You Put That Pencil Where?! Exploring Ohio’s Quirky Pencil Sharpener Museum

If you’re looking for something quirky to do, Hocking Hills, Ohio, is definitely a good spot. Along with being home to the country’s only washboard factory and certified ghost hunting, visitors can browse 3,500 pencil sharpeners at the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum. Mr. Johnson began collecting pencil sharpeners since 1988. What started as two metal cars given to him as a gift has grown to be the largest pencil sharpener collection in the country. After his death in 2010, Mr. Johnson’s wife Charlotte agreed to move the pencil sharpeners to the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center so others could enjoy the unusual yet impressive pencil sharpener collection, too. At first glance, many don’t appear to even have a hole for the pencil, which can be an awkward thought when looking at the animal ones (I’m guessing the tiny ducks find it awkward, too). The colorful sharpeners are arranged in organized fashion by categories, which include Animals, Body, Cats, Christmas, Disneyland, Dogs, Easter, Food, Games, Globes/World, Halloween, Hearts, History, Horses, Miscellaneous, Religion, Space, Spain, Special and Zodiac. Anyone is welcome to donate a sharpener, although it must be different from the ones already in the collection. For a visual idea, check out the photos below, which don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the myriad sharpeners in the museum . What’s the quirkiest museum you’ve ever been to?