Kathy's Freak Farm

Just a couple of blocks south of the Balboa Theatre at the intersection of 5th and Market Street, Kathy's Freak Farm (and its sister establishment upstairs, The Museum of Death) turned heads and offered an unusual look at nature to its visitors before it closed its doors in 1999.

The museum was housed in a historic building rumored to be haunted by an employee of the city's first coffin maker who killed himself in the building. The museum was featured in a book entitled Gullible's Travels, which chronicles the author's exploration of the nation's tourist traps. Reviewers question whether the exhibits were real or contrived.

The museum housed exhibits including two-headed turtles, a four-legged turkey, an eight-legged pig, a three-eyed lizard, and other abnormal specimens. The museum also included an Albino Swamp with three albino snakes, an albino turtle, and an albino frog (that eats mice).

Just a short 15-minute drive from San Diego International Airport, Kathy's Freak Farm is also convenient to other tourist sites, such as the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park, Gaslamp Quarter Association, Maritime Museum, USS Midway Museum, Mission San Diego de Alcala, SeaWorld, and Old Town State Historic Park.