Isle of Wight, located just 45 miles from Williamsburg, is home to a museum that showcases all kinds of things, from the everyday to the strange. The Isle of Wight museum is set up to look like a country general store, and it features things like Native American artifacts, Civil War memorabilia, and even prehistoric fossils from the nearby James River. However, the most prized, and possibly the most strange, item that is showcased in this small country store is a ham. But, this ham is not just any old ham. It is THE old ham. This ham is the world's oldest Smithfield ham, at 105 years old. It's protected in a glass case in one of the museum's ham galleries. If that strikes you as interesting, then you'll also appreciate the Guinness Book Of World Records recognized World's Largest Ham. While that ham is not physically at this museum, there is an interactive screen that exhibits this 2,200 pound delight.
Admission to this museum is free and it's open the public. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It may not sound all that appealing, but how many people do you know that can say they've seen the World's Oldest Smithfield Ham? Don't forget the camera.
