The tiny Bywater Museum of Unnatural History may be 'the embodiment of dreams and storytelling'

For lovers of off-the-beaten-path art experiences, The Bywater Museum of Unnatural History is catnip.

Located in the parlor of a 19th-century cottage on Mandeville Street, the mini museum is absolutely chockablock with weird dioramas, surreal shadow boxes, dada junk sculpture and orphan antique toys. It's a sanctuary, where plastic dentures, bleached bird bones, tiny plastic Barbie shoes and innumerable other odds and ends have all somehow found homes.

To visit the place is an intimate, unpretentious experience with a funky, folksy tone, perfectly befitting downtown New Orleans. Flying far below the radar, the attraction is an ideal destination for art excursions by savvy tourists and locals alike.

Some of the artworks in the museum are brilliant. Check out the swamped Sewerage & Wate