The work of a single Maine musician, the Umbrella Cover Museum is a small but whimsical collection that revels in the things that most people take for granted, such as the humble umbrella cover. 

The little museum was born in 1996 when oddly named Maine resident Nancy 3. Hoffman found between 5-7 umbrella covers simply laying in her closet with nothing to cover. Inspired by the empty leftovers, Hoffman accumulated more of the sheaths from friends and family, and opened her collection of around 80 covers with an official ribbon cutting.

Since its inception, the charming museum has continued to grow, collecting umbrella covers from over 44 countries around the world. In total, the museum now houses over 700 umbrella covers of all shapes and sizes ranging from doll accessories to patio furniture sized covers. Hoffman’s strange accomplishment has even been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest umbrella cover collection in the world.

Tours of the Umbrella Cover Museum are conducted by Hoffman herself who accompanies the walkthrough with a live, accordion rendition of Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella.