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World’s First Museum Dedicated to Canned Meat, world record in Austin, Minnesota

March 5, 2024

World's most comprehensive collection of spiced pork artifacts, world record in Austin, Minnesota

Austin, Minnesota, United States--The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota, dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation; the 14,000 square feet in size comprises seven main galleries and sets the world record for being the World’s First Museum Dedicated to Canned Meat, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota, dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The museum tells the history of the Hormel company, the origin of Spam, and its place in world culture.

"The Spam Museum originated in January 1991 as the Hormel Foods First Century Museum, when Hormel opened a small storefront company museum in celebration of the company's 100 year anniversary. Originally located in Austin's Oak Park Mall, Hormel later re-branded it as the Spam Museum.

"A much-larger Spam-focused museum opened in September 2001. The 16,500-square foot space included a theater, historical displays, family activities and games, and a gift shop. The lobby of the museum featured a wall of Spam with more than 3,300 Spam cans and, for many years, the theatre showed a short film entitled "SPAM: A Love Story." The Spam Museum temporarily closed in September that year to move to a new, more accessible downtown location.

"The location in downtown Austin is approximately 14,000 square feet in size and comprises seven main galleries. These include Can Central, "the heart of the museum"; the World Market, where visitors can learn about the advertising and use of Spam and Spam recipes from 44 different nations; a World War II-themed exhibit explaining the importance of Spam as a staple for American troops; "Spam Products Around the World", an interactive map; the "Can Chronicles" showing the evolution of the Spam can; and Spam Brand 101, an interactive exhibit where visitors learn about 15 varieties of Spam and families are able to compete in the "assembly" of mock cans of Spam. Many of the exhibits include games, interactive videos, and hands-on activities." (Wikipedia)

"The newly built, 14,000 square foot museum features 9 SPAMtastic galleries with interactive games and photo opportunities. Admission is free to all visitors," the Explore Minnesota says.

"CLOSED: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day."

"Nicknamed SPAMTOWN USA, residents of Austin, Minnesota are frequently reminded of their city’s long history with Hormel Foods: from the SPAM Museum to restaurants with SPAM sandwiches. And it’s a connection they have fun with. Hormel Foods was founded in Austin in 1891 by George A. Hormel, and Austin now boasts the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Hormel Historic Home, and The Hormel Institute, per Life in Minnesota," the Hormel Foods says.

"In addition to making SPAM, Hormel Foods is well-known for its other meat products, including deli meats, bacon, and canned chili. It also produces food under other names, such as Dinty Moore, Lloyd’s, Applegate, Skippy, and Valley Fresh. With so many products to produce, Hormel Foods employs around 20,000 people around the world, but it’s Hormel’s hometown of Austin, Minnesota that embraces the company’s legacy and its iconic SPAM.

"First sold in 1937, SPAM came at a time when Americans were looking for low-cost meat products, according to maker Hormel Foods. The dish grew in popularity during World War II because of its long shelf live and transportability, which is also how SPAM came to Korea while American military members fought during the Korean War. Made in 15 varieties, SPAM comes in flavors such as Teriyaki and Jalapeño. Per the company, classic SPAM contains six ingredients: pork with ham meat added, salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite."

"Entering the SPAM Museum, it feels as if you are at some sort of strange Midwestern theme park. Much like a theme park, the SPAM Museum has different interactive exhibits that center around one theme…SPAM. From family betrayals to the creation of SPAM, the Hormel family truly had a big impact on Austin, Minnesota. The history of Hormel all began with George A. Hormel," The Local Tourist says.

"SPAM was created prior to World War II and was an important part of American soldiers’ diets. Even though I knew this, I did not know how important it truly was during this time period. Without SPAM, it would have been more difficult for soldiers to ration and stay afloat.

"This exhibit showcases SPAM in different countries and the most popular dishes in these countries. The museum wants guests to “take a journey” around the world and learn about each destination’s cultures and cuisines."

"There’s no mistaking that blue can. Which provided the inspiration for the team designing the new SPAM Museum, located near Hormel Food’s corporate headquarters in Austin, Minnesota. In designing the bright blue-and-brick building, RSP had two goals: 1) anchor downtown to boost business; and 2) celebrate the story of SPAM," the RSP Architects says.

"The new museum conveys the fun, lightheartedness aspects of the brand while providing tens of thousands of annual visitors a historic and entertaining journey through SPAM’s 125-year odyssey. The juxtaposition of building a contemporary, interactive museum on a traditional small town main street was a challenge.

"Our team carefully considered traffic patterns and surrounding businesses. Located on a highly visible corner, the new museum is already a point of pride. Open since April 2016, the SPAM Museum is exceeding expectations, attracting more visitors than projected and revitalizing downtown Austin by entertaining thousands with dynamic interactive exhibits and activities."

"When we go on a road trip we fill our days with as many opportunities to make memories as we possibly can. On our recent Midwest Road trip where we hit 7 states in 7 days, we discovered that we were going right past the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota. Whether you are a passionate fan of SPAM and can’t get enough of the newest flavors or have never been one to love this canned meat, the SPAM Museum is a great FREE stop on every road trip through Minnesota!

"The museum staff will be the first to tell you that not everyone that comes through the doors of the SPAM Museum is a fan. In fact, there is even a copy of a letter from a former US President where he states that he was not a fan of SPAM while he was serving in the US military. But everyone who comes to the museum discovers that they love their visit," the hobbiesonabudget.com says.

"Things to Know

Museum Admission is FREE.
You can visit the Museum in about an hour or take longer to spend more time at each exhibit.
The SPAM Museum is fully handicapped accessible.
Strollers are fine in the museum.
All exhibits are on the main floor. There are no steps necessary to enjoy the Museum.
There is a gift shop where you can buy SPAM memorabilia as well as all the varieties of SPAM.
There is free parking available behind the Museum.

"Did you know there are 15 varieties of SPAM products classic, lite, less sodium, with real Hormel bacon, oven roasted turkey, hickory smoke, hot and spicy, jalapeño, teriyaki, black pepper, chorizo, with Portuguese sausage seasoning, tocino, garlic, with cheese, mezclita, single classic, single lite, and the classic 7 oz, spread," the mnbucketlist.com says.

"With the help of the distinguished SPAM™bassadors (mines name was Justin), the museum exhibits tell the history of the Hormel company, the origin of SPAM, and its place in world culture, and all sorts of other tidbits.

"These include Can Central, “the heart of the museum”; the World Market, where visitors can learn about the advertising and use of SPAM and SPAM recipes from 44 different nations; a World War II-themed exhibit explaining the importance of SPAM as a staple for American troops and its wartime mascot Slammin’ Spammy; SPAM Brand 101, an interactive exhibit where visitors learn about 15 varieties of SPAM and families are able to compete in the “assembly” of mock cans of SPAM; and even an exhibit depicting George and Jay Hormel in the middle of a conversation, where it is also revealed that Jay invented “Dinty Moore” stew simply as a way to fill 500,000 empty cans. I know, crazy right?"

"Upon entering visitors are greeted by towers of SPAM cans and smiling staff members ready to help make your experience a delicious one. With seven distinct galleries and an indoor play area for young visitors, there’s a lot to see and do in a small amount of space," the Olio In Iowa says.

"Start your visit by heading to the electronic recipe stations that offer helpful suggestions on how to incorporate SPAM into your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Find something that strikes your fancy? Just email yourself the recipe for easy access later.

"Next, head into the museum’s international center to learn about how SPAM is enjoyed in countries around the world. From the United Kingdom to Japan, discover how fans across the globe have used SPAM in their culinary creations. I particularly enjoyed the British “pub,” The Flying Pig, which not only included some Monty Python themed memorabilia but also featured an Angry Birds-esque digital interactive where visitors try to knock over a tower of SPAM using kitchen utensils."

"The museum is dedicated entirely to one food item, but it takes about two seconds to realize this is no ordinary food. During a normal year, 115,000 people visit the SPAM Museum. Even if they don’t know what SPAM stands for," the Hormel Foods says.

"The name emerged during a 1936 New Year’s Eve party inventor Jay Hormel threw for his canned ham creation. A few years later, it was that creation that fueled our troops during World War II.

"SPAM’s worldwide popularity continued to grow even after the war. To this day, it’s a staple in Hawaii. Each year a large group from the Aloha State heads to Vegas for Blackjack. But they fly to Minnesota first for SPAM."

Photos: World's most comprehensive collection of spiced pork artifacts, world record in Austin, Minnesota

(1-5) RSP Architects

(6-10) Facebook/SPAM