My visit to the world’s weirdest museum

Some attractions are famous because they’re beautiful. Others are famous because they’re historic.

And then there’s the Hair Museum in Avanos.

The first time I heard about it, I thought it would be one of those Ripley’s-type attractions, or maybe a medical museum where you learn about the science behind hair, its structure, how it grows, and all that.

Then I found out what it actually was. It sounded so bizarre that I simply had to see it for myself.

So during my trip to Cappadocia, my friend and I made our way to the little town of Avanos to visit one of the strangest museums in the world.

If you’re looking for unusual things to do in Cappadocia, this is definitely one you’ll remember.

The story behind the museum

The Hair Museum is hidden beneath the pottery workshop of master potter Chez Galip in Avanos, a town famous for its pottery-making traditions along the Red River.

Like many unusual attractions, it all started with a surprisingly simple story.

Back in 1979, a French woman who had become friends with potter Galip Körükçü had to leave Avanos. Before departing, she cut off a lock of her hair and left it with him as a keepsake.

Other female visitors heard the story and wanted to leave their own small memento.

One donation became dozens, then hundreds, then thousands over the decades, and now the museum reportedly contains over 16,000 hair samples donated by women from all over the world.

It has even earned a place in the Guinness World Records.

Today, women can still choose to donate a small lock of hair if they want. Scissors, paper, and pins are provided, but it’s completely optional.

How to get to the Hair Museum

My friend and I decided to walk there from our cave hostel in Göreme.

It wasn’t exactly a short stroll, clocking in at around 10 km, but I’m one of those annoying travel partners who treat public transportation as a last resort and insist everything is “walking distance”.

In my defense, it was a nice way to see more of the Cappadocian landscape at our own pace.

By the time we were done exploring Avanos, though, even I had to admit defeat. We waved down a taxi for the ride back instead of attempting another 10 km on foot.

If walking isn’t your thing, taking a taxi is the easiest option and only takes around 15 to 20 minutes. You can also drive if you’ve rented a car, and parking is available nearby.

Another budget-friendly option is to take a local dolmuş (shared minibus) between Göreme and Avanos. I didn’t use this option myself, so I can’t comment on how frequent or convenient the service is.

If you’d rather not worry about transportation, consider booking this private customized Cappadocia tour. You’ll have an English-speaking guide and driver who can take you to the attractions of your choice.

Opening hours & entrance fee

The Hair Museum is located inside a pottery workshop, so it follows the shop’s operating hours.

It’s generally open everyday from around 9 am to 6 pm, but access can depend on staff being available.

Entry to the museum was free during our visit, but some online sources mention that there is now an entrance fee of 50 Turkish lira (USD 1), unless you make a purchase at the pottery shop.

What to expect at the Hair Museum

The Hair Museum is tucked away beneath Chez Galip Pottery, so don’t expect a large standalone museum building.

Just look for the pottery workshop, and you’ll find the entrance inside.

At first glance, the ceramics shop looked perfectly ordinary. There were shelves of pottery, the smell of clay in the air, and people browsing like normal.

Then we made our way down a dim, narrow staircase into a cave that, to me, felt like an entrance to the underworld.

Every available surface except the floor was covered with women’s hair.

Locks of it everywhere we looked, pinned to small pieces of paper, and clustered and layered so densely that our eyes didn’t quite know where to land first.

It’s impossible to describe just how surreal it feels until you’re standing there. It’s somewhere between an art installation, a personal archive, and something straight out of a slightly unsettling dream.

Many of the samples were accompanied by handwritten notes, names, addresses, and sometimes even photographs.

Since visitors are welcome to contribute, I decided to join in and donated a small lock of my own hair before leaving.

I mean, I shed hair like a cat anyway. I’ve probably left strands of it all over the world at this point. At least this time it became a museum exhibit. Finally something worthwhile.

Another quirky tradition is that twice a year, in June and December, the first customer who comes into the shop is invited into the Hair Museum to select ten winners off the walls.

These lucky ten are invited back to Cappadocia for an all-expenses-paid week-long stay and complimentary pottery workshops.

Here’s hoping I’ll get the call one day.

Is it creepy?

A little.

But not in a haunted-house kind of way.

It’s more the sheer scale of it that catches you off guard. You know you’re looking at real hair belonging to thousands of real people from all over the world, all gathered in one underground cave.

Some people might find it unsettling; others might think it’s funny. The more sentimental among us might see it as five decades’ worth of memories left behind by travelers.

I think I cycled through all three reactions within about five minutes.

Unfortunately, photography isn’t allowed inside the museum, which means I don’t have any photos to show you.

I suppose the rule is there to protect the privacy of the women whose names and personal information are displayed alongside the hair samples, which is completely understandable.

Honestly, though, no photo could really capture how strange the place feels anyway.

Is the Hair Museum worth visiting?

Looking for more wonderfully weird places to visit? Take a look at my travel bucket list for plenty more unusual ideas.