Qualla: The International Banana Museum

The International Banana Museum: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. In Mecca, California, on the shores of the Salton Sea, a yellow building houses the world's largest collection devoted to a single fruit. The International Banana Museum contains over 25,000 banana-related items: banana-shaped telephones, banana costumes, banana artwork, banana toys, banana clocks, banana cookie jars, and the original banana from the Velvet Underground's 1967 album cover (allegedly). The museum was founded by Ken Bannister (known as 'Top Banana'), who began collecting in 1972 after receiving a roll of Chiquita stickers. In 2010, the collection was sold and moved from Southern California to the desert, where it now occupies a bright yellow building that's impossible to miss. Visitors can buy banana splits, banana-flavored candy, and, of course, banana souvenirs. It's absurd, it's sincere, and it's one of America's most gloriously single-minded roadside attractions. 'Any monkey can collect things,' read the museum's motto. 'It takes a man to collect banana things.'

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

The International Banana Museum: The Collector

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bureau of Land Management, Public domain. Ken Bannister founded the International Banana Club in 1972 after receiving a roll of Chiquita banana stickers. He started giving them out to make people smile, and soon banana-themed items began arriving in his mail. By 1976, he had enough to open a museum in Altadena, Californi...

Image: Bureau of Land Management | Public domain

The International Banana Museum: The Collection

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bureau of Land Management, Public domain. The museum contains over 25,000 items, though not all are on display. Highlights include: a petrified banana claimed to be 15,000 years old; the original Andy Warhol banana sticker from the Velvet Underground album (authenticity disputed); a banana-shaped car; banana-shaped telep...

Image: Bureau of Land Management | Public domain

The International Banana Museum: The Experience

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bureau of Land Management, Public domain. Visiting the International Banana Museum is overwhelming. The small building is packed floor-to-ceiling with banana items, yellow on yellow, an assault of a single color and shape. A snack bar serves banana splits, banana milk shakes, and banana-flavored candies. The gift shop se...

Image: Bureau of Land Management | Public domain

The International Banana Museum: The Location

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bureau of Land Management California, Public domain. The museum moved to North Shore, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, in 2019. The location is odd - the Salton Sea is an ecological disaster area, its shores littered with dead fish and abandoned resorts. But the area has attracted artists and eccentrics priced out of more co...

Image: Bureau of Land Management California | Public domain

The International Banana Museum: Visiting the International Banana Museum

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bureau of Land Management, Public domain. The International Banana Museum is located at 98775 Highway 111 in North Shore, California, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. Hours vary; check before visiting or call ahead. Admission is charged (or free with purchase). The snack bar serves banana-themed food and drinks. T...

Image: Bureau of Land Management | Public domain