The Quirkiest Museums to Visit in the USA

If you’re looking for a unique museum experience, the USA has plenty to offer. From the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico, to the Museum of Bad Art in Boston, Massachusetts, there are museums dedicated to just about everything you can imagine. If you’re a fan of the weird and wacky, you might want to check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, California, which features exhibits that blur the line between fact and fiction. Or, if you’re a lover of all things sweet, head to the Candy Americana Museum in Lititz, Pennsylvania, where you can learn about the history of candy making and even sample some treats. No matter what your interests, there’s a museum out there for you to explore and learn something new.

Unconventional Museums in the USA: Exploring the Quirky and Fascinating

When it comes to museums, most people think of art galleries or history museums. However, the USA is home to some of the most unconventional and intriguing museums in the world. From a museum dedicated to the history of pizza to one that explores the science of espionage, these museums offer a unique and unforgettable experience.

The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington, is a must-visit for music lovers. It features exhibits on iconic artists like Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, as well as interactive exhibits that let visitors create their own music. Meanwhile, the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., offers a fascinating look into the world of espionage, with exhibits on code-breaking, spy gadgets, and real-life spy stories.

For those with a sweet tooth, the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the famous jelly beans are made, as well as samples of all their flavors. The National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, showcases over 6,000 different mustards from around the world, and even offers mustard tastings.

In New York City, the Tenement Museum offers a glimpse into the lives of immigrants who lived in tenement buildings on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century. Visitors can take guided tours of restored apartments, and learn about the struggles and triumphs of these early settlers.

These unconventional museums offer a fun and unique way to learn about a wide range of subjects, from music and food to history and espionage. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or just looking for something a little different, these museums are sure to leave a lasting impression.

Discovering Fascinating Museums in the USA

1. What is the National Museum of African American History and Culture?

– The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a museum in Washington D.C. that showcases the history and culture of African Americans.

2. What is the USS Midway Museum?

– The USS Midway Museum is a museum in San Diego, California that features the aircraft carrier USS Midway and its history.

3. What can you see at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle?

– At the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, you can see exhibits related to popular culture, including music, science fiction, and video games.

4. What is the American Museum of Natural History in New York City?

– The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is a museum that features exhibits about the natural world, including dinosaurs, animals, and human cultures.

5. What is the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum?

– The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that features exhibits about the history and culture of the American West.

6. What can you see at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.?

– The National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. features exhibits related to the history of aviation and space exploration, including spacecraft and airplanes.

7. What is the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston?

– The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is a museum that features exhibits related to fine art from around the world, including paintings, sculptures, and photographs.

8. What is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio?

– The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio is a museum that features exhibits related to the history and influence of rock and roll music.

Exploring the Unusual: Fascinating Museums to Visit Across America

From quirky to downright bizarre, the United States is home to a wide range of museums that are sure to pique your interest. Take a trip to the Museum of Bad Art in Massachusetts, where you can view a collection of cringe-worthy paintings that are so bad, they’re good. Or, visit the National Museum of Funeral History in Texas to learn about the history of funeral customs and see a collection of vintage hearses. If you’re into all things macabre, make a stop at the Mütter Museum in Pennsylvania, which houses a collection of medical oddities, including preserved human specimens and antique surgical instruments. For a more lighthearted experience, check out the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., where you can explore the world of espionage and learn about real-life spies throughout history. Whatever your interests may be, these unique museums are sure to provide a memorable and educational experience.

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In order to understand the concepts behind contemporary museums, it is important to look at the theories that inform their design. One of the main theories informing contemporary museum designs is the idea of ‘place making’. This theory encourages designers to create experiences that encourage people to explore, discover and interact with their surroundings. By creating environments that are welcoming and engaging, visitors can be inspired to engage with museum content in an experiential way.

Technology has also played a major role in the development. The growth of digital media has allowed to create interactive displays that bring objects to life, allowing visitors to interact with them. Augmented reality experiences allow visitors to virtually explore and interact with museum artifacts, while virtual reality can take visitors on immersive journeys through time and space.

Innovations in the modern museum: from theory to practice

The modern museum is an ever-evolving concept, with innovations being implemented to better engage the public and further its mission. From technological advances to changes in programming and design, museums are utilizing a variety of strategies to attract more visitors and provide them with meaningful experiences.

One of the most popular innovations is the use of digital technology. By introducing interactive touchscreens, virtual reality experiences, and augmented reality exhibits, museums are able to create engaging environments for visitors. These technologies allow visitors to interact with museum objects in ways that were previously impossible.

They are also turning towards more creative programming and immersive experiences in order to appeal to a broader audience. One example of this is the “museum without walls” concept, which encourages visitors to explore the museum from all angles, both inside and out. By opening up the building to the outside world, they are able to create unique experiences that allow visitors to explore in a more organic way.

Museum performance as a form of cultural interaction is an increasingly popular way for museums to engage their visitors. Through engaging performances, they are able to bring the stories and history of their collections to life in exciting ways that stimulate the imagination and inspire curiosity. Performance-based programming has allowed museums to break away from traditional educational models, offering unique opportunities for learning through creative expression and audience participation.

In addition to the more technological advances in contemporary museum design, there has also been a focus on creating more organic experiences for visitors. By introducing elements of nature into museum spaces, such as gardens and living green walls, museums are able to create calming and inspiring environments that connect visitors with the wider world beyond their doors. The use of natural materials and interactive elements allows visitors to explore their surroundings in an experiential way, furthering their understanding of collections and mission.

Museums are an integral part of our cultural heritage, providing us with an opportunity to explore the history and culture of our world. As museums become more contemporary, they are taking on a new role in the way we experience art and culture. Museum space is becoming increasingly important as galleries strive to provide visitors with engaging, interactive experiences that go beyond traditional museum exhibits.

In recent years, museums have begun to focus on creating dynamic and inviting spaces for visitors to explore. From intimate nooks and open-plan galleries, to vibrant courtyards and immersive installations, modern museum spaces are designed to create both a physical and emotional connection between the visitor and collections.

The use of natural light, spatial design elements, audio-visual technology and interactive experiences are just some of the ways that modern museums are creating immersive experiences for their visitors. By thinking outside the box and designing innovative museum spaces, they are able to provide their visitors with a truly unique experience.

The development of museum education is also an important factor in modern museology. By providing educational programs, museums are able to bring the stories and history of their collections to life, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural artifacts they are viewing. From interactive tours and lectures, to hands-on workshops and artist demonstrations, museums are creating unique opportunities for learning that stimulate the imagination and foster curiosity.

Conclusion

Museums are continuing to evolve and transform the way we experience art and culture. Through creative programming, immersive experiences, and dynamic spaces, contemporary museums are creating exciting opportunities for their visitors to explore and learn. By utilizing new technologies, introducing elements of nature into the museum space, and developing educational programs, they are able to provide their visitors with engaging experiences that go beyond traditional museum exhibitions.

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Even though forming an LLC is only one way of optimizing your Airbnb business, it’s by far one of the most suitable options for sole owners though keep in mind that creating and managing an LLC is a bit more complex than just signing some papers, and it might not be suitable for your business.

But since LLCs are one of the most common business models in the Airbnb industry, it’s highly likely that the many benefits of this structure will help you advance your venture.

What Is an LLC?

An LLC is a type of business entity combining the legal specifics of other business structures, namely partnerships and corporations. LLCs are particularly similar to sole proprietorships and general partnerships by way of taxation.

An LLC is typically taxed in the same manner, i.e. every owner/member includes their share of company profits and losses in their personal tax returns as opposed to filing a corporate income tax.

What’s curious about the LLC model is that there is an option to choose the preferred taxation method, meaning an LLC may be registered to be taxed as a corporation. This method is not exactly popular, but there are some positive aspects that the LLC model borrows from corporations, the main one being the separation of financial accountability.

What does this mean exactly? Unlike certain business models, the LLC protects its members from potential lawsuits brought against other owners or the company as a whole. As a rule, your personal assets will avoid litigation that involves the LLC itself or other members.

Why Starting an LLC for an Airbnb Business Is Important

Limited Liability 

As an Airbnb host, ensuring your personal asset protection is one of the most essential parts of entrepreneurship. And the easiest way to isolate your assets from that of your business is to form an LLC.

The LLC model gives your business limited liability insurances regardless of the size and type of your Airbnb hosting operation. When you form an LLC to conduct your hosting, these personal asset protections become applicable to personal property rentals (such as leasing out your house or apartment) as well as multiple listings under your supervision. 

So why do these limited liability insurances matter? The main reason Airbnb hosts choose to go down the LLC route is to ensure their personal property cannot be brought into legal actions against the company itself.

For instance, if a lessee files a lawsuit for damages (e.g. personal injury claims sustained on your property), your personal property, valuables, bank accounts, or other capital won’t be at risk which can’t be said for similar cases with lawsuits against private individuals (property owners, lessors, landlords) without the LLC structure acting as a buffer.

Taxation

The ability to choose the exact method of taxation for your business is among the key advantages of the LLC for an Airbnb host, making it much more flexible and less costly compared to what you’d get as an informal business entity. Let’s look closer at the available taxation methods.

Pass-throughs

When forming an Airbnb hosting LLC, you can choose for its future taxation to be the common flow-through method often seen in business taxation for general partnerships, S-corps, sole proprietorships, and LLCs. 

For single-member LLCs, choosing this method basically means they will be taxed as a sole proprietorship, while multi-member LLCs will be a tax equivalent of general partnerships.

A pass-through structure eliminates the many steps of the corporate income tax required for many federal business entities and instead allows LLC owners and members to file it in their personal income tax. This means that the company is essentially exempt from federal tax, and all its taxable income flows through the personal tax returns of its owners. 

Keep in mind that pass-throughs are subject to the SECA tax (Self-Employment Contributions Act) at the rate of 15.3% as deducted from individual profit shares.

C-corporations

Even though you can technically choose to tax your Airbnb business as a C-corporation, the method is generally avoided by many LLC owners due to its double taxation process that can be rather costly. A C-corp structure implies that the company’s profits are subject to corporate income tax first, after which all of the entity’s members will also be taxed individually based on their profit shares.

S-corporations

The S-corp taxation model comes with its own conditions but is fairly compatible with the requirements in running Airbnb rental businesses. For example, to elect S-corp taxation, your entity’s ownership group must not exceed 100 people who are also required to be either US citizens or residents.

As a whole, this method is somewhat similar to pass-throughs and can help your Airbnb business save money by eliminating double taxation. The main difference between the S-corp and pass-through taxes is the SECA tax, or rather the lack of it with the former. 

Though the S-corp taxation does not include the SECA tax, an ownership group can deduct the self-employment tax from net earnings as per Schedule E form of the IRS Supplemental Earnings and Loss.

Still, the S-corp may fall under the FICA tax (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) in connection with the Social Security program. Paying federal payroll tax earns you potential Social Security benefits.

What makes this taxation model more attractive for Airbnb businesses is the ability to cut out the unnecessary spending and pour it into purchasing new properties, investing in existing locations, and expanding as a whole.

Credibility

Operating under the name of an LLC as opposed to your legal name can undeniably give you more integrity as an entrepreneur. There is, of course, no shame in operating an informal business entity and therefore using your own name for all activities involved in running a sole proprietorship, but potential investors and business partners are likely to take you more seriously if you run a formal business structure. 

This aspect holds a bit more weight with retail and restaurant businesses than with Airbnb rentals since the customers view leased properties as part of Airbnb as a corporation rather than separate entities. Even so, operating as an LLC may do your reputation wonders, particularly with contractors and third-party vendors like renovation, cleaning, and catering services. 

How to Start an Airbnb Hosting LLC

The state of operation plays a huge role in the procedure as a whole given that most jurisdictions come with additional steps and requirements involved in the formation process for LLCs.

Despite some significant disparities, it is actually possible to outline a more or less universal process for establishing such an entity. To get a more detailed overview of the key steps required, feel free to look through our complete guide regarding the subject.

To summarize, most states expect you to go through the following steps of the LLC formation process: 

• Choosing an available LLC name;
• Designating a registered agent;
• Filing the articles of organization with the Secretary of State;
• Acquiring an EIN;
• Drafting an LLC operating agreement;
• Establishing a financial infrastructure;
• Obtaining licenses and/or permits;
• Managing taxes;
• Fulfilling maintenance requirements like filing annual reports, franchise taxes, et al.

The 3 Best LLC Websites

Forming an LLC for any business, including Airbnb hosting, can be done in three major ways: by hiring a business attorney, paying for an online business formation service, or by going with the DIY method.

The cheapest option you choose is by far the DIY route, but it can prove to be rather tricky in the long run, especially for first-time entrepreneurs who are not well-versed in the intricacies of LLC formation.

Finding a lawyer can fix this problem and help you along the way, but most single-member LLCs and start-ups can’t exactly afford the services of a reputable attorney at the early stages of their business.

And it’s precisely why so many business owners resort to hiring an online LLC service—to save money as well as ensure their formation paperwork is compliant. Out of dozens if not hundreds of formation service providers capable of handling all main steps of LLC formation, albeit with varying degrees of thoroughness. 

A service like that can’t compete with a certified attorney in terms of legal proficiency but many reliable formation companies offer legal consultation services and generally cover the tricky bits of the formation procedure that would pose difficulties with the DIY method.

If you want a more comprehensive breakdown of leading formation companies, be sure to check our guide to the top 7 best LLC services on the market. In order to give you a brief picture, let’s narrow them down to the three best options for business formation service:

ZenBusiness — Best Overall Value

As a more broad-spectrum service, ZenBusiness focuses on expansive packages with a great range of extra features. Even their lowest-priced $39 plan is pretty inclusive, adding a year of registered agent service.

They are also strong with their customer base as is evident from their consistent customer feedback. All in all, this might be your best option if you want to get an affordable extensive formation package. 

IncFile — Cheapest LLC Service

Regarded as the most affordable option in the business, IncFile provides a free formation package straight out of the gate while maintaining their reputability and quality of service.

Their entry plan costs exactly $0 + state fee and includes a year of free registered agent. As their vast feedback suggests, the service is primarily chosen for its accessibility, both in terms of pricing and ease of use.

Northwest – Premium Support

As the most expensive out of the three, Northwest may seem a bit excessive at first, especially with their upfront payment of $225 + state fee.

What makes them a worthy option to consider is their thorough registered agent service considered to be one of the industry’s best. The annual fee for the service is $125, but their in-depth approach to managing your correspondence and documentation is more than worth it.

Another point in Northwest’s favor is the high-quality customer support for LLC services available by phone, email, and online. By offering a premium service with consistent office hours, Northwest undoubtedly secures itself as a top contender.

Additional Resources for Starting an Airbnb Hosting Business

• Airbnb Resource Center: Those who already operate an Airbnb hosting business will find that the necessary basics have already been covered by the parent company in their official Airbnb Resource Center. There you will find dozens of comprehensive guides to help you create better listings of your rentals, make your homestays more guest-friendly, cover safety and health aspects of hosting etc.
• AirHost Academy: As its name suggests, AirHost Academy works as an extensive educational service for first-time Airbnb hosts and those planning to try their hand at running a rental business. The Academy can help you get acquainted with the process of opening a rental, placing a listing, preparing a property with various ideas for optimizing interior design (even down to the little details like the types of kitchen appliances you might need for your space) and much more.
• Lodgify: Lodgify is a cloud-based software helping you optimize your Airbnb properties with their vacation rental system. This includes improving your search engine rankings, helping you automate certain procedures, and save considerable amounts of money while doing it. Plus their resources page and blog offer plenty of educational materials. 
• Get Paid for Your Pad: Another helpful online resource, Get Paid for Your Pad covers most aspects of hosting and offers a detailed list of 26 Airbnb tools including apps, info sources, and more. The tools offered on the site can be of great help when managing your rental fees, listings, customer feedback and communication, industry analysis, search optimization, and travel books for your area.
• Laptop Landlord: Laptop is a great source of hosting guides Regardless of your experience as an Airbnb host. They dedicate an entire section to Airbnb Tips for Hosts,  arranging educational resources by category, eight in total. Each deals with various aspects of hosting, from getting a property ready (cleaning, renovating, etc) to placing your listing (taking effective photos, figuring out prices, providing the best customer experience etc).

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