Some may be disturbed, others may be grossed out and a few might find it fascinating, but most visitors to this new museum in Los Angles will have a hard time forgetting all of the unbelievably cruel — and some downright evil — devices they’ll encounter as they walk through these rather macabre scenes.
“The Medieval Torture Museum is meant to feed off the emotions of people so they get a feeling and a hands-on experience on a real dark side of history,” said Robert Sanchez, director of operations for museum, which is located in the middle of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and officially opened in November.
“You will see a lot of torture devices, a lot of torture tools and a lot of interactive experiences,” he explained. “We want people to walk out of here (knowing) what those dark times were like.”
The approximately 6,000-square foot multi-level museum is squeezed in between the Museum of Illusions and the famed Hollywood Wax Museum. It houses hundreds of Medieval-era torture contraptions and tools of the trade, like spiked metal clubs, spiked neck and ankle bracelets, curved swords used for disemboweling people and whips made out of sharp chains.
Some of the larger devices are displayed on their own, while others are shown in action, using wax figures instead of actual humans in scenes that graphically recreate the painful torture some endured. Smaller items, like knives, saws, metal neck braces, hammers and swords, were acquired at auctions and some are believed to have been used on victims at one point in history. Many of the bigger devices, like a metal bull with a hollow interior that was used as an oven to roast people alive, are just realistic recreations.
Other contraptions on display include metal chairs with spikes meant to get people to confess to alleged crimes, as well as a guillotine and a “Spanish Horse,” which looks like a rocking horse, except victims would sit on metal spikes during a very painful ride.
Nothing in the museum is behind glass and everything is displayed in a series of low-lit rooms that resemble a torture chamber that would be found in a Medieval castle. Ambient music and occasional screams broadcast throughout the rooms add to the dark experience.
“There was a team of about 80 different people — makeup artists, craftsmen, creators, designers, just a whole team — who put this together so it’s really detailed,” Sanchez said.
Most of the items in the museum are too graphic to describe. But surprisingly, torture didn’t always end in death and some of the items on display were used as temporary punishment for smaller offences.
Here are a few petty crimes that could get you sentenced to “lighter” forms of torture, which are also explored at the museum.
Late fees and debts
Forget ankle monitors, back in the day it could be a real pain in the neck for those who cheated during a game, didn’t pay debts on time, or even gambled excessively. Those people were made to wear a rope necklace that was weighed down by heavy stones or wood blocks and they were forced to walk around in public like that.
“It would be to humiliate the person,” Sanchez said as he stood next to a display of these heavy necklaces modeled by a wax figure. “You’re going everywhere and you’re labeled a gambler, as someone who didn’t pay and nobody wanted to deal with you.”
The town drunk
If you drank too much in Russia back in the 16th century, you would get a medal. But don’t start reminiscing about the good old days when drunks were appreciated, because this medal for downing vodka isn’t something that had drinkers taking shots to see who would win. According to the museum display, in 1714 Tsar Peter the Great wanted to fight alcoholism, so anyone who pounded back a few too many at local taverns was forced to wear a large medal — that weighed nearly 20 pounds — for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
“All the bartenders and tavern owners knew not to serve anyone wearing one of these,” Sanchez said as he picked up a heavy rusted medal shaped like a star and attached to a metal chain.
Playing a wrong note
Back in the Middle Ages, a bad performance could mean a few crushed fingers and maybe an end to a fledgling musical career. On display inside the museum is the Flute of Shame, a Medieval device that was used to punish musicians for bad performances. It sort of resembles a flute made of two metal rods and held together by screws. The screws were loosened to allow the poor, untalented musicians to place their fingers between the rods. The screws were then tightened to squeeze the fingers so that they would presumably never play another bad note again.
“If you were performing in front of a noble or a powerful person and you messed up, you got messed up,” Sanchez added.
Mask of shame
Hanging on metal chains from wood beams are several metal masks that look pretty hilarious. A few have elongated noses, others have big ears and all include neck clamps that would be tighten around the victim so they could not be removed. These masks were invented in England in the 16th Century and were used for about 200 years to punish anyone for offenses like gossiping, eavesdropping, gluttony and just general debauchery. Rather than kill the person, the intent was to humiliate them everywhere they went.
Talk it out
The museum has several pillories, which are devices made of a wood or metal framework, with holes for placing ones head and hands. Offenders would be locked up in these for several reasons and then sent out in public to ride out the punishment. The museum also has the Double Violin, which is a pillory made for two. Sanchez explained that this was used to settle arguments, mostly between women who were forced to sit next to each other for hours until they settled things.
“Imagine if you had a Twitter fight with someone and had to get in one of these,” he said with a laugh. “It would be over quickly.”
Medieval Torture Museum
When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays
Where: 6757 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
Tickets: $29.99 at medievaltorturemuseum.com
