Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet

Suck it up and pay a visit to Missouri’s Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet, a collection of over 600 hoovers (the nickname, not the brand), most all of which work.

The collection was started by Tom Gasko, a vacuum specialist who has been obsessed with vacuum cleaners since he was a child. Gasko started his collection at the tender age of 16, just before he started selling vacuums door-to-door at 17, beginning the life of a vacuum man in 1979. He became a master repairman and expert at all things vacuuming. By 1995 Gasko had become President of the Vacuum Cleaner Collectors Club, which is a thing. Subsequently, Gasko and some other vacuum enthusiasts started another organization, known as the Vacuum Collectors Association, that would be by and for people working in the industry.

All throughout his career, Gasko had been collecting vacuum cleaners in his personal collection. By the late 2000s, he had accumulated over 600 machines ranging from vintage to modern. In 2009, he was finally able to open the Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet where he put his collection on display.

Today the museum is open to visitors who want to come and see the history of everyone’s favorite cleaning contraption. Gasko continues to personally curate and give tours of the museum, his years of very specific experience provide the context to the collection.    

Update as of April 2019: After 10 years as a unique tourist attraction, Missouri’s Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet has closed.