The Boston area is home to many big and important museums. But why bother with those when there are small and unusual museums you can see instead! Water, fire, technology, medicine, art -- we've got it all here, housed in some very interesting spaces. They're all free, so plan a visit today and learn a little something unexpected.

Waterworks Museum

The Waterworks Museum is the place to go to learn all about, well, water in the Boston region. You'll come away knowing why clean water is important for a growing city (as Boston was in the late 1800s when this pumping station was built) and how water impacts public health. If all that sounds serious, don't fret. Just let it all flow over you as you learn about the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, the architecture of the pumping station, and the pumps and machinery that made the system work.

Wednesday, 11am - 9pm; Thursday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm
2450 Beacon St.; 617-277-0065

Boston Fire Museum

If you are burning with desire to learn about Boston firefighting history, the Boston Fire Museum is the place for you. It's a tiny museum in the Seaport district, easily missed because it is only open on Saturdays. Come on by to see historic fire apparatus, fire fighting equipment like salt sleds and thawing devices, and examples of some early alarms. The building itself is a slice of Boston history; it started life in 1891 as a firehouse and is now a historic landmark.

Saturday, 11am - 6pm. Group tours by appointment
344 Congress St.; 617-338-9700

The Plumbing Museum

How much do you really know about plumbing? It's something we use every single day, but most of us have no idea what's going on in the pipes behind our walls. Well, if you care to know, swing by the Plumbing Museum to discover everything you never knew about plumbing systems and technologies, and the history of plumbing. You will walk out the door flush with knowledge.

Monday - Thursday, by appointment
80 Rosedale Road, Watertown; 617-926-2111

Warren Anatomical Museum

Part of Harvard Medical School's Center for the History of Medicine, the Warren Anatomical Museum contains all sorts of artifacts that may make you a little uneasy (or queasy) if you aren't used to this kind of stuff. There are neat historical medical and anatomical items on display, like the skull and life cast of Phineas Gage and the tamping iron that famously blew straight through his head. This body of artifacts will leave you breathless.

Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm
Level L2, Countway Library of Medicine, 10 Shattuck St.; 617-432-6196

Museum of Bad Art

The folks in charge of the Museum of Bad Art have found the best places to display bad art -- mostly in basements, next to bathrooms and with hideous lighting. It's the perfect way to experience, nay, celebrate these artists' creative missteps. This stuff is so bad, it just might make your telephone scribbles look like Da Vinci's early works. The collection has swelled to more than 600 pieces, with exhibit space in three locations. It's always free to see, but only rarely will you find MOBA staff on site.

Dedham Community Theater: Sunday - Thursday, 2pm - 9pm; Friday, Saturday, Holidays, 1pm - 10pm; 580 High St., Dedham
Somerville Theater: Open when films are showing; 55 Davis Square, Somerville MA 02144
Brookline Access Television: Monday - Thursday, 10am - 10pm; Friday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm; 46 Tappan St., Top Floor, Brookline; 781-444-6757

Photo Courtesy of frankh, flickr

Do you feel there are other weird museums in Boston we need to know about? Let us know about them in the comments!