It’s been 25 years since Kevin Costner lit up movie screens with his baseball fantasy “Field of Dreams.” His character hears a voice in an Iowa cornfield that says, “If you build it, they will come.” Across America, collectors have heard something of the same voice and opened their collections to the public. Small museums showcase the inventiveness, passions and the life stories of private individuals. Try these out on your travels.

1. The National Mustard Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of mustards and mustard memorabilia. The web site is great fun to read; visiting the free museum is worth the trip to Middleton, Wisconsin! Barry Levenson, founder & curator, has more than 5,676 mustards from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. Learn Mustard History and see antique and vintage mustard pots, advertisements, etc. An online store never closes, and their on-site gift shop is a rare treat. Middleton, Wisconsin; http://mustardmuseum.com
   
   
2. Seattle Pinball Museum – go and play your history on over 50 machines from seven decades of pinball machines. That’s enough to make your hands hurt. Enjoy vintage-style soft drinks and bottled beers as well! The All Day Pass means no need for quarters but lots of childhood memories. Hey, have fun and don’t tilt! Seattle, Washington.  http://seattlepinballmuseum.com
   
   
3. The Bonniebrook Historical Society and Kewpie Museum is not only interesting but also a beautiful place to visit just north of Branson, Missouri. It’s where one of America’s first female illustrators, Rose O’Neill lived when she created the Kewpie doll in 1909. Beware: you can fall in love with those cute pixie faces, even if you had no intention of doing so. Walnut Shade, Missouri. http://roseoneill.org
   
   
4. Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum makes San Antonio rock! Owner Barney Smith, in his 90s, is a retired master plumber who reasoned that used toilet seat lids were free and began making art out of them in his garage – the same garage that is now home to the nearly 1,100-lid Toilet Seat Art Museum. He’s the tour guide and you need to call ahead to visit and see lids remembering JFK, Mount St. Helens, the Challenger, Michael Jackson and occupations such as dentistry and more. (Bemis Co., the world’s largest manufacturer of toilet seats, wants to move the museum to its headquarters in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, when Barney passes on.) Call Barney to make an appointment. 210-824-7791.
   
   
5. The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, brings back childhood memories and lots of smiles. 20,000 pairs of shakers from a variety of countries, cultures and time periods were collected and categorized by one woman. There is a fun gift shop as well. Gatlinburg, Tennessee. http://thesaltandpeppershakermuseum.com
   
   
6. Kidd’s Toy Museum displays Frank Kidd’s 10,000-plus collection of banks and toys that date to the mid-1800s. (Roadside America says the museum is “Not for the easily-offended.”) Kidd’s daughter takes you on a tour. Portland, Oregon, 503-233-7807.
   
   
7. Tinkertown USA shows off what every genuine “tinkerer” wishes he could do. The museum, run by tinkerer Ross Ward’s family, is an unusual place full of junk made into interesting things by Ward over a 40-year span of carving, collecting and constructing.  See olde worlde circus tents and people, Wild West scenes, 50,000 glass bottles in the walls and horse shoes in the floor. It’s wacky and wonderful at the same time. If you went every day for a year, you’d see something different each time. Sandia Park, New Mexico (on the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway).  http://tinkertown.com/

These museums prove that if you collect it and build around it, they will still come and enjoy.

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