Torture museums in various countries were highly entertaining for my sons. They were a fun break from all of the intellectual, cultural and religious sightseeing we did. Where a kid gets to be a kid!—and some adults, too. Because there’s usually an admission fee, we let the kids enjoy these torture museums on their own while we sat at a cafe or a tavern for a break.

These museums combine fact with gore—perfect for boys! Optical illusion museums are also great fun for the kids. My husband does not love any kind of activity that gives him motion sickness though, so he usually had to skip the exhibits that had optical illusions. If you don’t get a chance to find a torture museum, you will probably encounter similar visuals in the dungeons of castles or on a Ghosts and Ghouls tour, anyway! I specifically remember some small torture museums in the walled cities in Italy and an optical illusion museum along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. My son  remembered the name immediately— Camera Obscura!