Mecca of Mustard Near Madison

Wisconsin is known for cheese, beer, and cranberries. But did you know we also have a pretty impressive reputation when it comes to mustard?

Middleton, Wisconwin is home to the National Mustard Museum, with the world’s largest collection of mustard and mustard paraphernalia. It is home to over 6,500 varieties of mustard, coming from every state in the union and more than 70 countries.

The National Mustard Museum’s origin story is, well, unusual. It all began in October of 1986 after Barry Levenson’s favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, lost the final game of the World Series to the New York Mets. A despondent Levenson found himself at an all-night grocery store and, in his fragile condition, ended up buying a dozen jars of mustard and planning to create a condiment collection the likes of which the world had never seen.

By 1991, Levenson stopped practicing law and devoted himself to curating his collection full-time. The National Mustard Museum opened to the public the following year. And as the jars piled up, they moved a couple of times before settling in their current location on Hubbard Avenue in downtown Middleton.

In addition to the displays and accouterments, the National Mustard Museum also puts on an annual mustard competition, attracting entries from around the globe, and hosts a street festival every August on National Mustard Day.

The National Mustard Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information and to plan your visit, go to mustardmuseum.org. It doesn’t mention whether they’ll hook you up if you bring your own brat or pastrami sandwich, but there’s gotta be a few extra packets of mustard lying around there somewhere.