Washington, DC -
Squished Penny Museum

The Squished Penny museum is a private museum that is open for free to those who call ahead to make a reservation. Without a doubt it is one of the most interesting and fun places to visit in the city. Not only are the squished pennies from around the world (and dating back over a 100 years) fascinating, but the curators are among the nicest people you could expect to meet. [Ryan, 04/17/2006]

[RA: May 2007: Too many people were clamoring to see this private collection, so owners Christine and Pete closed their doors and put their Museum online.]

I haven't visited this museum, but heard it featured on NPR. The museum highlights 250 souvenir pennies flattened, elongated and embossed by hand-cranked machines at tourist attractions across the country. Marvel at a penny squished at the 1901 Pan American Exposition's Temple of Music and those commemorating Seattle's Sylvester the Mummy, the Circus Museum of Sarasota, Fla., and even "Cadiz, Kentucky: Home of the Ham Festival." Come prepared to trade squished pennies -- and stories of how they got that way. [Martha Hickson, 08/13/2001]

This was described in a Washington Post article (12/31/01) and is a private museum seen by appointment only. I've never heard of this, but apparently tourist attractions used to sell these souvenir pennies and had machines you could squish them in and they've got 2,000 of them at this place. [William S. Zaza, 01/21/2001]