You absolutely have to pull off I-90 and check out the SPAM® Museum in downtown Austin, Minnesota. It is entirely free to enter, completely unpretentious, and easily one of the most entertaining, quirky road-trip stops in the Midwest.
The moment you walk into the 14,000-square-foot building, you are greeted by enthusiastic guides known as SPAMbassadors. They walk around carrying little pretzel sticks loaded with “SPAMples,” letting you taste everything from classic varieties to unique flavors like maple, tocino, or hot & spicy.
The entire place is fully interactive.
One of the best parts is the assembly-line simulator. You can test your skills against a ticking timer to see how fast you can mock-can, cover, and label your own tin of meat to match the actual factory speeds. Look up and you’ll see a massive, 390-foot-long conveyor belt constantly moving hundreds of cans through the air.
Beyond the cheesy commercials and fun trivia kiosks, the history is actually fascinating. You’ll learn how local meatpacker Hormel introduced SPAM in 1937, and how it became a massive global phenomenon after shipping over 100 million pounds abroad to feed Allied troops during World War II. There is even a dedicated British pub section celebrating the famous Monty Python “Spam” sketch.
Before you leave, you can see how many cans tall you are for a quick photo op, and hit up the massive gift shop to stock up on brand merchandise or grab a few rare, international flavors you can’t find at your local grocery store. Whether you love it or have never tried it, you’ll walk out completely charmed.