Before being told about the International Museum of Cryptozoology, I hadn’t even heard of the term ‘cryptozoology.’ So, for those like me, who don’t happen to be privy to this word’s meaning, I’ll give you a quick run down. Cryptozoology is the subject of many a television series—"The X-Files", "Supernatural", "Finding Bigfoot", and many, many more. However, these shows generally trade the study aspect of the field for a more hunting-orientated look on the whole thing. But outside of TV’s perspective on the subject, cryptozoology is mainly focused on the study of creatures (referred to by cryptozoologists as ‘cryptids’) whose existence is unconfirmed. We’re talking Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, the Loch Ness Monster—even mermaids.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, if you’re as intrigued as I—a lifelong fan of the uncanny myself—was from the second I heard about it, there just so happens to be a museum you can visit, entirely dedicated to the subject. It’s called the International Museum of Cryptozoology, and it’s in Portland, Maine. I went last week, and boy was it well worth it. It’s admittedly fairly modest in size at this point—you’ve got to give them a break as they’ve just moved locations—but it still remains the largest collection of cryptid information and near-substantiation I’ve ever seen.

The walls are lined with photographs, paintings, and newspaper clippings. There are glass-front cabinets—full of pressed hair samples (I kid you not, there’s a Yeti hair sample on display), bones, and footprint castings (three guesses as to which cryptid these footprints supposedly belong to)—facing each other in rows on either side of the long galleries. Everywhere you turn, there’s another cryptid to discover. Think you know them all? You have no idea. You’ve heard of the classics. You’ve probably even heard of the slightly less classic, but still relatively well-known cryptids like the Chupacabra, or the Jersey Devil. But this museum holds far more than that.

There are little-known stories from days in history we seldom recount, being told on these walls. You’ll read old witness accounts...and maybe you’ll scoff. Or maybe, you’ll be sent home with another misgiving about the things going bump in the night. However, it’s not all left to the uncanny and unexplained at this museum either. There are facts being applied to these myths as well. We can’t exactly ignore the fact that no matter how determinate a proclaimed mermaid corpse may seem, a monkey and a fish attached at the middle, is still a work of counterfeit. After all, these creatures are considered cryptids for a reason. Even the most superstitious will learn that even the best hoaxes, eventually face the fate of being debunked. But even the most skeptical may soon feel a growing suspicion against the world as you once saw it. Not every bit of evidence at this museum is entirely debunked. Therefore, we can’t assume everything at this museum remains within the realm of hoax. Of course, these bits of primarily circumstantial evidence here and there aren’t enough to prove any of these cryptids actually exist—otherwise they would no longer be classified as cryptids—but they do serve to make you wonder. So check it out, learn a little, wonder a lot.