Not quite a museum, but more like a collection of some long dead hoarder, the World’s First (like there would be more than one?) Root Beer Saloon is a must-see if you like lots of stuff and are anywhere near Alto Pass, Illinois (highly unlikely, but you never know). Entering the building is like walking into a cave, novelties cover every spare inch of the place, including lots and lots of taxidermy (hope you’re not a vegan), large statues of King Tut and a Cigar Store Indian as well as a random diorama of a 1930s New York City tenement (of course). Dozens of birds fly overhead like a Alfred Hitchcock film gone bad. And as the name suggests, the place is indeed a seller of draft root beer as well as other treats, like lobster and crab, something you would totally expect to find in Southern Illinois. This is probably the only time I will write about a “combination museum, time capsule, hunting lodge and Western Saloon” in my home state, so please take note.
Root Beer Saloon, Alto Pass, Illinois
