Wisconsin’s quirkiest museum was born from a Red Sox fan’s tears

Barry Levenson’s Mustard Museum Born from Baseball Heartbreak

The Boston Red Sox blew the 1986 World Series when Bill Buckner missed a ground ball. That night, Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Barry Levenson cried in a grocery store at 2:30 AM.

As he stood by the mustard shelf, he heard a voice: “If you collect us, they will come. ” He bought twelve jars on the spot.

Soon after, Levenson even kept a mustard jar in his pocket while winning a case before the Supreme Court. By 1992, he quit law to open a mustard museum that grew from those first jars to over 7,000 from 70 countries.

The National Mustard Museum in Middleton now tells this odd tale of baseball heartbreak turned condiment obsession.

Baseball Heartbreak Launched a Mustard Empire

The Boston Red Sox lost the 1986 World Series Game 6 to the New York Mets on October 25, 1986.

Bill Buckner’s error in the 10th inning let the Mets win. Barry Levenson, Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General and lifelong Red Sox fan, took the loss hard.

Three days later at 2:30 AM, Levenson walked through a 24-hour Woodman’s grocery store in Madison with tears on his face. He felt silly crying over baseball and decided he needed a new hobby to handle his sports grief.

Mustard Jars "Spoke" to a Heartbroken Lawyer

Standing in the condiment aisle that early morning, Levenson heard something odd. A voice seemed to say, “If you collect us, they will come.”

He grabbed a dozen jars of mustard on impulse, not knowing how they would change his life. “Little did I know where those 12 jars would take me,” Levenson later said about this weird moment.

He kept working as Assistant Attorney General while his mustard collection grew, unaware this hobby would totally change his career path.

Supreme Court Case Won with Mustard in His Pocket

In 1987, Levenson went to Washington DC to argue Griffin v. Wisconsin before the U.S. Supreme Court.

While there, he spotted an unused mustard jar on a hotel room service tray and took it. During his oral arguments in this big Fourth Amendment case, Levenson carried the jar in his left pants pocket.

He won the case 5-4. This jar became his most prized in the collection because it linked to his legal career.

Condiment Collection Outgrew His Kitchen

About six months after starting his collection, the Supreme Court mustard gave Levenson what he called his “second sign” that this path was right for him.

His collection grew from the first dozen jars to over 1,000 mustards while still working as a lawyer. Levenson began to dream about opening a museum for his growing hobby.

His pantry couldn’t hold the hundreds of jars he got from stores, catalogs, and trips. The collection took over his home.

Lawyer Trades Courtroom for Condiments

In 1991, Levenson chose to leave law and focus full-time on his mustard collection.

By 1992, he quit his Assistant Attorney General job to open what many thought was a strange museum idea.

Levenson knew he had “the best law job in the world,” but his mustard passion pulled harder.

After years of wondering what life would be like running a mustard museum, he finally decided to find out rather than spend his life asking “what if.

Small Town Becomes Home to Mustard Mecca

The National Mustard Museum opened in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin on April 5, 1992.

What began as twelve jars grew into more than 7,000 mustards from all 50 states and over 70 countries.

Levenson called his creation “half Field of Dreams, half Willy Wonka.”

The quirky museum quickly became one of Wisconsin’s most popular tourist spots, drawing visitors from across the country who wanted to see the world’s largest collection of mustards.

Oprah and Letterman Spread the Yellow Word

The museum got huge publicity when featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1999, with Oprah trying various mustards on camera.

Game shows like Jeopardy!, To Tell the Truth, and You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno talked about the unusual attraction.

TV, radio shows, and major newspapers ran stories about the lawyer who left his career for condiments.

A David Letterman segment went wrong when he ignored warnings about a hot horseradish spread and fell to the floor in pain.

Yellow Collection Needed More Room to Grow

In October 2000, the museum moved to a bigger building across the street in Mount Horeb as the collection kept growing.

Beyond just mustard jars, Levenson gathered silver and porcelain mustard pots, old tins, and vintage ads.

He created the World-Wide Mustard Competition, which gets about 300 international entries from countries like Romania and Sweden.

Levenson also started National Mustard Day on the first Saturday of August, bringing 6,000 visitors to celebrate the condiment.

Madison Suburb Welcomes Mustard Headquarters

The museum moved again in 2009, from Mount Horeb to a larger downtown spot in Middleton, near Madison.

Levenson changed the name from Mount Horeb Mustard Museum to National Mustard Museum. The bigger museum offers 1,300 items including 450 different mustards in its gift shop.

The collection grew to 6,090 mustards from over 70 countries, along with lots of mustard memorabilia showing the condiment’s rich history.

College of Poupon U Joins Mustard Kingdom

Levenson created a funny “Poupon U” merchandise line with T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, hats, and fake diplomas. The museum runs as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization next to a for-profit gift shop business.

They make custom label mustards for people, businesses, and other groups including museums. The World-Wide Mustard Competition judges condiments in 17 categories with about 100 judges taking part.

These creative ideas grew the museum beyond just a collection into a full mustard-themed business.

Baseball Loss Led to Condiment Calling

Levenson often reflects that his collection allowed him to reach more people than he ever could have as a lawyer. He tells others to “keep your day job, but don’t lose your daydream.”

The museum typically draws 35,000 visitors annually, with Levenson considering visitors his “congregation. ” Though the career change didn’t make him rich financially, he feels wealthy in emotional terms.

What started with a baseball heartbreak and a late-night grocery store visit created a legacy that brings joy to thousands of mustard lovers each year.

Visiting Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, Wisconsin

The National Mustard Museum at 7477 Hubbard Avenue in Middleton offers free admission daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.

You can sample mustards at the Ultimate Tasting Bar with help from Confidential Condiment Counselors and test your knowledge with the Food Whiz quiz game.

Barry Levenson started collecting mustards after the Red Sox lost the 1986 World Series, and now gives group tours of his collection by booking ahead.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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