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National Mustard Museum
Where’s Middleton? It’s at the west end of Madison. From Mount Horeb, take State Road 78 North. Turn right onto County Road S. Go straight through Pine Bluff (County Road P). At US Highway 14, turn right. When you get to Middleton, turn right onto Parmenter Street. Go three blocks to Hubbard Avenue and there they are - mustard heaven.
Millions have seen it on national TV (Oprah Winfrey, Food Network, Travel Channel) and in the print media (People, USA Today, Smithsonian). What’s all the fuss about? Mustard!
Yes, there is a museum dedicated to mustard. Mount Horeb was the original site of this quirky museum, home of the world’s largest collection of mustards and mustard memorabilia. It’s now in nearby Middleton, where the locals eat gobs of the yellow stuff and stay clear of k*&%p (the red stuff).
Barry Levenson is the founder and curator of this most unusual tribute to the golden condiment. He is a former state assistant attorney general who began collecting mustards in 1986, only hours after his beloved Boston Red Sox lost the World Series. Barry was depressed and couldn’t sleep. He went to an all-night supermarket and wandered the aisles. As he passed the mustards, he heard the voice: “If you collect us, they will come.” He did and they have.
Barry’s passion for mustard became more than a hobby. His humble collection grew. Wherever he traveled, he found new and different mustards. He even found one on the way to an argument before the United State Supreme Court; that historic jar is on display at the museum. In 1992, his mustard obsession was so overwhelming that Barry quit his job as a lawyer to open the “Mount Horeb Museum” on Main Street in Mount Horeb. The museum moved to downtown Middleton in 2009 and became the “National Mustard Museum.”
The museum features more than 5,000 mustards from A to Z – from Algeria to Zimbabwe. A “Mustard & Medicine” exhibit shows how mustard has been used to cure all sorts of ailments over the centuries. The mustard pot and mustard tin exhibits are world renowned.
The shows at the MustardPiece Theater are both entertaining and educational. You can also test your knowledge of mustard and other food by playing the interactive quiz game, “Food Whiz.” But for most visitors, the highlight of any trip to the National Mustard Museum is the tasting bar, where you can taste hundreds of exquisite mustards for sale in the gift shop. The choices are jaw-dropping and mouth-watering, from the classic Dijons of France to the most exotic mustards in the world. For starters, try the popular cranberry mustard or the versatile dill-garlic blend. Then sample an elegant black truffle mustard or a funky merlot chocolate mustard concoction. The museum’s signature line of mustards – Slimm & Nunne – are the most popular. For those who think they can take it, the Hit & Run Excruciatingly Painful Horseradish Mustard is a delicious challenge.
The museum is also home to America’s whimsical mustard college – POUPON U. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing the POUPON U Fight Songs. (Lots of great POUPON U souvenirs).
Lest you think there’s only mustard for sale in the gift shop, check out the dazzling array of gourmet oils, vinegars, preserves, dessert sauces, chutneys and salsas. Of course, they will ship your selections. Mustards make great gifts, especially at the holidays. Be sure to pick up or request a catalog. You can even buy signed copies of Barry’s critically acclaimed children’s book, Mustard on a Pickle.
The National Mustard Museum sponsors National Mustard Day, the first Saturday in August. It’s one of the nation’s most entertaining family-friendly food festivals. Definitely worth a special trip.
The National Mustard Museum is located in downtown Middleton, not far from the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They’ll roll out the yellow carpet for you.
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