Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum – Logan, Ohio - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum

Logan, Ohio

It took more than 20 years and a sharp eye for one man to assemble this quirky collection. 

View all photos
Some of the collection alisoni (Atlas Obscura User)
Some of the collection alisoni (Atlas Obscura User)
The whole museum is inside the shed Afjsdoiuqnnn (Atlas Obscura User)
Some of the brass collection alisoni (Atlas Obscura User)
The man himself, and a citation from the Ohio State Senate alisoni (Atlas Obscura User)
A guidebook for the uninitiated pencil sharpener Afjsdoiuqnnn (Atlas Obscura User)
Star Wars pencil sharpeners jsetear (Atlas Obscura User)
Panorama converting the rectangular interior of the collection into a linear version. This collection includes sharpeners both from the titular collector and a follow on contributor. jsetear (Atlas Obscura User)
255
588
Top Places in Ohio
Turtle Island
Jerusalem Township, Ohio
Zanesville Y-Bridge
Zanesville, Ohio
South River Vineyard
Geneva, Ohio
 See All

Collecting pencil sharpeners and assembling them into a museum dedicated to pencil sharpeners is a kind of eccentric thing to do. Step inside the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum in Logan, Ohio and it somehow seems perfectly admirable.

The Pencil Sharpener Museum is the result of over 20 years of collecting by Ohio local, Rev. Paul A. Johnson. His wife gave him a couple of car-shaped sharpeners in the late 1980s, and his zeal for collecting was born. The sharpeners lived in a pre-fab shed in Johnson’s backyard, growing over time to over 3400 at the time he passed away in 2010. His family was holding onto them when salvation for the whole collection – and the shed – came calling in 2011. It was the Hocking Hills Welcome Center, happy to take on the job of collection custodian, and everything was moved over to their site in South Logan.  

Just like any museum, the collection has been meticulously cataloged and preserved in protective cases. There are sharpening cars, toys, Garfields, Mickeys, Tweetybirds, tractors, airplanes, trains, U.S. presidents, panda bears. There are old ones and new ones, and some shelf-mounted classics you generally only see at the library. Try to be sharp on your puns though—the staff has heard them all.

Know Before You Go

Logan, Ohio is about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. The Pencil Sharpener Museum is out back at The Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center in just off Hwy 33 on the way to Lake Logan. They are open every day from 9am to 5pm, Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

collections museums and collections museums
Nearby
The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park
9.26 miles
Nelsonville Brick Park
11.77 miles
Hope Iron Furnace
15.17 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Ash Cave.
Logan, Ohio

The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park

Rare recess caves fill this unbelievably beautiful Ohio park.
Inside one of the intact kilns.
Nelsonville, Ohio

Nelsonville Brick Park

This park pays homage to the region's rich industrial history of brick making.
Hope Furnace
New Plymouth, Ohio

Hope Iron Furnace

The remains of a massive blast furnace in what was once one of the country's largest iron-producing regions.
Moonville Tunnel
McArthur, Ohio

Moonville Tunnel

The only remnant of a small mining town is an abandoned railroad tunnel that is steeped in ghostly lore.
Related Places
Manchester, England

RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

Over 300 historical instruments from around the world can be found in the Royal Northern College of Music's basement.
Boulder City, Nevada

Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum

A professional special effects makeup artist’s collection of horror creatures and one-of-a-kind recreations on display in downtown Boulder City.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Wheels of Yesteryear

From the 1940 Ford Coupe that started it all 50 years ago, this collection of over 150 classic vehicles celebrates the spirit and history of American car craft.
Every tour begins in the basement, featuring a bar decorated in Russian vodka labels.
Staten Island, New York

Booze History Museum

Crammed into several rooms of a Staten Island home, this museum is a vodka-soaked paean to the pleasures of drinking.
Appears in 1 List
The Giesskannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum).
List

The Ultimate List of Wonderfully Specific Museums

Delightfully singular collections, from umbrella covers to pencil sharpeners.
Molly McBride Jacobson May 22, 2017
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web