The Museum of Broken Relationships

It’s not uncommon for us to hold on to mementos of our failed relationships. We use them as a way to preserve the memory of our love, but we typically don’t put them out on display. The Museum of Broken Relationships does the opposite. Instead, the curators invite couples that have broken up to donate tokens of their time together to show to the world.

The Museum of Broken Relationships has two permanent outposts in Los Angeles and Zagreb, Croatia, where the movement began. Rather than showcase priceless works of art, the curators gathered together seemingly innocuous items, from shoes to teacups to necklaces, which help immortalize relationships gone bad. But the true draw at the museum is not the items themselves, but the stories behind them. Each item is placed on display with a small notecard detailing the relationship and it’s importance to the couple. Visitors are encouraged to stop and immerse themselves in each story. The tale of love and heartbreak is something we can all relate to, and the success of the museums has proven these tales are a huge draw. In fact, the curators created temporary installations in more than 50 cities thanks to its popularity.

While you won’t find incredible works of art at The Museum of Broken Relationships, you will find a lot of heart and sorrow. The wonderful thing about each museum is they also highlight the local culture around relationships, and how the residents value each other and everyday items in their lives. It’s certainly worth a visit, if nothing else just to make you feel a little less lonely in the world.