Umeå brothers Samuel and Michael Åhdén possess one of the world’s largest privately owned collections of guitars. In 2014, the whole world got a chance to see it. You can visit the experience-based, interactive exhibition of electric guitars, basses, amps and music accessories at Umeå Guitar Museum. The museum houses about 500 exhibits altogether. Alongside the permanent exhibition, the museum arranges lectures, temporary exhibitions and presentations of new developments. World stars will also visit the museum during the year and hold ‘clinics’ — open guitar lessons.

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of cultural and natural history. Employing multi-disciplinary methods of education, Rosicrucian teaches visitors about the complexities of past, present and future human relationships and endeavors. The research is collection-based, and the learning programs are collaborative and diverse. The architecture was modeled after the Temple of Amun at Karnak, and the museum boasts the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in western North America.

Serving as the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. The beautiful church follows the ground plan of a Greek cross, with a round altar beneath the dome. Bavarian glass and stained glass murals lend to the basilica’s stunning craftsmanship, along with a multitude of artwork, sculptures, paintings and the elegant Stations of the Cross. Originally built in 1803, St. Joseph’s has undergone several major fires and renovations to remain the lovely structure of today, and Mass is still held.