Umbrella Cover Museum, Museum of umbrella covers on Peaks Island, Maine, United States.
The Umbrella Cover Museum is a small single-room museum on Peaks Island, Maine, dedicated entirely to the fabric or plastic sleeves that keep umbrellas closed. The collection holds covers sourced from dozens of countries, each one labeled and displayed on the walls and in cases throughout the space.
Nancy 3. Hoffman started the collection in 1996 after she noticed she kept saving the covers that came with her umbrellas instead of throwing them away. In 2012, Guinness World Records officially recognized it as the largest collection of its kind in the world.
The curator, Nancy 3. Hoffman, personally leads every tour and treats each umbrella cover as a small story worth telling. The donor notes attached to many covers give the collection a personal, human quality that sets it apart from a typical display.
Reaching the museum requires taking a ferry from Portland, so it helps to check the boat schedule before planning your day. The space itself is very small, so a visit during a weekday or outside the busiest summer weeks tends to be more comfortable.
The founder's legal name is actually Nancy 3. Hoffman, with the number 3 officially part of her name on record. This small detail fits neatly with the spirit of a place that turns something overlooked into the main subject.
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