Dick Porter, of Onset MA, has been building his collection of over 5000 thermometers since the mid-80s, though the collection has nearly doubled since 1998 when it was just over 3000. He calls it the world’s largest and only thermometer museum. He’s certainly passionate about them, and he’s been an invited speaker at more than a few thermometer and weather related events, like the christening of the world’s largest thermometer in Baker California.

The collection, which Porter values at about $4 per piece, fills his home’s small basement, and visitors should expect him to be an active docent. He has stories about many of the thermometers, even some memories of the day the scientific community decided to honor Anders Celsius by eponymously renaming his centigrade scale. Thinking of scales, Porter even has a few Reamur thermometers. Impressive, yes, though Wikipedia notes a few more temperature scales he didn’t mention. I guess it’s challenges like that that get a guy through the day.

It’s all at 49 Zarahemla Road Onset, MA 02558, and visitors should probably give Mr. Porter a call (508) 295-5504 to confirm he’ll be home to host you. All info current as of my October 2005 visit, more info at Roadside America and Odd New England.

tags: attractions, dick porter, massachusetts, museum, onset, onset ma, thermometer, thermometer museum, thermometers, tourism, tour, travel

It started with The Plastics Museum and Museum of Bad Art, progressed with a visit to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame and continued with a tour of Donut shops in Lowell, MA.

Now I can report that the MaisonBisson Weird Travel Archives include the Thermometer Museum, the Edward Gorey House, and the Paper House. Click the links to see Photosets at Flickr, and watch MaisonBisson for full reports later.

tags: adventure, bowling museum and hall of fame, donut shops in lowell, ma, edward gorey house, museum of bad art, paper house, plastics museum, thermometer museum, tour, weird, weird museums, weird places, weird travel

Donut Shack

Eat-a-Donut

Still Hungry

Top Donut

See the full What’s Up With Lowell And Donuts Flickr photoset with slideshow. Follow that with the Post-Donut Tour photo set.

Story/explanation/narrative to follow. Sometime.

Road-trip Music:

We compared the Magnetic Fields’ original version of Book of Love from the 69 Love Songs set to the new Peter Gabriel rendition from the Shall We Dance soundtrack.

We spent much time laughing at and singing along with William Shatner’s new album: Has Been, especially the faux-Western title track: Has Been.

As much as Shatner’s new album rocks, his art is really the spoken word. He doesn’t sing so much as talk…with style. To that end, I had to share some Ken Nordine tracks with the donut-eating crowd.

Finally, after getting our fill of Nordine and Shatner, we cruized around listening to Swearing at Motorists and other tracks from 69 Love Songs.

tags: adventure, donut, donut shack, donuts, doughnut, doughnuts, eat, eat-a-donut, fat, lowell, lowell ma, massachussetts, sugar, top donut, tour