Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Street art in Cartagena.
Colombia • 10 days, 9 nights
Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
16 minutes ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
2 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
3 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Joshua Tree World Famous Crochet Museum
AO Edited

World Famous Crochet Museum

An old California photo stand has been turned into a shrine to the cozy art of crochet.

Joshua Tree, California

Added By
Kevan Toombs
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The World Famous Crochet Museum.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The World Famous Crochet Museum.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
Some of the collection up close.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
Shari Elf, Queen of Crochet.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
Some advice and musings from Shari Elf.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The entire collection on display.   lasvegashoosier / Atlas Obscura User
  Circus MamaV / Atlas Obscura User
It’s a real museum and only asks for a 25cent donation-if you can find the can!   Circus MamaV / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  joeypesto / Atlas Obscura User
It all started with poodle soap bottle covers   Avoiding Regret
Welcome sign   Avoiding Regret
A crocheted version of the museum itself   Avoiding Regret
September 2022   RobNZ / Atlas Obscura User
August 2020 via instagram.com/factory_girl   hoursvary / Atlas Obscura User
  chasepopt / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  MtnLady / Atlas Obscura User
  MtnLady / Atlas Obscura User
  robnasby / Atlas Obscura User
  scott 78cd95f6 / Atlas Obscura User
August 2020 via instagram.com/factory_girl   hoursvary / Atlas Obscura User
🤌🏼   xkettnerdx / Atlas Obscura User
  metexanvt / Atlas Obscura User
Crochet Museum   deannatrusty / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The incredibly appropriately named Shari Elf was not even thinking of her crochet obsession when she purchased the disused photo-processing booth in Joshua Tree, California, that now houses the self-titled World Famous Crochet Museum. 

Elf had been collecting crochet items since the early 1990s, years before she decided to purchase the roadside hut that now houses her collection. After just happening on the stand, she purchased it without a real idea of what she would do with it. She later moved it to its current Joshua Tree home and covered it in a layer of lime-green paint. Her collection of crocheted items had been placed in storage, but she carted it out and arranged it along the new shelves she built inside.

Among the eclectic collection you'll find just about every conceivable type of item, represented in crochet form. There are animals like poodles, bears, and unicorns. There are also more abstract designs, like smiley faces and lumpy little creations that are less identifiable.

The upbeat collection celebrates the eclectic tastes of its owner as much as it does the art of crochet. With few other contenders to for the title, this little roadside oddity may just be as famous as its sign claims.   

Related Tags

Roadside Attractions Collections Art

Know Before You Go

The museum is free and open 24/7. It's located toward the back of a vacant lot, near the Joshua Tree Saloon. From the entrance gate, keep heading to the back of the lot. There is free parking as well.

Community Contributors

Added By

lasvegashoosier

Edited By

pragmatica, ScottFromWyoming, erjeffery, Avoiding Regret...

  • pragmatica
  • ScottFromWyoming
  • erjeffery
  • Avoiding Regret
  • metexanvt
  • matthewtaub
  • RobNZ
  • ccesare
  • chasepopt
  • hoursvary
  • Circus MamaV
  • robnasby
  • scott 78cd95f6
  • MtnLady
  • xkettnerdx
  • causeiwander
  • joeypesto
  • deannatrusty

Published

October 13, 2020

Updated

January 10, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2014/06/19/world-famous-crochet-museum-unique-attractions/11027085/
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/43121
World Famous Crochet Museum
61855 Twentynine Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, California, 92252
United States
34.134911, -116.313784
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

The Station Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

'Krblin Jihn Kabin'

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

California

Places 7
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

The Station Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

'Krblin Jihn Kabin'

Joshua Tree, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

California

Places 7
Stories 7

Related Stories and Lists

15 Amazing Places Every Yarn Lover, Knitter, and Crocheter Should Visit

List

By Roxanne Hoorn

Patricia Arquette Has a Thing for the Weird Art of California's High Desert

desert art

By Matthew Taub

World Famous Crochet Museum

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • Framingham, Massachusetts

    Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller Collection

    The largest collection of works by a pioneering Black woman sculptor is on display at this Massachusetts art museum.

  • Mijas Miniatures Museum

    Mijas, Spain

    Mijas Miniatures Museum

    A man's curious and seriously small handmade objects from around the world.

  • Back of the giant quarter

    Everett, Pennsylvania

    Giant Quarter

    A 20-foot-tall quarter commemorates George Washington’s ties to Bedford County.

  • The Pointer

    Corona, New Mexico

    'Cowboy Ruckus'

    Catch two 18-foot-tall ranchers mid-brawl as you drive by on Highway 285.

  • Fox Cave

    Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico

    Fox Cave

    This 1950s-era nostalgic roadside New Mexico attraction consists of a quirky curio store and museum embedded into the face of a cave.

  • Mullan, Idaho

    Elmer's Fountain

    A miner's handmade folk art fountains are tucked in the woods off a multilane highway. 

  • Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

    Golden, Colorado

    Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

    The warmth and creative kitsch of a quilt engulf every patron who visits.

  • ReGEN Haus

    Fillmore, California

    ReGEN Haus

    An entertaining journey through the odd and strange awaits visitors to this shop.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.