After more than a year of delays, the Museum of Sex (MoSex) finally opened in Miami a few months ago, steadily unveiling bold new exhibits while drawing a steady stream of visitors clearly intrigued by the promise of a space with such a provocative name.
Not to be confused with the sex-themed museum on South Beach—that would be the World Erotic Art Museum—the Museum of Sex is a New York City import that actually feels like it could have been born right here in Miami. That’s because, as so many kitschy, Old Florida institutions in the city are being razed, glossed over and Tulum-ified, the Museum of Sex is injecting a healthy dose of humor and delightfully raunchy history back into our South Florida environs.
I’m talking about glass cases filled with first-generation vibrators and archival news articles espousing the virtues of birth control pills alongside large-scale paintings of robots and humans engaged in highly graphic sex acts. The museum’s titillating temporary collection comprises thousands of works of art, photography, clothing and costumes, technological inventions and all manner of naughty historical ephemera.
At the end of the exhibitions, you’ll watch a short film tracing the little-known history of fairs as old-timey centers of debauchery and escapism, and then you’ll enter Super Funland. It’s a sprawling erotic carnival and bar where visitors can play glory hole whack-a-mole, practice their pole dance moves and spin around on a rotating plate while trying to dodge a big swinging scrotum. There’s even a live mermaid show on the weekends, a completely new offering!
It all makes for a highly fascinating and very fun night out. My visit was a double date, but it’d be just as great for couples, with a group of friends or even a private party. MoSex bachelorette? Baby shower? The options are only limited by your imagination, really. Speaking of which: non-flash photography is permitted and the silly and surrealist photo ops abound. Though some, like my husband twerking on the pole, are probably better saved as memories rather than in the Cloud. (I may or may not have deleted those…)
The museum’s two-story warehouse building could easily be missed among its industrial Allapattah surrounds, were it not for the bustling parking lot out front and the all-caps lettering on the facade indicating that this is indeed your sexy final destination. Basic tickets start at $24, but premium passes ($30) include THC gummies and the Lovers Pass for two ($113) will also grant you cocktails and a “Love Kit” filled with $50 worth of undisclosed goodies. They all include access to the carnival and one free round of each game. There’s no on-site dining, but Jon & Vinny’s at the Rubell and Hometown BBQ are two solid options nearby.