International Cryptozoology Museum

Good for kids in that it might get them interested about biology and zoology, but less a museum and more someone's collection of memorabilia and curiosities. A proper exhibition of a subject like Bigfoot or one of the many unexplained creatures could go a long way to elevating the experience.

There is a lot going on in this museum. If you like monsters, cryptids, mythical creatures, legends etc I would say its worth it. I am not necessarily a believer in many of these things but am very interested in them as well folklore and this place was a joy to explore. Bigfoot, mermaids, Jersey Devil, aliens, mothman, they are all here! It's two floors has statues, toys, artifacts, and recreations of stuff. It's actually pretty well-organized chaos once you get used to it, every cabinet area has a different cryptid with a card description of the creature. My wife and I actually really liked the old fashion 'cabinet of curiosities' feel of the place. I love that they allow photos (no videos) since there is so much to read a look at you might miss something. It's a really fun museum with a different flavor than most other museums.

Cute little museum! I’ve never seen anything like it, and I enjoyed being able to see the history behind myths, legends, and sightings. Heavy on Bigfoot / Sasquatch exhibits. Reasonably priced at only $10 and spent just over an hour here. Only recommendation is to have small logo stickers in the gift shop and more mermaid related exhibits!!

I took my grandson to Maine for Nana Camp and we found this gem of a museum while visiting Portland. Perfect for an 11 year old boy! They have ALL the cryptids. Amazing place!

This place was very kooky and kitsch but in a good way of course 🙂 believer or not, I think everyone can appreciate a well-put together museum! I would definitely recommend this for all ages, especially those with Internet access.

I've visited twice now with different friends from out of town. It is a very kitschy experience with just as much random stuff as things that relate to cryptozoology. Worth at least one trip, but don't expect well-curated and scientific exhibits.

It's was a solid, okay. Very dusty, you can smell the dust as soon as you walk in. The best part was the large statue our front! I'm glad we went. Although once is enough. Not worth a 2nd visit.

This is such a unique place to visit. There is so much to look at, read, and learn about. They also have a cute little gift shop at the entrance.

I'm glad I went, there was a lot there that you'd never, ever see anywhere else! That said, I think they could remove some action figures and taxidermy and use the extra space to showcase the really good stuff! I feel like I might have missed something fascinating because there were layers upon layers of artifacts crammed into glass cases. Sometimes things were piled on top of each other or mixed in with plastic action figures. There should be a 5 action figure limit showing only the very best ones, otherwise it reinforces the belief that the creature is some kind of hokey joke to profit from.

I love Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster so I had to visit to see what this was about! I think the full, self guided walk through the place took maybe an hour? It's not super big but there is a lot of little stuff to look at and read. It's kitschy, but you can definitely learn a few things if you're paying attention.

Well, everyone knows Sasquatch is imaginary. What this museum presupposes is... maybe he isn't?

I'm sad this Museum doesn't have a higher rating, because it certainly deserves it. It's a frequent destination for me to take friends or family visiting, and everyone I have taken has had a really good time. It's quirky, unique, and can provide a nice hour or two of entertainment whether you are serious about learning about cryptids, or going for sheer entertainment value. It's absolutely jam-packed full of information, and the gift shop is small but really fun. The only 'criticism' I'd have is that there's less for young children (under 6 o 7) and they might start to be bored faster, since the museum really relies on reading plaques and such.

This really was an interesting and fun way to spend a few hours. While the place is on the smaller side, there is a display or photo or poster filling up every available space of this 2 story museum. Portland resident and well regarded cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman, opened this International museum to showcase the items and artifacts he had collected over many years of studies and travels. There are things from all over the world. This is not just Bigfoot but all of the creatures from folklore and ancient and modern sightings all over the globe. While many say this visit is about an hour, if you look at and read the displays in detail, you could be lost in here for hours. There is even a display about the hoaxes that have been uncovered surrounding unknown creatures. You don't have to believe in Bigfoot or anything else to enjoy, but we found the scientific aspect and approach of cryptozoology quite fascinating. Admission was $10 a person and they do have restrooms. Small gift shop with lots of books. Parking in adjacent "pay to park" spaces. Worth a stop in.

Cheesie on various levels so unless you LOVE cheese and do not appreciate the cool factor, don't come here. My friend and I stopped in during our road trip and we loved this place. So many fun photos, collectibles, artifacts and much more. We had many WOW moments. I personally love folklore and urban legends and tend to believe that there is some truth to most of this stuff. I mean, do werewolves exist? Maybe. Is there a Mothman? Hell yeah there is and it make life WAY more fun if you believe in it. The staff was very nice.

If you are all about cheesy, epic, cool, are curious about the unknown and into all things weird- if so, I KNOW you will love this place just as much as my husband and I did! Interestingly enough, this is the only museum I believe in the world that is dedicated to the study of Cryptozoology. With that said- because it is the only one I thought it would be a little more organized and have more in depth information on certain creatures- even though it wasn't I was still completely into the whole experience. If you are worried about "wasting your money" on this place- don't, it's literally only $10.00 to get in- a bargain to just look at everything they have in here. They have both scientific facts, videos, pictures, along with collectible items, figurines and toys. I read reviews before coming here and expected to be completely underwhelmed but me and my husband had fun, the trick to this place is to come here tipsy, embrace the mess and laugh at and enjoy everything you see.

This was a unique and interesting museum to walk around and experience. I highly recommend going to it if you're interested in all things, Bigfoot, sea mosters, and other things that go bump in the night and have not been actually confirmed as real or fake. There's a lot of things to read and look at, and a cute gift shop at the end to pick up a one of a kind souvenir from. The guy at the front was pleasant and funny, so it was a nice experience.

Quirky and quaint museum. Very interesting collection. Whether you're a believer or not the $10 is worth the stroll through. A lot of toy and pop culture references. Gift shop has a lot of potential!

The price is fine; $10, parking was $2. Cute little museum, but kind of warm upstairs in the summer. I hope one day it can move to a bigger space with better merch. Cool life sized creatures to get your photo with!

It was a cold, rainy, gloomy late October 2022 day when I visited the International Cryptozoology Museum during a vacation to Maine. The International Cryptozoology Museum would like for you to believe they are some sort of scientific institution - which they are not. Instead, it's a really well executed tourist trap! I love this sort of cheesy, tourist trap stuff when it's done well. When I was a little kid growing up, I was fascinated and scared by Bigfoot legends. When I got older and came to the realization that Bigfoot does not exist - I was a bit disappointed! So I enjoyed all the silliness of the Bigfoot exhibits - as well as the other monster stuff. I believe it was $10 admission to get in. #InternationalCryptozoologyMuseum

Small museum amongst a distillery, brewery, other museums and a gem show was going on across the way. The cashier/guide was very helpful and knowledgeable of the museum and all its items. She was super friendly and manager the place well. For a little museum, it got busy and she had it running well. Lots of little artifact and write ups about the history of each crypto and where we are at today. It was fun. Read a lot and enjoyed seeing all the historical facts on different creatures.

Pretty weird spot! Kind of fun and campy throughout, sweeping claims and totally not scientific (almost obscenely so). It also smelled real bad in there too. But it was cute!

Fun little place out the outskirts of the busy downtown area. Reminds me a lot of a similar museum I grew up around back home - The Bigfoot museum in Felton. What starts as a trio through the mysteries of animals that might be out there, the stories of searches for the truth, and collection of memorabilia quickly turns into a cute outing for the afternoon. Gift shop was nice too - lots of book, stickers, shirts, and more. I made sure to pic up the map I saw along the walls there. Very happy we stopped by. Just a heads up: the website doesn't always work and the number listed on goggle and yelp don't seem to work anymore.

Had a lot of fun here exploring the myth (or not!), the (half?) man, the legend--Bigfoot! Two level space with lots of information about Bigfoot, along with a range of other debate-ably real creatures. $10 entry fee isn't terrible, and we spent more than an hour looking at everything. Definitely a one of a kind spot!

Really has a blast! Lots of fun information on a range of monsters and interesting occurrences. Also lots of great pop-culture displays featuring toys and other memorabilia, dedicated to the world of the unknown. Would highly recommend.

Love that they take their research seriously and there is clearly a ton of effort put into making this place worth visiting. Their collection is displayed in earnest and they have videos, documents and pictures of every time of unexplained phenomenon you can think of. It's a little off the beaten path but that makes for a much better experience since you have to make the effort to get there. The staff were really friendly and the space is just right for all their items. You can spend an hour there and get the just but a little more time gives you the chance to read every piece of paper in the museum and it's so fun! Def worth a go!

Lots of Bigfoot foot molds. Lots of funko things in the displays. Wish it were a bigger thing for the cost. Someone said it reminded them of a garage flea market. I get that feeling too. Everything is crammed in there. We did see the VT cryptic map illustrated by an artist we know personally though.

Lots of fun. There's a brewery next door. Museum is two floors with tons of artifacts. The foot casts were quite convincing. Feels like a labor of love.

This must be a put-on, right? I think this establishment has taken great liberties with the term "museum." I would describe this place as a scaled down Ripley's Believe It or Not...with great emphasis on the NOT. I did not see one authentic piece on display. PT Barnum would be disgusted. Stuffed toy animals are mixed in with taxidermy specimens. A Creature From The Black Lagoon mannequin that is straight out of Spencers Gifts at the mall. And the "droppings" in a glass case that resemble the fake dog poop my uncle used to trick us with. And to charge $10 to get in? I only give it 2 stars because it certainly gave us plenty to talk about over lunch. Wow! The only thing more overhyped than Bigfoot himself is the collection you advertise on your website.

Wow! What a great find in Portland! Interesting exhibits and the people that work there are knowledgeable and make it a fun experience. It's not a tour- you wander through it exploring the exhibits yourself. A great space.. super interesting and a great place to spend a few hours- especially if cryptids are your thing. Lots of exhibits on Bigfoot and others. Interesting for the whole family, but I think more geared towards teens and up. Thanks for the fun! Will be back!

It's cute but it isn't worth the entry fee. You can make it through the entire thing in less then 30 minutes. The exhibits are like a comic collector's basement. The best part of the place was the giant Bigfoot that you can take a picture in front of.

Maybe the dumbest part of this place is in their title, they claim to be "international". I tried hard to find out more about this place after visiting, but see this is the only location in the world? Yeah, real "international". Wife and I were walking toward the brewery next door when wife randomly said, hey let's check it out. I respond, saying I just want to grab a beer, but she insisted. This is a classic case of wife not always right. Objects in this "museum" include stuffed animal Yetis that you'd find at any goodwill, other cryptic "artifacts" that are no more than printed photos from Wikipedia, and a curio cabinet full of camel figures with absolutely no explanation as to why they have a dedicated cabinet for camels. I was confused and learned nothing. Also, before we started our "tour", the woman at the desk got super paranoid about us possibly stealing these "tag sale nik-naks", made the wife leave her purse in the car, then they said no photos for copyright. I guess maybe that's the point? That it's just a totally ridiculous "museum"? It got lost on me, and kind of wish I spent the $10 on the brewery next door.

Roadside Attraction. It sound so cool and was cool but incredibly small. You can see everything in about 20 minutes. they have a no photography policy ( I think to avoid spreading the word that they are $10 for a very small museum) quirky but not worth $10. close quarters for anyone with covid. can't recommend unless you love Bigfoot.

This place is a cheesy tourist trap. It is a museum per se, as it does have bones, foot castings and information that would be taken more seriously had it not been sprinkled amongst random junk. The only thing that made it worth the visit was seeing the foot casting. Also, walking through the exhibit, which are self guided, you'll find that there is not a lot of information describing each piece. If you are OCD, you'll have a terrible time. The pieces are strewn about like a poorly planned yard sale. My advice to management would be to either make it fun and tacky or make it a serious museum.

My 6 year old loves the Camp Monsters podcast, and he really enjoyed the Bigfoot Expedition in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I thought he would enjoy this museum... He did not. The museum contains representations of other cryptids, including, for some reason, a 3 foot tall Gremlin statue right around the corner from the desk where you pay. So basically my kid never made it past the t-shirts. And since they don't allow photography beyond the two large statues, you can't really prep a kid before you get there. My partner and I took turns walking through anyway, and it was as others have described. It ended up being a $25, 8-minute adventure for us. 2 Stars because I have a special place in my heart for that one Olympic mascot, Quatchi.

Uh, I really wanted to love this place. When my wife and I booked a trip to Portland, Maine this summer, I looked online for some fun, quirky things to see while there. This totally came to the top of the list. It is located in an up and coming strip mall that also houses a craft brewery, a distillery, and is within walking distance of an outdoor pavilion where live music and concerts are hosted during the summer months. It will also be right across the parking lot from Maine's Children's Museum once it is officially re-opens. So not a bad location to be in for the day. Now I think that it is possible for something like Bigfoot to exist, so I went into this with an open mind. I would say though that after coming out of this place, I feel like I am less of a believer now though when I went into it. A museum might be too formal of a word, I would call this more of a personal collection than anything else. The displays need some major rework in the layout and the presentation. artifacts that are supposed to be hard evidence are placed with stuffed animals and toys that really take away from that hard evidence. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle slippers and Bumble the Abominable Snowman from Rudolph are not artifacts that I would think of displaying in this museum. I get why they are there, to show their presence in our media and current culture, but they should be in their own display so that way the messaging is more clear on whether these animals should be seen as believable or not. And don't get me started on the fan art, there was WAY TOO MUCH fanart displayed over all of the exhibits. It wasn't even of the creatures that they are trying to showcase, it was more about the guy who owned the collection and some of his friends. Do I need to be convinced that they exist as well? I was pretty disappointed it going through this exhibit. the only piece I would say I really enjoyed would be the exhibit that showcased animals that were at one time thought to be cryptids but then have been discovered by modern science to be actually real. That was a pretty interesting display but not worth the admission fee. It's weird, it's quirky, and it's not for everyone. I think next time I will walk down the sidewalk and go to the craft brewery and enjoy a beer instead.

I thought the museum was interesting, but I was expecting a bit more. I wish the museum was more organized by sections and more information cards for a lot of the items. I will also say that if you bring a young kid, they might be a bit afraid of some of the items like tall sculptures and skulls. I, at most spent 30 minutes here and I think if their was more organization and information cards, I could easily spend a few hours. I think if you have some background knowledge about cryptozoology, this museum can be fun and definitely worth your money. Overall, it was ok, but I wouldn't come here again.

4.5 stars! Very informative if you're into mythology! Not much for a gift shop and was in told to check out "Etsy" which honestly would have been cheaper. Next door is a distillery and restaurant worth a check out! Definitely worth the $10!

Reminded me of a flea market. A lot of unrelated sci fi garage deals just set on shelves- no organization or story. The museum reminded me of a hallway in a sci fi restaurant.

This is not worth your time, even if it was free. This 'museum' is tiny, with a few Bigfoot-related exhibits and not much else. More than half of the 'exhibits' are random plastic figurines (not even cryptozoology-related) just taking up space. They should just haul everything to a dumpster and use the space for something else.

An usual visit of an unusual topic. If you believe in this stuff and Big Foot, this is a stop for you. I don't because the video of the creature is too close to a human dressed up in a suit. A lot of the items on display is unknown as to whether it is real or fake. The unfortunate thing about this museum is that all the fakes are spread out among what they claim to be real. It's a quick walk thru for $10 per person. That's a bit expensive for a dirty museum. That is true where the place is dusty and floor dirty. We stopped in because we were in the area and Looking for museums to visit. This appeared on a list and we thought it may be fun but was not all that great.

This museum is very small, but the place is jam packed with "artifacts". Very little of what you are presented with in the museum is substantiated in any way, but that's not what a cryptozoology museum is about. A rich hoarder with a mind that has a few loose connections is letting you see everything he has collected over the years. It's all ridiculous, so just go have a good laugh. About 30% of the display cases are just filled with toys and there is a three foot tall ninja turtle in one of the corners. I especially liked the shelf devoted to Santa Claus figurines. Santa being real makes as much sense as anything in there.

I really wanted to be blown away by this place but it just ended up being alright. I have to agree with other reviewers that it was more of someone's personal collection than an actual museum. I felt like I was in & out quickly without really seeing anything. It's such a cool idea that I wouldn't deter anyone else from going but just don't have such high expectations & maybe you'll enjoy your trip more than I did. At least they're near some cool spots to go to after (Bissell Bros & a distillery.)

It was interesting, but a little disappointing. Not sure it was worth $10. A lot of it was just paraphanalia, but the actual science parts were interesting.

This place is awesome. It's small, hit they have a load of stuff in here. I've been a crypto head since I was a child, and now my son is getting into Sasquatch and what not. I figured this would be a great place to take him and he loved it. They have extensive info on all the cryptids in both America and an upstairs more Sasquatch focused section that has some great castings and some interesting historical items. It's well worth the entry fee, and they're next to Bissell Brothers, so you can grab a top notch brew after. If you're in Portland, and you're into the paranormal, this is a must see.

na. use your entry fee on a beer next door and read about this stuff on the interwebz instead. Mostly just displays of poor-resolution pixelated shadows in the forest, lifted from other peoples' Flickr accounts & wiki pages. Lots of useless nonsense relating in no way to cryptozoology- kinda like when you go to a consignment antique store, and find a person's booth that has those shitty late 70's-80's collectibles, like garbage pail kids or dumpy metal batman lunchboxes, and you're like "wtf is this junky irrelevant non-antique stuff doing here?". I guess it's just kitsch. To be fair, the guy clearly cares, apparent from not only all the self-fluffing quotes & media, but also the amount of stuff jam packed into the space. But it would really benefit from a serious decluttering & consistency amongst its displays. Lots of randomly hand-written-in-crayola-marker captions, or some 7th grade poster presentation looking glue stick jobs. Lots of useless used-condition stuffed animals and such. Idk. Good luck.

I've got to say, I am so completely confused by this place. Though this is an interesting personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia, calling it a museum is laughable. Had they advertised this as a "collection", then I wouldn't necessarily take issue. About a quarter of the items honestly look like grammar school art class projects. Also, it is super tiny - it's literally only 2 floors the width of a hallway. That's it. If anyone asks me about this place, I'll tell them EXACTLY what it is. If you are truly obsessed with this sort of stuff, then you'll love it. If you're expecting an actual museum, you will be sadly disappointed. Seriously misnamed!

Ah! I want to give this place such a good rating! But....it's kind of just a collection of Loren Coleman's stuff, with some handwritten notes about the things beside them. I was so disappointed, since I'm a huge fan of cryptozoology, but it seems like it's more an exhibition of Coleman's personal collection and 'trophies' of the culture. There are a couple cases which are really neat, some totally out of left field exhibits, but all in all left me wanting more.... ....A better space likely would solve that. It's pretty literally a hole in the wall that happens to have a 2nd floor out of sheer luck. Tucked behind a restaurant and beside a brewery, they have little to no space, and the whole tour is done in under an hour. Taking away the random cases of toys, books, pop culture icons and strange exhibits like the Santa Claus shelf, there isn't much here. 1 star, a disappointing find that I wish we heeded the advice of others, but I'm not sad I experienced- it's truly a once in a lifetime visit.

Had a good time learning about these creatures. If your into Cryptozoology then this is the place! We have traveled from upstate NY to visit the area and we have heard of sighting of Big Foot up on our area no this makes you definitely wonder! Staff was super helpful and friendly!... wish there were stuffed Nessie's too.... but that's ok .... thanks for the heightened wuestions

We were so excited! But. This felt like a collection of toys and museum owner portraits on displays. Didn't learn much. Bad displays. Ehhhh. Skip it

I guess if you are interested in this kind of thing, it's interesting. But definitely not a Museum. It's just looking at a collection of Loren Coleman's stuff. It's a great collection, but not worth $10 to get in. Walked through it for about 10 minutes and left to get lunch. It would have been nice for there to be some sort of tour, or audio for it to tell you the story of each section. Not worth it in my opinion.

I love novelty, but I hate disorganization. This "museum" has a lot of both, but don't expect any scientific level of detail or thought when you come here. I'm open minded about the possibility of finding unknown creatures - new things are discovered every day! But when this collection is mostly made up of souvenir trinkets relating to cryptids or fake samples, I start to wonder why I paid $10 for this visit. Then when I see supposedly real samples that are not very well preserved, I'm definitely ready to leave early and head to a brewery tour. Go for the novelty, go to make fun of the junk. Don't go there for anything factual or compelling.

Loren Coleman's International Museum of Cryptozoology is a wonderful place. If you are into cryptids, the history of cryptozoology or have read Bernard Huevelmans' seminal work on the subject, On the Track of Unknown Animals, or some of Coleman's own work, this is a must see. First of all, there's the prospect of meeting Coleman himself. He's congenial, affable, and happy to discuss his vast wealth of knowledge of cryptids. He'll discuss his incredible encyclopedic knowledge on subjects ranging from first hand investigations of the Dover Demon, the Montauk Monster and many more to Loch Ness, Champ and even the Nittaewo or Homo Floresensis. There are numerous casts, documents, photos and exhibits to keep even those who may be skeptical interested. There are also kitschy, popular items, toys and bits of popular culture interspersed with the exhibits, and for some people reviewing this museum, this is off putting. But, this is a cryptid museum, there isn't a lot of evidence for these creatures except eye witness accounts. The toys and cultural items on display demonstrate and highlight the importance of these creatures and their impact on the collective consciousness. The bottom line is this, if you enjoy cryptozoology, you'll have a wonderful adventure. If you're moderately interested in cryptids, open minded, and like to have fun, you're likely to have a fantastic time. If you're a hopeless skeptic, or a soulless killjoy, you'll find nothing enjoyable about much of anything, so you might as well sit on your couch and criticize everything, trust me, you'll be happier that way. My only wish would be more items in the gift shop, I'd love a Montauk Monster t-shirt or a Mothman stuffed animal. I loved the Coelacanth key chain, but I'd like chupacabras, Champ and other stuff as well.

Fun for a kitschy visit - it took us less than half an hour to walk through, and the gift shop was very minimal. My teenagers found it very fun. I don't know if it is worth the price, but.. it is so unique, I'm happy to support it.

This museum is small and fun, but don't go expecting a scientific museum. Loren owns most of the collection and runs the museum, and there are videos of him talking all around the museum, which is a little unsettling. The collection is very interesting, from admitted hoaxes to cryptids in pop culture. There are several Bigfoot foot casts and the like, and my favorite part was a Bigfoot suit that patrons are encouraged to take selfies with. The Bigfoot is roped off so it's a little challenging to get a good picture, but it's still fun. There's a very small gift shop, mostly filled with books by Loren. I'm definitely glad I stopped by once and found it really fun and interesting, but I don't think I'll find a need to go back.

Great for kids and adults alike. The new location is brighter and has an upstairs. It is nicely set up and you can learn a lot. Loren, the owner and researcher is proud to help you with your research too. Bigfoot is real but it's place is more then about Bigfoot. It's about our big world with many animals and plants to discover. The truth is out there so start here and find your quest.

Disappointed. The other reviews pretty much tell the story, there's a lot of folklore, newspaper clippings, models of things that might exist, and nonsense rolled up into one disorganized space. Parts are cramped and there's no clear path so you'll bump into anyone else who happens to be there. There's a display case showing what different kinds of animal shit look like. There's another one full of models of various animals with a plastic Stegosaurus in the mix for no apparent reason. It costs $10 each to see the place and if you go slow, you might be in there for as long as 20 minutes. Unless you're really into it, you're probably better off spending your money at the brewery next door.

My girlfriend and I aren't big enthusiasts in this sort or stuff. We just wanted to experience something different and this peaked our interest. It was alright. There isn't a lot there to see, but in reality there sort of is. This is because a lot of the objects inside it are one of a kind or were part of a rare event of some sort. It's $10 per person and looking through it will take around a half hour of your time. It doesn't hurt to go if you're in the area and like abnormal stuff. It shares a unit with a restaurant and there is a distillery right next door.