The New York Times has an interesting profile of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, which is unusual in its lack of clear mission but fascinating in the range of its holdings. It contains historic structures (a relocated lighthouse, a round barn, a steamboat); curiosities such as a 3,500-piece miniature circus; folk and early American art (dolls, quilts, everyday objects, etc.); and even a fine collection of Impressionist paintings.
The founder, Electra Havemeyer Webb, who died in 1960, said that she and her parents simply had a strong interest in collecting, and didn’t question why. She rebelled against her parents’ tastes by focusing on the less mainstream. When she created the museum to display her collections she acquired a variety of buildings (some of which were in danger of demolition) to house them – hence the lighthouse, barn, jail, etc.
Visit the Shelburne Museum website here. In addition to its fascinating permanent collections, they also have temporary exhibitions, such as the current In Fashion exhibit which partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology.