The Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers

You know I couldn't be in Gatlinburg without visiting the Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers. We visited for the first time in 2009, and then again in 2011. It is just as fun every time! The museum is right off the main strip in Gatlinburg and is just three bucks to get in! It is a MUST for any vintage/kitsch lover. We have a salt and pepper shaker collection, so that makes it even better! I've got around 50 sets now, but I didn't see very many of them in this over 20,000 they have at the museum. It is such a fun thing to collect because there are endless sets to find out in the world.

I took almost 100 photos inside! But I narrowed it down to around 30 for you. It helped that I took tons of pictures of things I took pictures of the last two times I was there! Haha, there are some motifs I just can't resist!

 Corn with amazing mustaches. 

 This kind of gives you an idea of what the cases look like. So amazing. They are organized in categories. It is really fun to play I Spy and try to stump the other person.

 I love those weird little pepper babies! And look at the freaky eyes on the little pea pod guy in the bottom left! I didn't notice that one until I looked at the pictures later.

 Travis likes it there too. Really! 

 Viking cats.

 I want a cute set like this, with paprika and cumin, since we use those a lot. 

 That mouse coming out of the cheese kills me! I think it is his little legs.

 I can't decide which duck couple is the cutest.

 Ugggggh, this makes me want to built tons of little shelves and color coordinate my collection.

 I would LOVE to have a set like the JFK on the chair. How cute is that?

 A great little walnut craft section. Oooh look at those! The fish! And the squirrels!

 A little section of flocked sets. I have the orange pig set!

I like all the Florida vacation sets together. I really want a flamingo set but I haven't seen one in all my vintage shopping that wasn't super expensive.

 I thought the clasped hands were so pretty!

 The big headed deer are another set I would LOVE to have! They were big, probably six inches tall.

A shop near me has that great skull set for sale! But it is over 50 bucks, and my limit for shakers is about 12. But I would love it in my collection!

 I love their sweet expressions. And that mouse who looks like he is judging them. 

 Those donuts! One of my favorites in the whole museum.

I wish I could have gotten a clearer picture, but look at that mad bowling ball! It is in a weird spot too, so even funnier. He looks especially cute next to the dopey pin.

Though most of the museum showcases the figural sets, there is a section of classic shakers. Lots of jadeite and depression glass and metal ones. I just breeze by that section usually. Give me things with faces!

They have these maps up with pins showing where their visitors are from. The big pins you can see are for collectors, there are tons more thinner pins for everyone else. I was happy to put up our collector pin! If you are in the area, you have GOT to check this museum out. It is fun every time, even though not much changed. Last time we were there it was for sale, but the signs weren't up this time. How amazing would that collection be to have? Maybe someday I'll have my own crazy museum filled with my personal collections.