill, it's the spot to go.  

While you're at that spot, though, you'll still have to deal with the hoi polloi who are also wandering the same halls as you. Maybe you planned on a peaceful afternoon wandering the art museum hallways and browsing the paintings, but there are a bunch of kids who can't stop laughing their faces off at the lifelike sculptures. Or, have you ever toured a museum at the same exact time as a school field trip full of kids who are either chatty or very bored and can't wait to leave? Instead of a relaxing visit, you're now surrounded by grouchy teens who just want to be on their phones. 

In some people's cases, folks were confused about the art itself! As you can see below, one person mistook an ancient bowl for a trash can… yikes! There are all kinds of ways an afternoon at the museum can totally go south, so keep scrolling to see which museum fail is your fave. 

Next up, read about the unfortunate dating prospects of the 27-year-old dude who tried to chat up a 34-year-old woman using AI: "Is he using ChatGPT to talk to me?" 

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Author image for Remy Millisky Remy Millisky
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  • 01
    This was hanging in an art museum I paid $25 to enter
    via u/strangearthling

    "A real art museum with other art. But this is a page riped from a coloring book, scribbled with marker, framed. Most of us created something very similar to this in preschool," this person laments. It is an odd choice! It's from artist Jeff Koons, who's made a lot of polarizing pop art in his day. 

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  • 02

    Imagine trying to teach your dog not to lift its leg on every plinth and pedestal it walks by

    Today a "service dog" took a sh inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art
    via u/joshmoviereview
  • 03

    Uh oh

    This was in a museum. No, that's not a bin in disguise.
    via u/Calm_Community_5457
  • 04
    A transportation history museum with carefully preserved cars is not your instagram photo stage. R.E. Olds Transportation Museum 20m → ... We try hard to provide a nice experience but this is way to much. They sat on several of the cars and more than once. Why would anyone think this is OK to do when visiting a museum.
    via u/[deleted]
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  • 05
    Someone snapped off and inverted the wings on our museum's 747 Library BOEING 747-400
    via u/Ok-Clothes-8904
  • 06
    Al generated images in a MUSEUM that I recently visited HALE SPORT ACCURACY CEMENT OPORUL INTUITIVE NARRATIV कल्पनारम्य- UNFOLDING
    via u/Southern_Leader_8098
  • 07

    If you have kids, you can now take a deep breath, and be thankful that at least they didn't do THIS today

    A boy at a museum in Haifa today broke a 3500 years old jar. סי הרן הכסליםה 620
    via u/nitayp02
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  • 08

    How in the world does this happen?

    age Aly amiliar Juliet follow phonetically 4 Roll by 5 On top of the world? 6 One getting tongue-tied? d in 7 Smooth finish terial 8 Be overflowing 9 Run off, in a way s knees, 10 Marie and Julie: Abbr. e Is Here to cist Gershwin itter he Right Thing" ar nominee Shakespeare in Love" rale Casablanca" 11 Taking one can be risky 12 It flows from the heart 13 Objects of devotion 21 Half a marching cadence 26 Mojito garnish 22 Literally, "he holds" 27 Shrinking salt sea Woman only fills in crossword
    via u/[deleted]

    The artist reportedly found it funny, though, so all is well. 

  • 09

    If you make "trash" art, you should probably expect this

    Museum's beer can artwork accidentally thrown in trash by staff member MAXI 50cl Jupiler piler الي
    via u/the_username_please

    The employee elevated this to performance art! 

  • 10
    diamonds are cut glass and rubies curators discover their 'priceless' Horror at Prague National Museum as are synthetic Mineralogické oddělení Národního muzes же Rok 1964 C inv. 1801 Diaman t poněkud obdélníkový brilant zcela čisty pouze slabě nažloutlý, 11.1x10.4mm 1,0791g,lks odh.cena 20.000.-ös převedeno z histor.arch oddělení v r.1963 J.Afrika
    via u/KermitMadMan
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  • 11
    A 2 million dollar work of art in the Pompidue museum in Paris
    via u/GusBaur124
  • 12

    Oh my goodness

    The key I had to carry across the huge children's museum in order to unlock the family bathroom. With twins.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13

    All those cell phones in the air!

    Had the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles all to myself
    via u/balram_bahadur
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  • 14

    A restoration expert flopped with this one

    Spanish Art: Botched Restoration of Century-Old Statue Resulted in "The Potato Head of Palencia".
    via u/Intrepid-Tank-3414
  • 15

    "Bit gutted. It never occurred to me that the panels wouldn't be available to see," this viewer writes

    Travelled to the Menin Gate in Ypres to find a relatives name on the walls, only to find it's being cleaned and the panels I want to see are covered over. 14 THE FOUTLIN amera BER THEM
    via u/Enough-Ad3818

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