Chester, Illinois: Popeye Museum

My son and I visited the Spinach Can Collectibles store with their Popeye Museum on the 4th of July. We were greeted by the couple that run the store who turned out to be well versed scholars about Segar and his most famous creation. The museum showcases every era of Popeye history with a fascinating variety of merchandise from toys to clothing to artwork. It's a small place but the shelves and showcases are packed with fascinating and fun items to see. The store itself offers a nice mixture of vintage pieces and modern items. The greatest treat as it turns out was talking to the couple who were friendly, open and enthusiastic. Their passion for Popeye and the town of Chester was infectious and it was worth the trip just to spend some time with them!

The Popeye Museum is still there and so is Debbie. She is a wonderful resource. She knows so much about all the characters and is very friendly.

A little unsure where Segar Park was, we found ourselves in "downtown" Chester. In the the square was a quaint museum dedicated to the legend of Popeye, so we decided to pop in. We were immediately greeted by Debbie, who told us all about the foundation of Popeye, and how most of the characters in the comics were actual residents in Chester. The museum was little more than a big room, but every inch of the place was filled with Popeye memorabilia. We continued looking around and chatting with Debbie about Popeye and her 40 lb daschund before we had to get going.